Wireless secondary interface for data storage device

A computer peripheral mass storage device for providing mass storage of user digital data to a computer and including an embedded device microcontroller, and a primary user data interface structure for passing digital user data recorded on storage media to a digital computer electrically connected to the computer mass storage device via a primary electrical bus structure, the computer peripheral mass storage device being included in a device housing and further comprising:

• a front panel of the device housing accessible to the user,
• a bidirectional optical path extending through the front panel and viewable by the user, the bidirectional optical Path including a separating device for separating light energy into two components,
• a first visible light emission device operated by the embedded device microcontroller and coupled to the optical path for providing visual indication of device activity or status to the user,
• a second bi-directional optical light emission/detection means coupled to the optical path and providing a wireless secondary interface of the peripheral mass storage device for receiving and sending device-specific information from and to an external device-specific data source,
• optical path emission/detection support circuitry connected to the emission/detection means,
• a secondary bidirectional interface digital port interconnecting the device microcontroller and the optical path emission/detection support circuitry, for enabling the embedded device microcontroller to receive and send device-specific information from and to the external device-specific data source.