Autorun for integrated circuit memory component

• US 7,805,720 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlexiJet Technologies Inc..
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Vinaynathan, Chang, William Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rampuria; Satish
• Application Number:
  US10/823,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,360 Days
• Field of Search: 717174-178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• 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

Autorun functionality is incorporated into an integrated circuit memory device such as any USB peripheral, which has a memory component interfaced to a USB microcontroller. This provides autorun of one or more executables or application installers from a memory component with a USB interface without an intermediate hardware-based autorun feature. USB peripheral devices internally include a USB microcontroller that performs the functionality associated with identifying the device to a host computing device, such as a personal computer. Autorun firmware is embedded into the USB microcontroller. The autorun firmware enables autorun of an installable or executable application stored on the memory component of the USB device. The firmware acts as bridge component translating all commands and interactions between a host PC and the memory component.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit flash memory device connectable by a user to a host computing device, the integrated circuit flash memory device for enabling said user to run or execute at the host computing device a protected software or data without providing said user means to copy the protected software or data stored in the integrated circuit flash memory device, the integrated circuit flash memory device comprising:

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

an application launcher software stored on the integrated circuit memory device and executable on the host computing device upon activation of the integrated circuit memory device with the host computing device;

a memory component that includes a protected memory component storing at least part of a protected software or data that is installable or executable on the host computing device by said user and the protected software or data stored in the protected memory component cannot be viewed or accessed by said user;

the application launcher software stored on the integrated circuit memory device including

means to run automatically on the host computing device upon activation of the integrated circuit memory device with the host computing device,

means to access, by the application launcher software, protected software or data from the protected memory component of the integrated circuit flash memory device in dependence of a successful authentication of the application launcher software that run automatically on the host computing device upon activation of the integrated circuit memory device with the host computing device, and

means to install, execute or run, by the application launcher software, on the host computing device, the protected software or data accessed from the protected memory component of the integrated circuit flash memory device;

whereby the flash memory device enables said user to operate, run or execute protected software or data on the host computing device from the protected memory component without enabling said user means to access, view or copy the protected software or data from the protected memory component of the integrated circuit flash memory device.

2. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 in which the flash memory device is further operable with the host computing device in accordance with a first device interface description for identifying with the host computing device with the first device interface description, and

subsequent to an autorun operation upon plugging the integrated circuit flash memory device to the host computing device and in response to a query,

the flash memory device re-enumerates itself with a second device interface description and identifies to the host computing device with the second device interface description.

3. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 further including a public memory component that can be viewed or accessed by the user.

4. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless component for adding wireless interface to the host computing with the wireless component.

5. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 further comprising a user operable external manual switch on the integrated circuit flash drive memory device that is accessible and operable by said user to select from among plural operating states that include a first state in which the application launcher software is operable and a second state in which the application launcher software is not operable.

6. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1, further comprising one upstream port for interfacing or connecting with the host computing device and two or more downstream ports having at least one downstream port associated with at least a wireless component and at least one downstream port associated with a memory component.

7. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 further comprising a connection that is connectable to a host computing device over a Universal Serial Bus connection port.

8. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 7 further comprising a Universal Serial Bus hub for enabling interface with one or more functional components or devices, the Universal Serial Bus hub including one upstream port for interfacing with the host computing device and one or more downstream ports for interfacing or interacting to one or more functional components or devices, the one or more functional components or device including a memory component.

9. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 in which the controller and the memory component operate together as a storage device to the host computing device.

10. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 1 in which the protected memory component further stores protected data that is not accessible by the user and is accessible only by the application launcher software or the protected software during installation or running of the application launcher software or the protected software.

11. An integrated circuit memory device connectable by a user to a host computing device for running or executing a protected data on the host computing device without providing said user means to copy the protected data stored on the integrated circuit memory 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 that includes a protected memory component storing protected that is installable or executable on the host computing device by said user and is not viewable or accessible by said user;

the integrated circuit memory device being further configurable to include;

means to enumerate with a first device interface description for identifying itself to the host computing device with the first device interface description upon connection to the host computing device,

means to install, execute, or run automatically one or more autorun software on the host computing device by said user,

means to re-enumerates itself with a second device interface description for identifying to the host computing device with the second device interface description in response to a query and subsequent to running or executing autorun software on the host computing device,

means to access protected data, by the one or more autorun software, from the private memory component on the integrated circuit memory device for installing, executing, or running a protected software on the host computing device with the protected data accessed from the private memory component of the integrated circuit memory device,

whereby the integrated memory device providing said user to run or execute on the host computing device the protected data stored in the private memory component of the integrated circuit memory device without providing said user means to access and copy the protected data.

12. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 in which the protected memory component accessible by the autorun software includes an authenticated step by the autorun software.

13. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 in which the protected data stored in the protected memory component is not accessible by said user and is accessible only by the autorun software or the protected software thereby providing copy protection of the protected data stored in the private memory component of the integrated circuit memory device.

14. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 further comprising a user operable external manual switch on the integrated circuit memory device that allows a user to select from among plural operating states of the integrated circuit flash memory device.

15. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 14 in which the user operable external manual switch allows a user to select from among more than two operating states, one of which includes operation of a wireless component in the integrated circuit drive memory device.

16. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 further comprising a connection that is connectable to a Universal Serial Bus port.

17. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 in which the memory component includes an external memory added to the integrated circuit memory device.

18. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 further comprising a Universal Serial Bus hub for enabling interface with one or more functional components or devices.

19. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 18 in which the Universal Serial Bus hub includes one upstream port and one or more downstream ports for interfacing or connecting to one or more functional components or devices.

20. The integrated circuit flash drive memory device of claim 11 further including a public memory component that can be viewed or accessed by the user.

21. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 further comprising a wireless component for adding wireless interface to the host computing device upon plugging the integrated memory circuit device to the host computing device.

22. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 21 in which the wireless component includes at least one of a wireless network component and a Bluetooth wireless component, individually or in any combination.

23. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 11 in which the protected data is not accessible by the user and is accessible only by the one or more autorun software or the protected software thereby providing copy protection of the protected software or protected data.

24. A method for adding wireless interface to a host computing device with an integrated circuit wireless device connectable to a host computing device, the integrated circuit wireless device including a wireless component for adding wireless interface to the host computing device with the wireless component, a memory component that includes a private memory component for storing at least part of a protected data that is operable or executable by a user on the host computing device and cannot be copied by said user, the method of adding wireless interface to the host computing device comprising:

activating the integrated circuit wireless device for adding wireless interface to the host computing upon connecting the wireless integrated circuit device to an interfacing port of a host computing device;

identifying with a first device interface description to the host computing device by the wireless integrated circuit device;

running automatically one or more autorun software stored on the integrated circuit wireless device upon activation of the integrated circuit wireless device with the host computing device;

re-enumerating, by the wireless integrated circuit device, with a second device interface description for identifying to the host computing device with a second device interface description, the re-enumeration being subsequent to running the one or more autorun software on the host computing device;

accessing the protected data from the private memory component, by the one or more autorun software, the protected data for installing, executing or running a protected software on the host computing device for adding wireless interface to the host computing device;

installing, executing or running the protected software on the host computing device with the protected data accessed from the private memory component by the one or more autorun software;

wherein the integrated circuit wireless device adds wireless interface to the host computing device by enabling said user to install, execute or run the protected data stored in the protected memory component of the integrated circuit wireless device without providing said user means to view, access or copy the protected data stored in the protected memory component of the integrated circuit wireless.

25. The method of claim 24 in which the wireless component includes at least one of a wireless network component and a Bluetooth wireless component, individually or in any combination.

26. The method of claim 24 in which access to the protected software by the autorun software requires authentication of the autorun software.

27. The method of claim 24 in which the integrated circuit wireless device further including a user operable external manual switch on the integrated circuit wireless device for allowing a user to select from among more than two operating states.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising connecting to the interfacing port of the host includes a Universal Serial Bus port.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising a Universal Serial Bus hub for enabling interface with one or more functional components or devices, the Universal Serial Bus hub includes one upstream port for interfacing with the host computing device and one or more downstream ports for interfacing or connecting to one or more functional components or devices.

30. The method of claim 24 in which the integrated circuit wireless device further including

an upstream port for interfacing with the host computing device, and

two or more downstream ports, the two or more downstream ports having at least one downstream port associated with at least the wireless component and at least one downstream port associated with the memory component.

31. The method of claim 24 further including a public memory component that can be viewed or accessed by the user.

32. The method of claim 24 in which the memory component includes a protected memory component that stores protected data that is not viewable or accessible by the user and is accessible only by the one or more autorun software or the protected software thereby providing copy protection of the protected data.

33. An integrated circuit wireless device connectable by a user to a host computing device for adding wireless interface to the host computing device with the integrated circuit wireless device, the integrated circuit wireless device comprising:

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

a wireless component for adding wireless interface to the host computing device with the wireless component subsequent to plugging the integrated circuit wireless device to the interfacing port of the host computing device;

a memory component that includes a private memory component for storing at least part of a protected data that is installable or executable by said user on the host computing device and is not accessible or copyable by said user; and

one or more autorun software stored on the integrated circuit wireless device that runs automatically on the host computing device upon activation of the integrated circuit wireless device with the host computing device, the one or more autorun software including

means for accessing the protected data from the private memory component, the protected data for installing, executing or running a protected software on the host computing device for adding wireless interface to the host computing device;

wherein the integrated circuit wireless device enabling said user adding wireless interface to the host computing device employing the protected data stored in the protected memory component of the integrated circuit wireless device without providing said user means to view, access and copy the protected data stored in the protected memory component of the integrated circuit wireless.

34. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 further comprising,

means for identifying with the host computing device with a first device interface description, and

means for re-enumerates itself with a second device interface description and identifies to the host computing device with the second device interface description subsequent to an autorun operation and a query.

35. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 in which the integrated circuit wireless device having an upstream port for interfacing with the host computing device and two or more downstream ports, the two or more downstream ports having at least one downstream port associated with at least the wireless component.

36. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 35 in which the protected data that is not viewable or accessible by the user and is only accessible by the one or more autorun software upon authentication of the one or more autorun software, thereby providing copy protection of the protected data.

37. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 in which the wireless component is a Wireless Local Area Network component.

38. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 further includes an external memory component and the integrated circuit wireless device operable as an external memory storage device and an external wireless device to the host computer.

39. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 in which the wireless component being one of a WiFi component and a Bluetooth wireless component, individually or in any combination.

40. The integrated circuit wireless device of claim 33 further including public memory component that can be viewed or accessed by the user.