Abstract:
A method for installing a peripheral device to a computer is disclosed. The peripheral device includes a driver storage formed integral to the peripheral device. The driver storage stores the device driver information. Upon connection to the computer, the peripheral device&#39;s driver storage imitates a known disk drive to the computer. The computer can then access the device driver information and install the peripheral device.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to the installation of peripheral devices onto a computer system, and more particularly, it relates to a device driver installation system that provides an embedded installation method for a peripheral device connected to a computer system. 
   BACKGROUND 
   When a new peripheral device of a computer system is connected to a computer, the operating system of the computer generally issues a request asking the user of the peripheral device to install the appropriate device driver for the peripheral device. The user then inserts a disk having stored thereon the device driver. The computer operating system will then automatically execute an auto-run function allowing the user to follow an installation procedure for accomplishing the installation of the device driver onto the computer. 
   A peripheral device can be connected to the computer by use of a bus, such as a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE 1394 bus (Firewire), or a peripheral component interconnect bus (PCI). When a peripheral device, such as a printer, scanner, digital camera, disk drive, or any computer recognizable device, is connected, the operating system of the computer first detects the existence of the peripheral device and then checks if the computer has already been installed with the device driver. 
   In the case where a device driver has not been installed, the host operating system of the computer issues a series of requests for the user to follow an installation procedure. The installation procedure is completed when the host operating system can perform its auto run function to include the peripheral device in the device execution file. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates an example of how a USB disk box  14  (as one example of a peripheral device) is installed to a computer system  21  in a traditional way. First, the user connects the USB disk box  14  to the USB (or other bus) adapter  24  of the computer  21 . The USB adapter  24  issues a signal to the computer indicating a peripheral device is currently connected to the computer. The USB adapter  24  issues an interrupt signal to the computer  21 . 
   Next, when the computer  21  receives the interrupt signal, it collects the USB installation information from the I/O ports of the USB adapter  24 , and if the peripheral device is new, then it issues an inquiry command to the USB adapter  24 . Then, the USB adapter  24  issues an inquiry command to the USB disk box  14  using the USB communication protocol, and the USB disk box  14  returns, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , a value indicating there are three disk drives in the disk box  14 . Since a disk device is a piece of fundamental peripheral equipment of any computer system, the host operating system  23  simply takes these three new added disk drives as general storage devices. 
   “However, it should be noted that the user typically has to manually install a software program such as volume management software to the computer  21  for the control of the new added disk drives, such as for RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) 5 control.” 
   Traditionally, each peripheral device has associated therewith a detached storage disk that stores the device driver and the instructions for its installation. It is not uncommon for peripheral devices to be moved from computer system to computer system. Each time the peripheral device is moved, the user must have the storage disk with the driver information. The storage disk may be lost, or worse yet, a wrong driver may be installed. The installation of a wrong device driver may jeopardize the computer system operation. 
   In other words, the traditional method of using a storage disk to store the device driver and its installation program makes the installation and/or re-installation of a device driver sometimes problematical. Accordingly, there exists a need for an easy installation system and product for connecting peripheral devices to computer systems with minimum human intervention and no downloading from a storage disk is required. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a system and product for easy installation of a peripheral device with portable device drivers. Portability is achieved by embedding the device driver and its installation program within the peripheral itself, such that when the peripheral device is connected to a computer system, the installation program can perform an automatic installation or allow users to follow a predefined procedure for easy installation. 
