Communication device or media device for providing phone calling service, internet access service, or digital content service

• US 9,116,723 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FlexiJet Technologies Inc..
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Viswanathan, Vinaynathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US14/089,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A portable device for phone calling, Internet access, or for playing media is herein disclosed and enabled. The portable device may support autorun. The portable device is connectable to a computing device over a wired interface for running, at the computing device, at least part of the software stored in the portable device. The wired interface includes, for example, a USB, a SD card, or an Ethernet among others. A wireless interface, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, may additionally be included. Exemplary services that may be deployed with the portable device include a phone calling service. Other exemplary services may include adding a wireless interface to a computing device, or providing a wireless Internet access service. Additional exemplary services may include outputting or playing of digital content from a smart phone to an output device, such as a printer, projector or television.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit memory device connectable to a host computing device by a user for running computer software on the host computing device, the integrated circuit memory device comprising:

a controller for controlling interaction between the integrated circuit memory device and the host computing device;

a memory component storing a software component or data operable on the host computing device, the memory component including a protected or private memory component storing at least part of the software component or data, the at least part of the software component or data being associated with the computer software for running on the host computing device, the protected or private memory component not implemented to be a public memory area for storing data that are accessible or viewable by the user of the integrated circuit memory device upon connection and activation of the integrated circuit memory device on the host computing device, and the at least part of the software component or data stored in the protected memory component being permitted to be executed by the host computing device upon connection and activation of the integrated circuit memory device on the host computing device;

firmware embedded at least partly in the integrated circuit memory device having;

means to facilitate interaction between the integrated circuit memory device and the host computing device,

means to facilitate access of the protected memory or private component of the integrated circuit memory device,

means to facilitate the integrated circuit memory device identifying itself with the host computing device in accordance with a device interface description, the device interface description identifying the integrated circuit memory device in a manner analogous to that of a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) drive or a mass storage class device, individually or in any combination; and

autorun software stored on the integrated circuit memory device for running automatically on the host computing device upon connection of the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device, the autorun software, when executed, providing;

means to load, from the protected or private memory component, at least part of the software component or data associated with the computer software by interacting with the autorun firmware embedded in the integrated circuit memory device, and

means to facilitate running of the computer software on the host computing device that includes at least part of the software component or data accessed from the protected or private memory component subsequent to connection and activation of the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device; and

wherein, the integrated circuit memory device is associated with providing a phone calling service, an Internet access service, or a digital content output service, individually or in any combination.

2. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless component for adding a wireless interface to the host computing device with the wireless component, and the computer software running on the host computing device relating, at least partly, to wireless software for running on the host computing device.

3. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 2, in which the wireless component conforms to one or more of a Bluetooth®

, a Wi-Fi, a ZigBee, and an IrDa standard of wireless communication, individually or in any combination.

4. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, in which the means to load, from the protected or private memory component, the protected data by the autorun software authenticates access of the autorun software.

5. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, in which at least part of the software component or data includes a device identifier, an address, a MAC address, individually, or in any combination.

6. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 further includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device connectable to the host computing device.

7. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 being at least one of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) storage device or a wireless adapter device, individually, or in any combination.

8. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1, in which the memory component further includes a public memory section, the contents of which can be viewed and accessed by a user, and at least a pointer to an autorun software or an application launcher is stored in the public memory section of the memory component for execution at the host computing device.

9. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 8, in which the computer software is for phone calling and for Internet access, individually or in any combination.

10. An autorun method for running on a host computing device selected software or data using an integrated circuit memory device that is connectable by a user to an external port of the host computing device, the integrated circuit memory device including:

a memory component storing selected software or data operable on the host computing device, and

a controller for controlling interaction between the integrated circuit memory device and the host computing device, the controller including autorun firmware to support loading of the selected software or data from the memory component of the integrated circuit memory device for running on the host computing device, the method comprising;

activating the integrated circuit memory device upon connection of the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device;

informing the host computing device of the presence of the autorun software on the integrated circuit memory device;

executing, the autorun software on the host computing device, the autorun software running on the host computing device interacting with the autorun firmware included in the controller of the integrated circuit memory device for accessing the selected software or data stored in the memory component of the integrated circuit memory device;

loading, by the autorun software, at least part of the selected software or data stored in the memory component of the integrated circuit memory device;

running, by the autorun software, the selected software or data loaded from the memory component of the integrated circuit memory device on the host computing device;

identifying the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device in accordance with a device interface description, the device interface description identifies the integrated circuit memory device in a manner analogous to that of a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) drive or a mass storage class device, individually or in any combination; and

wherein the integrated circuit memory device is associated with providing a phone calling service, an Internet access service, or a digital content output service, individually or in any combination.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a wireless component for adding a wireless interface to the host computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, the integrated circuit memory device further comprising a USB (Universal Serial Bus) upstream port for interfacing with the host computing device and one or more additional USB (Universal Serial Bus) downstream ports.

13. The method of claim 10, in which the integrated circuit memory device includes a public memory section where at least part of the selected software or data operable on the host computer is stored, the contents of the public memory section being viewable and accessible by the user.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a USB (universal serial bus) interface and an Ethernet interface, individually or in any combination.

15. In a computer readable memory medium, non-transitory autorun software stored in an integrated circuit memory device connectable by a user to an external port of a host computing device for running on the host computing device protected software or data that can be executed by the host computing device using the integrated circuit memory device, the medium comprising:

software for running on the host computing device autorun software upon connection of the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device;

software for identifying the integrated circuit memory device to the host computer with a device interface description, the device interface description identifying the integrated circuit memory device in a manner analogous to that of a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) drive or a mass storage class device, individually or in any combination;

software for interacting with autorun firmware embedded in the integrated circuit memory device for accessing a protected memory component in the integrated circuit memory device, the protected memory component not implemented to be a public memory area for storing data that are accessible or viewable by the user but being accessible by the autorun software upon connection and activation of the integrated circuit memory device to the host computing device;

software for loading at least part of the protected software or data from the protected memory component of the integrated circuit memory device;

software for running and executing the protected software or data by the autorun software on the host computer; and

wherein the integrated circuit memory device is associated with providing a phone calling service, an Internet access service, or a digital content output service, individually or in any combination.

16. The medium of claim 15, in which at least part of the protected software or data includes a device identifier.

17. The medium of claim 15, further comprising a non-protected or public memory section, the contents of which can be viewed and accessed by the user.

18. The medium of claim 17, in which at least part of the protected software or data is stored in the non-protected or public memory section, and the medium further comprising software for loading at least part of the protected software or data on the host computer from the non-protected or public memory section of the Integrated circuit memory device.

19. The medium of claim 15, in which the integrated circuit memory device is for providing a phone calling service and the integrated circuit memory device includes a USB (universal serial bus) interface for USB connection and an Ethernet interface for Ethernet connection, individually or in any combination.

20. The medium of claim 15, in which the integrated circuit memory device further includes a wireless component for wireless connection, and the protected software or data is related to wireless software running on the host computing device.