US 6,272,560 B1 · Self-identifying peripheral device

Abstract

A method and apparatus enables a newly installed peripheral device such as a disk device to be used with a computer system without changing the operating system. The peripheral device is identified as a type which is not recognized by an operating system operating in conjunction with the computer system. A value which identifies at least one logical attribute of said peripheral device is obtained from said peripheral device. A determination is made as to whether the operating system and the peripheral device are compatible based on the logical attribute obtained from the peripheral device. The operating system and the peripheral device communicate if it is determined that the operating system and the peripheral device are compatible (i.e., can operate together).

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for connecting a peripheral memory device to a computer system operating under the control of an operating system, wherein the operating system maintains an identification table containing entries corresponding to different types of peripheral memory devices that the operating system is pre-programmed to recognize, said method comprising:

(a) determining that said peripheral memory device is unrecognized by the operating system of the computer system, and thereafter;
(b) obtaining, from predetermined information stored on said peripheral memory device, an indication of the formatted capacity of said peripheral memory device;
(c) determining whether the operating system of the computer system supports peripheral memory devices having the formatted capacity obtained in said step (b);
and if so,
(d) creating a new entry in the identification table of the operating system for said peripheral memory device and enabling communications between said peripheral memory device and said operating system.

2 more elements

Apparatus for enabling a new peripheral memory device to be connected to a computer system operating under the control of an operating system, wherein the operating system maintains an identification table containing entries corresponding to different types of peripheral memory devices that the operating system is pre-programmed to recognize, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining that said peripheral memory device is unrecognized by the operating system of the computer system, and thereafter;
means for obtaining, from predetermined information stored on said peripheral memory device, an indication of the formatted capacity of said peripheral memory device;
means for determining whether the operating system of the computer system supports peripheral memory devices having the formatted capacity obtained by said obtaining means;
and if so,
means for creating a new entry in the identification table of the operating system for said peripheral memory device and enabling communications between said peripheral memory device and said operating system.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Self-identifying peripheral device

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Self-identifying peripheral device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12