Patent Publication Number: US-2004052166-A1

Title: Command set for removable rewritable computer storage

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of computer storage. The present invention specifically relates to an interaction between removable rewritable computer storage (e.g., a compact disc, a digital video disc, etc.) and a computer device (e.g., a compact disc player and a digital video disc player).  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Removable rewritable computer storage is typically referred to as “sneakernet” due to consumer usage of the mediums to exchange data between numerous computer devices. While such a content exchange via rewritable computer storage is on par with a content exchange via a network, rewritable computer storage prior to the present invention could not be utilized to control a standard operation of the computer device.  
       [0003] To overcome the inability of removable rewritable computer storage to control a standard operation of the computer device, the present invention provides a new and unique command set stored on a rewritable computer storage, and a new and unique command engine incorporated within a computer device. Various aspects of the present invention are novel, non-obvious, and provide various advantages. While the actual nature of the present invention covered herein can only be determined with reference to the claims appended hereto, certain features, which are characteristic of the embodiments disclosed herein, are described briefly as follows.  
       [0004] One form of the present invention is rewritable computer storage including video data and a command set. The video data is indicative of video information. The command set includes one or more commands for controlling a standard operation of the computer device.  
       [0005] A second form of the present invention is a method of operating a computer device during an interaction of the computer device and a rewritable computer storage including a command set of one or more commands. First, the command set is located on The removable rewritable computer storage. Second, an activation condition and executable status is ascertained for each command within the command set. Third, each executable command is executed upon an recognition of an associated activation condition. Finally, the results of an execution of each command is written to The removable rewritable computer storage.  
       [0006] The foregoing forms as well as other forms, features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting, the scope of the present invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of one embodiment of a rewritable computer storage in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a computer device interacting with the FIG. 1 rewritable computer storage;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a COPY FROM DEVICE TO DISK command of the present invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a PLAY-ON command of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a EJECTION INDICATOR command of the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a BROWSE command of the present invention; and  
     [0013]FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart representative of a command set execution method of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0014] The present invention is directed to a control of standard operation of a computer device by a rewritable computer storage. The form of a rewritable computer storage of the present invention is without limit. Examples of a rewritable computer storage include, but are not limited to, a Compact Disc-Rewritable, a Digital Video Disc-Rewritable (“DVD-RW”, “DVD+RW”), flash memory, and removable hard disks (e.g., with a PMCIA interface). The form of a computer device of the present invention is also without limit. Examples of a computer device include, but are not limited to, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player (“DVD player”), portable devices (e.g., hard disked based audiovisual players), solid-state audio players, personal computers, and set-top boxes.  
     [0015]FIG. 1 illustrates a removable rewritable computer storage of the present invention in the form of a DVD+RW  10  and FIG. 2 illustrates a computer device of the present invention in the form of a DVD player  20 . DVD+RW  10  includes digital data in the form of conventional video data (not shown) indicative of audio/visual information (e.g., a song, a movie, etc.). DVD+RW  10  further includes conventional commands (not shown) for locating the video data on DVD+RW  10 , and a novel and unique command set  11  including one or more commands for controlling a standard operation of the DVD player  20 . Examples of the standard operation of the DVD player  20  include, but are not limited to, a reading of the video data, a writing of the video data, an audio communication AUDIO of the video data to a user of DVD player  20 , and a visual communication VISUAL of the video data to a user of DVD player  20 .  
     [0016] In one embodiment, each command of the command set  11  includes an activation field, a function field, any necessary function arguments, a status field, and a result field. The activation field specifies an activation condition upon which a command is to be executed. A first activation condition is an insertion of DVD+RW  10  within DVD player  20 . A second activation condition is a specified period of time after insertion of DVD+RW  10  within DVD player  20 . A third activation condition is an occurrence of a specified device event. A fourth activation condition is an ejection of the DVD+RW  10  from the DVD player  20 . Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate various additional activation conditions.  
     [0017] The function field specifies the type of command that is to be executed. Each function argument specifies a specific action associated with the function command. The status field specifies an executable status of the command. An “initial” indicator represents the command is to be executed only upon an initial recognition of an associated activation condition. A “continuous” indicator represents the command is to be executed upon each recognition of an associated activation condition. A “complete” indicator represents the command in no longer executable. An “error” indicator represents an error related to the command. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate various additional status indicators. The result field contains results from one or more executions of the command. FIGS.  3 - 6  illustrate four (4) exemplary single commands for the command set  11 . From the following description, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate a composite construction of a command consisting of multiple commands, particularly in a recursive manner.  
