Emulating a removable mass storage device

• US 8,098,598 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Contino, Jeffrey R., Cope, Warren B., Olding, Douglas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US11/945,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A communication system receives, via a wireless communication link, a packet of data from a mobile communication device that is connected to, and enumerated by, a computer system as a locally attached mass storage device. The communication system sends this packet of data to a network for storage by mass storage system. The communication system may also receive, via a wireless communication link, a registration message that includes a device identifier from a mobile communication device that is connected to, and enumerated by, a computer system as a locally attached mass storage device. The communication system matches the device identifier to a mass storage system. The communication system is configured to translate requests from the mobile communication device. The communication system transfers translated requests to the mass storage system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

in a wireless device, connecting to a computer system and exchanging wireless communications with a service system to gain access to a communication network;

in the service system, authenticating the wireless device and establishing a wireless communication link between the wireless device and the communication network;

in the wireless device, instructing the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as a locally attached mass storage device, receiving from the computer system data and storage instructions to store the data in the locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transferring the data for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

in the service system, receiving and storing the data transmitted from the wireless device in a network storage system;

in the wireless device, receiving retrieval instructions from the computer system to retrieve the data from the locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transferring a request for the data for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

in the service system, receiving the request for the data transmitted from the wireless device, retrieving the data from the network storage system, and transferring the data for delivery to the wireless device over the wireless communication link; and

in the wireless device, receiving the data transmitted from the service system and providing the data to the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless device providing the data to the computer system comprises the wireless device providing the data to the computer system as if the data were stored on the locally attached mass storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the request for the data for delivery to the service system comprises translating the retrieval instructions into translated retrieval instructions and transferring the translated retrieval instructions for delivery to the service system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein instructing the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as the locally attached mass storage device comprises the wireless device providing a device class to the computer system that informs the computer system of a protocol of the locally attached mass storage device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication link comprises a broadband long distance wireless communication link.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the broadband long distance wireless communication link comprises a worldwide interoperability for microwave access specified system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the service system, associating the wireless device with the network storage system based on a device identifier that identifies the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein associating the wireless device with the network storage system comprises operatively coupling the wireless device to the network storage system and preventing the wireless device from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.

9. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless device configured to connect to a computer system and exchange wireless communications with a service system to gain access to a communication network;

the service system configured to authenticate the wireless device and establish a wireless communication link between the wireless device and the communication network;

the wireless device configured to instruct the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as a locally attached mass storage device, receive from the computer system data and storage instructions to store the data in the locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transfer the data for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

the service system configured to receive and store the data transmitted from the wireless device in a network storage system;

the wireless device configured to receive retrieval instructions from the computer system to retrieve the data from the locally attached mass storage device, and responsively transfer a request for the data for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

the service system configured to receive the request for the data transmitted from the wireless device, retrieve the data from the network storage system, and transfer the data for delivery to the wireless device over the wireless communication link; and

the wireless device configured to receive the data transmitted from the service system and provide the data to the computer system.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device configured to provide the data to the computer system comprises the wireless device configured to provide the data to the computer system as if the data were stored on the locally attached mass storage device.

11. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device configured to transfer the request for the data for delivery to the service system comprises the wireless device configured to translate the retrieval instructions into translated retrieval instructions and transfer the translated retrieval instructions for delivery to the service system.

12. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device configured to instruct the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as the locally attached mass storage device comprises the wireless device configured to provide a device class to the computer system that informs the computer system of a protocol of the locally attached mass storage device.

13. The communication system of claim 9 wherein the wireless communication link comprises a broadband long distance wireless communication link.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the broadband long distance wireless communication link comprises a worldwide interoperability for microwave access specified system.

15. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the service system is configured to associate the wireless device with the network storage system based on a device identifier that identifies the wireless device.

16. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the service system configured to associated the wireless device with the network storage system comprises the service system configured to operatively couple the wireless device to the network storage system and prevent the wireless device from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.

17. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

in a wireless device, connecting to a computer system and wirelessly transferring a registration request for delivery to a service system of a communication network, wherein the registration request includes a device identifier that identifies the wireless device;

in the service system, authenticating the wireless device, establishing a wireless communication link between the wireless device and the communication network, associating the wireless device with a storage service, and limiting use of the communication network by the wireless device to accessing a network storage system associated with the storage service based on the device identifier included in the registration request;

in the wireless device, instructing the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as a locally attached mass storage device, receiving from the computer system data and storage instructions to store the data in the locally attached mass storage device, translating the storage instructions into a network storage request, and transferring the data and the network storage request for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

in the service system, receiving the data and the network storage request transmitted from the wireless device and storing the data in the network storage system based on the network storage request;

in the wireless device, receiving retrieval instructions from the computer system to retrieve the data from the locally attached mass storage device, translating the retrieval instructions into a network retrieval request, and transferring the network retrieval request for delivery to the service system over the wireless communication link;

in the service system, retrieving the data from the network storage system and transferring the data for delivery to the wireless device over the wireless communication link in response to the network retrieval request; and

in the wireless device, receiving the data transmitted from the service system and providing the data to the computer system as if the data were stored on the locally attached mass storage device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein instructing the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as the locally attached mass storage device comprises the wireless device providing a device class to the computer system that informs the computer system of a protocol of the locally attached mass storage device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein instructing the computer system to enumerate the wireless device as the locally attached mass storage device comprises the wireless device instructing the computer system to configure and control the wireless device as the locally attached mass storage device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein limiting the use of the communication network by the wireless device to accessing the network storage system associated with the storage service comprises operatively coupling the wireless device to the network storage system and preventing the wireless device from utilizing other services provided by the communication network.