Differentiating and managing identical usb devices
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsGokul Thiruchengode Vajravel, Jenin Johnsimon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Identical USB devices can be differentiated and managed. During enumeration, a filter driver can be loaded on the device stack of any USB device to enable it to selectively allow or block the particular USB device based on a unique identifier of the USB device. The filter driver can obtain this unique identifier of the particular USB device and compare it to an applicable policy to determine whether the particular USB device is allowed. If the policy indicates that a USB device having the unique identifier should be blocked, the filter driver can stop the enumeration process so that the USB device cannot be accessed.
Claims20
A method, performed by a filter driver, for managing a particular USB device, comprising:
- during enumeration of a first USB device on a computing device, retrieving a unique identifier of the first USB device;
- comparing the unique identifier to a policy that includes unique identifiers of USB devices that are to be allowed or blocked;
- based on the comparison of the unique identifier to the policy, determining that the first USB device is not allowed;
- and
- stopping the enumeration of the first USB device to prevent the first USB device from being accessible on the computing device.
One or more computer storage media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors implement a method for managing a particular USB device, the method comprising:
- during enumeration of a first USB device on a computing device, retrieving a unique identifier of the first USB device;
- comparing the unique identifier to a policy that includes unique identifiers of USB devices that are to be allowed or blocked;
- based on the comparison of the unique identifier to the policy, determining that the first USB device is not allowed;
- and
- stopping the enumeration of the first USB device to prevent the first USB device from being accessible on the computing device.
A method for allowing a particular USB device based on a unique identifier of the particular USB device, comprising:
- during enumeration of a first USB device on a computing device, retrieving a unique identifier of the first USB device, the unique identifier comprising one or both of a USB container ID or a serial number;
- using the unique identifier to query a policy that governs connection of USB devices;
- determining that the policy indicates that the unique identifier represents a USB device that is not allowed;
- and
- preventing the first USB device from being accessible on the computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.