   Specifically, the portable device driver installation system is stored in an embedded memory (referred to as device driver storage) that is included within the peripheral device. The portable device driver installation system provides an easy installation of drivers associated with the peripheral device when it is connected to the host operating system of a computer through the computer&#39;s external and/or internal buses. The portable device driver installation system also provides means for upgrading the peripheral device driver from a computer by downloading the upgraded device driver to the host operating system of the computer and replacing the old device driver stored in the peripheral device by the upgraded one. Therefore, the embedded memory is reprogrammable. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the portable device driver installation system provides a programmed procedure to communicate with the host operating system of a computer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the programmed procedure consists of a series of steps, comprising: sending a request signal from the peripheral device to the host operating system for installation; acknowledging the request by the host operating system; responding with signals by the peripheral device to indicate a dummy storage device with name recognizable by the host operating system is currently stored with the peripheral device driver; enabling the peripheral device driver and the dummy storage device in the computer; installing and binding the peripheral device driver into the computer; disabling the dummy storage device with name in the computer; and providing the service of the peripheral device driver for the computer thereafter. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the portable device driver installation system also provides a manual operation procedure for the installation in case when the host operating system of a computer cannot execute its auto-run function. The manual operation procedure consists of a series of steps, comprising: requesting by the host operating system the user to select the file path that leads to the dummy storage device with name; installing the peripheral device driver from the dummy storage device with name and binding the peripheral device driver by the host operating system; disabling the dummy storage device by the portable device driver installation system; and providing the service of the peripheral device driver for the computer thereafter. 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the portable device driver installation system provides means for upgrading the peripheral device driver through the external and/or internal buses of a computer. The procedure for upgrading consists of a series of steps, comprising: down loading the upgraded peripheral device driver to the operating system of a computer; installing and binding the downloaded device driver, the upgraded one, into the computer by its host operating system; issuing a message from the computer to the peripheral device for taking the action for upgrading; opening the dummy storage device with name by the portable device driver installation system; replacing the existed device driver by the upgraded device driver to store in the dummy storage device with name; disabling the dummy storage device with name by the portable device driver installation system; and providing the service of the upgraded peripheral device driver for the computer thereafter. 
   Accordingly, this invention provides a product for easy installation of a peripheral device driver through the connection of the peripheral device to the external and/or internal buses of a computer. The external bus may be, for example, the universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394 bus, small computer system interface (SCSI), and other similar buses. The peripheral devices that connect to the computer external bus may include, for example, a disk drive, digital video camera, cellular phone, or personal data assistant (PDA). The internal bus may be, for example, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, and the peripheral devices that connect to PCI bus may be, for example, sound cards, RAID cards, and video capture cards. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a conventional method for connecting a USB disk box through the USB bus to the host operating system of a computer. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the connection of a portable device driver stored in a USB disk box to the host operating system of a computer through the USB bus in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3(   a )˜ 3 ( c ) are flow charts depicting a system for the installation of a portable device driver in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the upgrade of a portable device driver through networking in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart depicting a system for the upgrade of a portable device driver in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   “In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify identical or substantially similar elements or acts. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in which that element is first introduced.” 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of embodiments of the invention. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a USB disk box  14  that provides a portable device installation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The USB disk box  14  has driver storage  18  to store the portable device driver and its installation program. The driver storage  18  is connected with the device USB port  20  as a part of the USB device box  16 . When the USB port  20  is connected to the USB host adaptor  24  of the computer  21  via USB bus  25 , the host operating system  23  of the computer performs the installation of the portable device driver. One example may be a volume manager that drives the three disks  16  for a RAID 5 control. The installation is according to a predetermined procedure stored in the driver storage  18 . 
   The driver storage  18  may take any number of memory forms, such as a flash memory or a compact flash device. In addition, in some embodiments, the driver storage  18  may be a hard drive or optical storage medium. While not necessary, in some embodiments, the driver storage  18  may be rewritable to allow for updating of the device driver. 
     FIG. 3  shows the procedure of the portable device driver installation system. It should be noted that the description is in connection with a USB bus, however, the same or similar procedure can be used with any of the external or internal buses. As shown in  FIG. 3(   a ) at block  100 , the procedure starts when the peripheral device  14  connects to the USB bus  25  of the computer  21 . At block  110 , when the host operating system  23  detects a new connection of a peripheral device  14  to the computer  21 , it starts to perform the inquiry function of the peripheral device  14  according to the protocol specified in the device hardware. 
   Then, at block  120 , the peripheral device  14  responds that it can provide two functions: a dummy storage device with a name that is already recognizable by the host operating system  23  and a portable device driver associated with the peripheral device  14 . Thus, the dummy storage device  18  appears to the computer as a recognizable disk drive to “fool” the computer into looking at the dummy storage device  18  for the device driver. 
