Flash drive that configures generic bluetooth controller of the drive to be compatible with multiple bluetooth peripheral devices

• US 7,774,027 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagabhirava, Rajeev, Parikh, Dhaval
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIDU, GANIYU A
• Application Number:
  US11/536,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20080081559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412- 413, 4555561-5562, 455557-558, 713/0.1, 710/0.1
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable flash memory drive includes a Bluetooth controller with only a subset of the layers of a Bluetooth stack necessary for operation. This enables usage of a generic Bluetooth controller in the flash drive. Specific configuration for profiles and other aspects of Bluetooth communication are handled by upper layers of the Bluetooth stack that are stored in the flash memory of the drive and thereafter loaded into a host computer. The configuration and make up of the Bluetooth stack can therefore be easily updated and changed when desired.

Claims

1. A flash memory drive comprising:

reprogrammable flash memory located within the flash memory drive and operable to store user data files;

a memory controller that controls storage of the user files in the flash memory;

a Bluetooth controller located in the flash memory drive having a first subset of a Bluetooth stack; and

a second subset of the Bluetooth stack, the first and second subsets of the stack together operable to configure the flash memory drive to be able to communicate with other Bluetooth peripheral devices,

the second subset of the stack stored in the reprogrammable flash memory of the flash memory drive,

the flash memory drive configured to load the second subset to a host computer, wherein the reprogrammable flash memory is accessible by the host computer via the memory controller when the flash memory drive is connected to the host computer.

2. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the execution of an application stored on the reprogrammable flash memory causes the drive to load the second subset.

3. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the first subset controls core communications of the controller.

4. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the second subset implements device specific configuration parameters.

5. The flash memory drive of claim 4, wherein the device specific configuration parameters comprise Bluetooth profile parameters.

6. The flash memory drive of claim 1, further comprising a hub coupled to the memory controller and the Bluetooth controller.

7. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the stack comprises a radio layer, a baseband/link controller layer, a link manager layer, and a host controller interface layer.

8. A flash memory drive comprising:

a mass storage flash memory located within the flash memory drive and operable to store user data files;

a memory controller that controls storage of the user files in the flash memory;

a Bluetooth radio located within the flash memory drive;

instructions within the flash memory that automatically configure a host computer coupled to the flash memory drive to communicate via the Bluetooth radio when the flash memory drive is plugged into the host computer, wherein the flash memory is accessible by the host computer via the memory controller when the flash memory drive is plugged into the host computer.

9. The flash memory drive of claim 8, wherein when plugged into the host the drive enumerates as two devices, a CD ROM, and a mass storage class device.

10. The flash memory drive of claim 8, wherein the flash memory drive is operable to provide one or more profiles for one or more Bluetooth enabled peripheral devices, the profiles stored with the NAND flash memory.

11. A flash memory drive comprising:

a mass storage NAND flash memory located within the flash memory drive and operable to store user data files;

a memory controller that controls storage of the user data files in the NAND flash memory;

a Bluetooth radio located within the flash memory drive;

means for automatically configuring a host computer coupled to the flash memory drive to communicate via the Bluetooth radio when the flash memory drive is plugged into the host computer, wherein the flash memory is accessible by the host computer via the memory controller when the flash memory drive is plugged into the host computer.

12. A system comprising:

a host computing device; and

a flash memory drive comprising;

a mass storage flash memory located within the flash memory drive and operable to store user data files;

a memory controller that controls storage of the user data files in the flash memory and communicates with the host computing device, the memory controller operable to cause the flash memory drive to appear as a hard disk drive to the host computing device;

a Bluetooth radio located within the flash memory drive;

instructions within the flash memory that automatically configure the host computing device coupled to the flash memory drive to allow the host computing device to communicate via the Bluetooth radio to another Bluetooth enabled device when the flash memory drive is plugged into the host computer.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising one or more Bluetooth peripheral devices that communicate to the host through the flash memory drive.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory controller communicates with the host computer via one of a USB, SATA, IEEE-1394, or WUSB protocol interfaces.