US 9,311,017 B2Granted

External device extension method for enabling an external device to be operated by a host without installing a driver

OwnerXin Lianinventor

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Abstract

The present invention relates to an external device extension method and an external device. The external device is provided with a storage device interface and firmware for implementing operation requests of standard functions of the storage device interface. When the external device is connected to a host, the firmware communicates with the host according to standards of the storage device interface, so that the external device is identified by the host as a standard external storage device, and one or more of operation names, parameter names, data names, and/or device status names supported by the external device are simulated as one or more directories and/or files. Upon receiving a standard directory and/or file read/write request from the host, the external device executes a corresponding external device operation instruction, processes written data, and returns, according to the read request, data formatted according to the request from the host. The use of the external device does not need any driver to be installed, and all functions of the external device can be accessed and used, so as to make it possible that some smart appliances using embedded software can be connected to and use the external devices.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An external device extension method for enabling an external device to be operated by a host without installing a driver thereto, comprising the following steps:

(a) setting a correspondence between one or more names selected from operation names, parameter names, data names, device status names, and operation commands and/or data of said external device in said external device, and establishing rules of a file system associated with said correspondence, wherein said operation names, said parameter names, said data names and said device status names are respectively character strings to distinguish different operations, parameters, data and device statuses, wherein said external device is an operational device and is a non-standard storage device;
(b) initializing said external device as a standard external storage device via a firmware of said external device when said external device is activated, wherein said firmware communicates with said host according to the standard of storage device interface, such that when said external device is connected to said host, said host identifies said external device as said standard external storage to omit said driver of said external device to be installed into said host, and initializing said file system thereof according to said rules;
(c) initializing said operation names, said parameter names, said data names and said device status names as one or more simulated regular directories and/or files in said external device, wherein name extensions of said files are set according to the data format;
and
(d) executing said directories and/or files corresponding operation commands of said external device when said external device receives a standard request from said host for reading and/or writing said directories and/or files in said external device, processing written data, and returning formatted data requested by said host in response to a reading request.

2 more elements

An external device, which is an operational device for communicating with a host, comprising:

an storage device interface provided on said external device, and a firmware for implementing standard function operation requests via said storage device interface, wherein when said external device connects to said host, said firmware communicates with said host according to the standard of said storage device interface, said host identifies said external device as a standard external storage device to omit a driver of said external device to be installed into said host, wherein one or more names selected from operation names, parameter names, data names and device status names which are supported by said external device are simulated as one or more regular directories and/or files in said external device, wherein when said external device receives a standard request from said host for reading and/or writing said directories and/or files, corresponding operation commands of said external device are executed, written data is processed, and formatted data requested by said host is returned to said host in response to a reading request.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/130,910Filed 22 Feb 2012
Priority: CN 2011 1 024905826 Aug 2011
Published: US 2014/0156885 A15 Jun 2014
Granted: 12 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06F 3/0653
Making use of a particular technique: monitoring storage devices or systems
G06F 3/0608
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: saving storage space on storage systems
G06F 3/0673
In-line storage system: single storage device
G06F 13/105
Program control for peripheral devices: where the program performs an input/output emulation function