Processing system and method for connecting a remote USB device automatically

• US 9,189,298 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kcodes Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kcodes Corporation
• Inventors: Chiu, Tang-En, Tsai, Yao-Lu, Hsiau, Ze-Kai, Wu, Ming-Huei
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance L
• Application Number:
  US12/891,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 709225-229, 710/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A processing system and method for connecting to a remote USB device automatically. The processing system and method provide a user computer to be connected to or disconnected from a USB device via a network system and a USB server connected to the USB device. In the beginning, the user computer finds a USB device for the user computer from the USB server via the network system; when detecting that the user computer issues request messages, the USB server connects the user computer with the USB device, and the USB device executes corresponding services according to the request messages issued by the user computer; in the last, after detecting that the USB device has finished the corresponding services according to the request messages issued by the user computer, the USB server is enabled to disconnect the user computer from the USB device.

Claims

1. A processing system that is connectable to a remote universal serial bus (USB) device automatically and embedded in a user computer, for detecting request messages that are stored in a queue area of the user computer and are not transmitted yet, allowing the user computer to be connected to or disconnected from a USB device via a USB server, the processing system comprising:

a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor provide;

a comparison unit for acquiring device information of the USB device via the USB server and comparing the device information with driver information in the user computer, so as to find out a consistent USB device for the user computer;

a detection unit for detecting a status of the queue area that stores the request messages and a status of the USB device via the USB server;

a control unit connected to the comparison unit and the detection unit for generating a connection request according to the request messages issued by the user computer, and generating a disconnection request according to the status detected by the detection unit indicating that the request messages stored in the queue area are clear; and

a transmission unit connected to the control unit for transmitting connection requests or disconnection requests generated by the control unit to the USB server, allowing the USB server to connect the user computer with the consistent USB device found by the detection unit according to the connection requests or disconnect the user computer from a USB device according to the disconnection requests,

wherein the device information of the USB device is a vendor identity (ID), a product ID, or a serial number of the USB device, and if the USB device is occupied by another user computer when the control unit generates the request messages, the request messages are still stored in the queue area, until the another user computer is disconnected to the USB device.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the USB server includes a user identification module that has at least a user identification account and a password corresponding to the user identification account, the user identification account identifying connection authorization of the user computer to requesting the USB server to connect the user computer with the USB device.

3. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the USB server further has a usage time management module for storing usage time regulation information corresponding to the user identification account, so as to regulate time when the user computer is connected to the USB device.

4. The processing system of claim 3, wherein the usage time regulation information are the time when connection usage is limited or allowed.

5. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the USB server further comprises a record storage module for recording a user identification account that proposes the connection requests or disconnection requests.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the USB server is a network apparatus that has a network protocol for communicating with a network system, a USB port for connecting to the USB device, and firmware for communicating with the processing system.