Method for communication from a host computer to a peripheral device

A method for communicating a host computer to a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling the peripheral device to the host computer;
• transmitting a unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer;
• accessing from memory by the host computer an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identification string being previously entered by a user of the host computer during an initialization process for the peripheral device;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface of the host computer, wherein a user may select the peripheral device by activating an item associated with the portion of the identification string on the user interface;
• wherein the unique identification code is a serial number taken from a component of the peripheral device.

A method for communicating a host computer to a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling the peripheral device to the host computer;
• transmitting a unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer;
• accessing from memory by the host computer an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identification string being previously entered by a user of the host computer during an initialization process for the peripheral device;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface of the host computer, wherein a user may select the peripheral device by activating an item associated with the portion of the identification string on the user interface;
• wherein the unique identification code is a product of a random number generator in the peripheral device.

A method for communicating a host computer to a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling the peripheral device to the host computer;
• transmitting the unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer;
• accessing from memory by the host computer an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identification string being previously entered by a user of the host computer during an initialization process for the peripheral device;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface of the host computer, wherein a user may select the peripheral device by activating an item associated with the portion of the identification string on the user interface;
• wherein the method further includes the steps of, prior to the step of transmitting a unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer:
• testing, by the peripheral device, a location assigned for a unique identification code in a non-volatile memory of the peripheral device;
• upon determining that the assigned location includes a predefined invalid identification code, generating a unique identification code by the peripheral device;
• and
• placing the unique identification code in the assigned location of the nonvolatile memory by the peripheral device.

A method for communicating a host computer to a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling the peripheral device to the host computer;
• transmitting a unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer;
• accessing from memory by the host computer an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identification string being previously entered by a user of the host computer during an initialization process for the peripheral device;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface of the host computer, wherein a user may select the peripheral device by activating an item associated with the portion of the identification string on the user interface;
• wherein the initialization process includes the steps of:
• transmitting a the peripheral device's unique identification code from the peripheral device to the host computer;
• checking, by the host computer, for an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code in a memory of the host computer;
• responsive to not finding an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code in the checking step, prompting a user to enter into the host computer a user-defined string corresponding to the peripheral device;
• and
• storing at least a portion of the user-defined string entered by the user into the memory of the host computer and designating the portion of the user-defined string stored into the memory as the identification string corresponding with the unique identification code.

A method for communicating an identification number for a peripheral device from the peripheral device to a host computer comprising the steps of:

• measuring a time lapse between power application to the peripheral device and a second, user-initiated event detected by the peripheral device;
• and
• calculating an identification number for the peripheral device from the measured time lapse;
• and
• transmitting the identification number from the peripheral device to the host computer.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host;
• accessing from memory an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identifying string being previously customized by a user;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface operatively coupled to the USB host along with an item, for activation by a user, for selecting the USB device.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host;
• accessing from memory an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identifying string being previously entered by a user;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface operatively coupled to the USB host along with an item, for activation by a user, for selecting the USB device;
• wherein the unique identification code is at least a portion of a serial number taken from a component of the USB device.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host;
• accessing from memory an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identifying string being previously entered by a user;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface operatively coupled to the USB host alone with an item, for activation by a user, for selecting the USB device;
• wherein the unique identification code is calculated from a time lapse between a first event in the USB device and a second, user-initiated event detected by the USB device.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host;
• accessing from memory an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identifying string being previously entered by a user;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface operatively coupled to the USB host alone with an item for activation by a user, for selecting the USB device;
• wherein the method further includes the steps of, prior to the step of transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host:
• testing, by the USB device, a location assigned for the unique identification code in a non-volatile memory of the USB device;
• upon determining that the assigned location includes a predefined invalid identification code, generating the unique identification code by the USB device;
• and
• placing the unique identification code in the assigned location of the nonvolatile memory by the USB device.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device transmitting a unique identification code in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host;
• accessing from memory an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code, the identifying string being previously entered by a user;
• and
• displaying at least a portion of the identification string on a user interface operatively coupled to the USB host along with an item, for activation by a user, for selecting the USB device;
• wherein the identifying string is provided by a user during an initialization process for the USB device that includes the steps of:
• transmitting a unique identification code from the USB device to the USB host;
• checking, by the USB host, for an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code in a memory accessible by the USB host;
• responsive to not finding an identification string corresponding to the unique identification code in the checking step, prompting a user to enter into a user interface a user-defined string corresponding to the USB device;
• and
• storing at least a portion of the user-defined string entered by the user into the memory accessible by USB host and designating the portion of the user-defined string stored into the memory as the identification string corresponding with the unique identification code.

A method for configuring a USB device to a USB host comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling the USB device to the USB host with at least one USB connection;
• and
• responsive to a USB host descriptor request to the USB device, the USB device performing the steps of,
• measuring a time lapse between a first event in the USB device and a second, user-initiated event detected by the device;
• calculating an identification number from the measured time lapse;
• and
• transmitting the identification number in a serial-number field of a device descriptor response to the USB host.