Method for starting up a process automatically on insertion of a storage media into a host device

• US 5,597,307 A
• Filed: 05/11/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Original Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Donald S., Redford, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US08/439,562
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/307 R, 434/323, 434/362, 434/365, 364/138, 364/130, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 395/275, 395/375, 395/400, 395/425, 395/500, 395/600, 395/650, 395/800, 395/700
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0677 Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD
• 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: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In accordance with this invention, a remote control for an interactive media can include a printed publication and/or a storage media and/or a data button. One embodiment of a remote control includes a printed publication (such as a book, magazine or a catalog) and one or more buttons physically attached to the printed publication to allow users to remotely control use of associated electronic content by a host device. Another embodiment of a remote control has a housing capable of removably holding a storage media encoded with electronic content associated with a button of the remote control. Yet another embodiment of a remote control has at least one data button which permits the user to select the data to be displayed by the host device. An autostart driver in the host device detects insertion of a storage media into a peripheral and automatically starts an application. The application interprets button codes transmitted by the remote control and displays the results or initiates other events. An application development system allows an author to quickly create interactive media applications.

Claims

1. A method for automatically starting up a process in a host device based on insertion of a storage media into a peripheral, comprising:

booting an operating system of the host device, said step of booting including checking for an initialization file;

automatically enabling an interrupt;

automatically checking for a file other than said initialization file in at least one removable storage media associated with at least one peripheral on occurrence of said interrupt, said removable storage media being encoded with electronic content including said file;

automatically loading at least a portion of the electronic content from said removable storage media in response to finding said file during said step of automatically checking;

automatically executing an application identified by or associated with said file; and

returning to said step of automatically enabling.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically displaying a selection encoded in the form of electronic content on said removable storage media, said selection being identified by said file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection is selected from a group consisting of software, still graphics, picture, text, audio recording, and video recording.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection comprises a sound recording and said step of displaying comprises playing said sound recording through a speaker means.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection comprises a video recording and said step of displaying comprises showing said video recording on a screen.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection comprises a graphics image and said step of displaying comprises printing said graphics image on a printer.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said selection comprises a graphics image and said step of displaying comprises showing said graphics image on a screen.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection comprises text and said step of displaying comprises printing said text through a printer.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said selection comprises text and said step of displaying comprises showing said text on a screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said interrupt is a timer interrupt.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said interrupt is an interrupt from a removable storage media peripheral indicating insertion of said removable storage media in said removable storage media peripheral.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering up said host device and executing firmware from read only memory of said device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said interrupt is an interrupt from a removable storage media peripheral indicating insertion of said removable storage media in said removable storage media peripheral.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of automatically checking occurs after insertion of said removable storage media into said removable storage media peripheral.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of booting comprises executing said initialization file.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising disabling said interrupt prior to said step of automatically executing said file.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling an interrupt and waiting for said interrupt subsequent to said step of automatically executing said file.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of the electronic content is identified in said file.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically executing an application comprises automatically executing an application which is at least part of said file.

20. A method for automatically starting up a process in a host device based on insertion of a storage media into a peripheral, comprising:

booting an operating system of the host device, said step of booting including checking for an initialization file and utilizing said initialization file;

automatically enabling an interrupt from at least one peripheral;

automatically loading into a selected memory at least a portion of electronic content from a file other than said initialization file encoded on a storage media located in at least one peripheral on occurrence of said interrupt;

automatically using said electronic content, wherein said step of automatically using comprises passing control of said host device to said electronic content of said file; and

returning to said step of automatically enabling after completion of said step of automatically using.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said portion of the electronic content comprises a sound recording and wherein said method further comprises displaying a selection encoded in the form of electronic content on said storage media, said step of displaying comprises playing said sound recording through a speaker means.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said portion of the electronic content comprises a video recording and wherein said method further comprises displaying a selection encoded in the form of electronic content on said storage media, said step of displaying comprises showing said video recording on a screen.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said portion of the electronic content comprises a graphics image and wherein said method further comprises displaying a selection encoded in the form of electronic content on said storage media, said step of displaying comprises printing said graphics image through a printer.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said portion of the electronic content comprises text and wherein said method further comprises displaying a selection encoded in the form of electronic content on said storage media, said step of displaying comprises printing said text through a printer.

25. A method for automatically starting up a process in a host device based on insertion of a storage media into a peripheral, comprising:

booting an operating system of the host device, said step of booting including checking for an initialization file;

automatically enabling an interrupt from a removable storage media in a peripheral in a set of at least one peripheral on insertion of a removable storage media into said peripheral;

automatically checking for a file other than the initialization file in said removable storage media on occurrence of said interrupt, said removable storage media being encoded with electronic content including said file;

automatically disabling said interrupt;

automatically using at least a portion of said electronic content from said removable storage media in response to finding said file during the step of checking, wherein said step of automatically using comprises passing control of said host device to said file; and

returning to said step of automatically enabling after completion of said step of automatically using.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprises the step of waiting for said interrupt prior to said step of automatically checking, and wherein at least said steps of waiting and automatically the checking are repeated.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprises the step of waiting for said interrupt prior to said step of automatically checking, and wherein said steps of automatically enabling said interrupt, waiting, automatically checking, automatically disabling said interrupt, and automatically using are repeated.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprises the step of enabling a plurality of interrupts in addition to said interrupt, and storing a name of said peripheral in a variable prior to said step of automatically disabling said interrupt.

29. A method for automatically starting up a process in a host device based on insertion of a storage media into a peripheral comprising:

booting an operating system of the host device from a storage media, said step of booting comprising checking for an initialization file;

automatically enabling an interrupt for periodically checking at least one peripheral of said host device;

automatically checking for a file other than said initialization file in a removable storage media located in said at least one peripheral on occurrence of said interrupt, said removable storage media being encoded with electronic content including said file, wherein said file has a predetermined name;

automatically disabling said interrupt;

automatically using at least a portion of said electronic content from said removable storage media in response to finding said file during the step of checking, wherein said step of automatically using comprises passing control of said host device to said file; and

returning to said step of automatically enabling after completion of said step of automatically using.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprises a step of waiting for said interrupt prior to said step of automatically checking, and wherein at least said steps of waiting and automatically checking are repeated.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprises the step of waiting for said interrupt prior to said step of automatically checking, and wherein at least said steps of automatically enabling said interrupt, waiting, automatically checking, automatically disabling said interrupt, and automatically using are repeated.

32. The method of claim 29 further:

comprises the step of storing into a variable a name of one of said at least one peripheral, wherein said at least one peripheral comprises a plurality of peripherals and said at least one peripheral holds said removable storage media containing said file.