Device and method for automatically launching applications residing on USB flash drives

• US 7,865,351 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Mardiks, Eitan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred; Alford W
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, RICHARD B
• Application Number:
  US11/967,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,101 Days
• Field of Search: 703/13, 703/21, 703/22, 703/23, 703/24, 703/25, 703/26, 710/1, 710/62, 710/65, 710/67, 710/72, 710/73
• US Class Current: 703/24
• 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 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A USB peripheral device may automatically launch an application residing in its memory after it is connected to a host or after restarting the host if the USB flash drive has already been connected. Alternatively, the USB peripheral \device can automatically launch an application residing on the host or on a network, which is accessible by the host. The USB peripheral device has a USB interface and a controller, which is operative to execute instructions for sending and receiving messages through the USB interface. The controller is further operative, when executing the instructions, to send to a host a stream of emulated keystrokes, which emulated keystrokes cause the host to generate and execute a startup script. Embodiments of the invention include a USB peripheral device able to control a host and a method of using a USB peripheral device to control a host.

Claims

1. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral device able to control a host, the USB peripheral device comprising:

a USB interface; and

a controller operative to execute instructions for sending and receiving messages through the USB interface;

wherein the controller is further operative, when executing the instructions, to send to a host a stream of emulated keystrokes for causing the host to generate a startup script and to confirm execution of the startup script by sending a message to the USB peripheral device, the message including an emulated keystroke instruction, wherein the controller is operative to recognize the message as a confirmation of the execution of the startup script and to resend at least one of the emulated keystrokes to the host when the execution is unconfirmed, and wherein continued execution of the instructions depends upon receiving such confirmation.

2. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to identify the USB peripheral device as having sent the stream of emulated keystrokes to the host, the identification being made on the basis of an identification code uniquely identifying the USB peripheral device.

3. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-volatile memory,

wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application residing in the non-volatile memory.

4. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application that the host accesses through a network interface.

5. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application residing in the host.

6. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to stop executing the instructions.

7. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the message includes a protocol associated with a keyboard of the host.

8. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the message is generated by a host driver associated with a keyboard of the host.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of requests for data are periodically received at the USB interface from the host.

10. A method of using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral device to control a host, the method comprising:

at the USB peripheral device, performing;

receiving a request for data from a host;

in response to the request, sending a stream of emulated keystrokes from the USB peripheral device to the host, the emulated keystrokes for causing the host to generate a startup script and to confirm execution of the startup script by sending a message including an emulated keystroke instruction, wherein the controller is operative to recognize the message as a confirmation of the execution of the startup script; and

resending at least one of the emulated keystrokes to the host when the execution of the startup script is unconfirmed, wherein execution of instructions for communicating messages through the USB peripheral device depends upon receiving the confirmation of the execution of the startup script.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the startup script causes the host to identify the USB peripheral device as having sent the stream of emulated keystrokes to the host, the identification being made on the basis of an identification code uniquely identifying the USB peripheral device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application residing in the USB peripheral device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application that the host accesses through a network interface.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application residing in the host.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving power from the host; and

performing initialization of the USB peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the message includes a protocol associated with a keyboard of the host.

17. A method of communicating with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral device, the method comprising:

at a host device operatively coupled to the USB peripheral device, performing;

sending a request for data to the USB peripheral device;

receiving emulated keystrokes from the USB peripheral device;

attempting to execute a startup script in response to the emulated keystrokes,

wherein execution of instructions for communicating with the USB peripheral device depends upon confirming execution of the startup script; and

sending a message including an emulated keystroke instruction to the USB peripheral device, wherein sending the message confirms execution of the startup script to the USB peripheral device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising executing the startup script.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising executing the instructions for communicating with the USB peripheral device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating the startup script in response to receiving the emulated keystrokes.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising periodically sending one of a plurality of requests for data to the USB peripheral device.

22. A method of using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral device to control a host, the method comprising:

at the USB peripheral device, upon detecting that the USB peripheral device is coupled to the host;

sending a first stream of emulated keystrokes to the host to cause creation of a startup script at the host;

sending a second stream of emulated keystrokes to the host to cause execution of the startup script at the host;

receiving from the host, a message confirming execution of the startup script at the host, the message including an emulated keystroke instruction, and recognizing the message as a confirmation of the execution of the startup script; and

wherein the execution of the startup script at the host launches an application stored at the USB peripheral device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first stream of emulated keystrokes comprises:

first emulated keystrokes to open a script file at the host;

second emulated keystrokes to enter one or more script commands into the script file; and

third emulated keystrokes to save and close the script file at the host.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the script file is created at the host only after the host receives the first stream of emulated keystrokes from the USB peripheral device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the startup script includes a name of the application stored at the USB peripheral device.