Computer storage device having separate read-only space and read-write space, removable media component, system management interface, and network interface

• US 9,292,222 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keicy Chung
• Original Assignee: Keicy Chung
• Inventors: Chung, Keicy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Mardochee
• Application Number:
  US14/320,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/154 Networked environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/174 Telecommunications system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2146 being detachable, e.g.. USB memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/264 Remote server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/3042 being part of a memory device, e.g. cache DRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/305 being part of a memory device, e.g. cache DRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/463 File
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0667 at data level, e.g. file, record or object virtualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/211 Discs having both read-only and rewritable or recordable areas containing application data; Partial ROM media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/82 Miscellaneous aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 : Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A storage device for use with a computer is disclosed. The storage device includes a processor communicably connected to a computer through a computer interface and a system interface. The computer interface enables communications exclusively between the processor and the computer, while the system interface enables to processor to manage one or more hardware components of the computer. A network interface is also included to enable the processor to communicate over a network with select file servers to the exclusion of other file servers. A storage means is communicably connected to the processor and includes first and second designated storage sections. The processor has read-write access to both storage sections, while the computer has read-only access to the first storage section and read-write access to the second storage section. A removable media storage component is also communicably connected to the processor.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a computer processor;

an interface bus communicably coupled to the computer processor; and

a storage device comprising;

a device processor;

a first network interface communicably coupling the device processor to a network;

a computer interface communicably coupling the device processor to the computer processor through the interface bus;

a system management interface communicably coupling the device processor to the interface bus separately from the computer interface, wherein the system management interface is configured to provide the device processor with management functionality over one or more hardware components of the computing device, and the device processor is configured to control the one or more hardware components using the management functionality, said control being independent of an operating system running on the computer processor; and

storage means communicably coupled to the device processor, wherein the device processor regulates access of the computer processor to the storage means.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the storage means comprises random access media.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is configured to give the computer:

read-only access to a first storage section of the storage means, and

read-write access to a second storage section of the storage means, the second storage section being separately contiguous from the first storage section.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is configured to

receive a file request directed by the computer processor to the storage device, the file request being for a file from the storage device;

and

retrieve the requested file from a predetermined server.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the device processor is further configured to:

store the retrieved file on the storage means; and

provide the retrieved file to the computer processor on a read-only basis.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the storage device further comprises a removable media storage component communicably connected to the device processor.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the device processor is configured to

receive a file request directed by the computer processor to the storage device, the file request being for a file from the storage device;

and

retrieve the requested file from the removable media storage.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the device processor is further configured to:

store the retrieved file on the storage means; and

provide the retrieved file to the computer processor on a read-only basis.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the storage device further comprises an encryption module communicably coupled to the device processor, the device processor being configured to utilize the encryption module for at least one of:

encrypt network communications through the network interface; and

encrypt files stored on the storage means.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the device processor is configured to obtain an encryption key through the network from a predetermined server, the encryption key being utilized to perform encryption with the encryption module.

11. The computing, device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is configured to regulate all files stored on the storage means.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the device processor is configured to communicate with a predetermined server over the network and to remove one or more stored files from the storage means in accordance with a delete instruction received from the predetermined server.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the device processor is configured to regulate all files stored on the storage means in accordance with pre-established rules.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the device processor is configured to communicate with a predetermined server over the network, and the device processor is configured to manage the pre-established rules in accordance with commands received from the predetermined server.

15. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is communicably connected to the network through the network interface, and the device processor is configured to regulate all network traffic passing through the network interface to and from the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the device processor is configured to regulate all network traffic passing through the network interface to and from the computing device in accordance with pre-established rules.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the device processor is configured to communicate with a predetermined server over the network, and the device processor is configured to manage the pre-established rules in accordance with commands received from the predetermined server.

18. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is configured to control the one or more hardware components using the management functionality in accordance with pre-established rules.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the device processor is configured to communicate with a predetermined server over the network, and the device processor is configured to manage the pre-established rules in accordance with commands received from the predetermined server.

20. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a telephone.

21. A storage device comprising:

a device processor;

a first network interface commmunicably coupling the device processor to a network;

a computer interface communicably coupling the device processor to a computer processor of a computer through an interface bus of the computer;

a system management interface communicably coupling the device processor to the interface bus separately from the computer interface, wherein the system management interface is configured to provide the device processor with management functionality over one or more hardware components of the computer, and the device processor is configured to control the one or more hardware components using the management functionality, said control being independent of an operating, system running on the computer processor; and

storage means communicably coupled to the device processor, wherein the device processor regulates access of the computer processor to the storage means.