   “Next, at block  130 , the host operating system then binds both the dummy storage device and the portable device driver together to enable the execution of the portable device driver installation system of the present invention. As is known in the art, prior to a peripheral device being operable, a computer must first bind the peripheral device with its associated device driver. After a peripheral is bound with its device driver, the computer can utilize the peripheral device via the device driver.” 
   At block  130 , the portable device driver installation system detects whether the host operating system currently provides the auto-run function for file execution. In the case when the auto-run function is active in the host operating system  23 , then, at block  220 , the host operating system  23  of the computer  21  starts to execute the auto-run function. In the case when there is no auto-run function or the auto-run function is currently inactive in the host operating system  23  of the computer  21 , then at block  300 , the portable device driver installation system inquires the host operating system  23  if the portable device driver has ever been installed in the computer  21 . 
   If both the auto-run function is currently unavailable and the portable device driver has not been installed, then the portable device driver installation system switches to a manual operation procedure shown in  FIG. 3(   b ). Otherwise, if the auto-run function is currently unavailable but the portable device driver exists in the computer  21  then the portable device driver installation system switches to  FIG. 3(   c ). 
   At block  230 , when the host operating system  23  detects the fact that the portable device driver does not exist in the computer  21 , at block  240 , then the host operating system  23  executes the auto-run function for the installation of the portable device driver. Otherwise, if the host operating system  23  detects that the portable device driver already exists in the computer  21 , then it skips the auto-run execution and switches to  FIG. 3(   c ). 
     FIG. 3(   b ) illustrates a manual operation procedure for the installation of the portable device driver embedded in the peripheral device  14 . As seen in  FIG. 3(   b ) at block  310 , the manual operation procedure starts by asking the user to load in the portable device driver to the computer  21 . Then, at block  320 , the user assigns the portable device driver to replace the dummy storage device in the file path of the computer  21 . Specifically, in one embodiment, the computer will prompt the user that a new peripheral device has been found. At that point, the user will be asked by the computer to specify the location of the device driver for the new device by entering the path. This results in, at block  330 , the host operating system  23  of the computer  21  executing the installation of the portable device driver according to the replaced file path. 
     FIG. 3(   c ) illustrates the processing steps after the completion of the procedure shown in  FIG. 3(   a ) or  FIG. 3(   b ). At  FIG. 3(   c ) block  340 , the host operating system  23  binds the portable device driver into the computer  21 . So that, as shown in block  350 , when the operating system  23  enables the portable device driver and disables the dummy storage device, the computer  21  can provide the service of the portable device driver. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates a USB disk box that provides an upgradeable device installation system. The up-to-date portable device driver installer can be downloaded from a download server  31  via network  32  (such as the Internet or alternatively a LAN or WAN) or retrieved from a floppy  33 . After the upgraded device driver installer is downloaded to the host operation system  23  from the download server  31  or from the floppy  33 , the user can execute the downloaded upgraded device driver installer. The host operation system  23  first disables the device driver of the peripheral device  14 , replaces the device driver of the peripheral device  14  in the host operating system with the new driver from download server  31  or floppy  33 , and re-enables the device driver of the peripheral device. The driver storage  18  is activated by the host operating system  23  for updating the portable device driver, then, the driver storage  18  is deactivated. 
     FIG. 5  shows the procedure of the upgrade of a portable device driver. First, at block  510 , the user downloads the upgraded device driver installer from the download server  31  or floppy  33  to computer  21 . Then, at block  520 , the user can execute the downloaded upgraded device driver installer. Next, at block  530 , the current portable device driver in the host operating system  23  is disabled. Then, at block  540 , the portable device driver in the host operating system  23  is replaced with the downloaded upgraded portable device driver. Then, at block  550 , the upgraded portable device driver is enabled again to provide services. 
   Further, during the portable device driver on the driver storage  18  upgrading process, at block  560 , the driver storage  18  is activated before, at block  570 , the portable device driver is replaced by the upgraded portable device driver. Then, at block  580 , the driver storage  18  is deactivated again and this finishes the upgrading process. 
   Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular words, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portion of this application. 
   The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form enclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.