     [0018]FIG. 3 illustrates a COPY FROM DEVICE TO DISK command in an .xml format. The activation field specifies the COPY FROM DEVICE TO DISK command should be executed upon insertion of the DVD+RW  10  within the DVD player  20 . The function field and function argument collectively specify a copying of all *=.mpg files by Shakira dated prior to Jan. 1, 2001 onto the DVD+RW  10 . The status field specifies an initial executable status of the COPY FROM DEVICE TO DISK command. The results field specifies the result file for storing results from the single execution of the COPY FROM DEVICE TO DISK command.  
     [0019]FIG. 4 illustrates a PLAY-ON command in an .xml format. The activation field specifies the PLAY-ON command should be executed upon insertion of the DVD+RW  10  within the DVD player  20 . The function field and functional arguments collectively specify a playing of a song3.mp3 at a 2:13 position in a wraparound manner. The status field specifies a continuous executable status of the PLAY-ON command. The results field specifies the result file for storing results from an execution of the PLAY-ON command. In this case, the results indicates a closing position in a song being played upon an ejection of the DVD+RW  10  from the DVD player  20  to thereby update the functional arguments to reflect the closing position in the song whereby a subsequent execution of the PLAY-ON command start at the closing position.  
     [0020]FIG. 5 illustrates an EJECTION BYE-BYE command in an .xml format. The activation field specifies the EJECTION BYE-BYE command should be executed upon an ejection of the DVD+RW  10  from the DVD player  20 . The function field and functional arguments collectively specify a playing of a byebye.mp3 song. The status field specifies a continuous executable status of the EJECTION BYE-BYE command. The results field specifies the result file for storing results from an execution of the EJECTION BYE-BYE command.  
     [0021]FIG. 6 illustrates a BROWSE command in an .xml format. The activation field specifies the BROWSE command should be executed upon an insertion of the DVD+RW  10  within the DVD player  20 . The function field and functional arguments collectively specify a browsing of a photos folder. The status field specifies an initial executable status of the BROWSE command. The results field specifies the result file for storing results from an execution of the BROWSE command.  
     [0022] Referring to FIG. 2, DVD player  20  includes numerous conventional components that are not directly relevant to an understanding of the present invention and are therefore not illustrated. One skilled in the art will recognize such conventional components upon an understanding of the subsequent description herein of the illustrated components of DVD player  20 , which include a conventional read head  21 , a conventional write head  22 , and a new and unique command engine  23  consisting of hardware, software or a combination thereof. Upon a conventional detection of an insertion of DVD+RW  10  within DVD player  20  and prior to an ejection of DVD+RW  10  from DVD player  20 , the command engine  23  implements a command set execution method of the present invention. In one embodiment, the command engine  24  implements the command set execution method of the present invention in response to a conventional password verification of the DVD+RW  10 .  
     [0023]FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart  30  representative of the command set execution method of the present invention. During a stage S 32  of the flowchart  30 , the command engine  23  utilizes the read head  21  to locate the command set  11  on the DVD+RW  10  whereby the command engine  23  conventionally parses each command within the located command set  11 . In one embodiment, the command engine  23  employs conventional techniques for identifying a location of the command set  11  on DVD+RW  10 , and thereafter directs the read head  21  to the command set  11 . In a second embodiment, the command engine  23  directs the read head  21  to a known location of command set  11  on DVD+RW  10 . In a third embodiment, the command engine  23  parses the commands that are deemed valid in view of a conventional policy certification of the command.  
     [0024] During a stage S 34  of the flowchart  30 , the command engine  23  ascertains the activation condition and executable status of each command within the command set  11 . In one embodiment, the command engine  23  reads the activation field and the status field of each command. During a stage S 36  of the flowchart  30 , the command engine  21  executes an executable command upon recognition of an associated activation condition. During a stage S 38  of the flowchart  30 , the command engine  23  utilizes the write head  22  to write results of an executed command to DVD+RW  10 . In one embodiment, the command engine  23  write results of an executed command to the results field of the command and any other corresponding files. It is to be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that the command engine  23  can implement stages S 34 -S 38  in a concurrent manner, a discrete manner or a mixture thereof for multiple commands within the command set  11 .  
     [0025] While the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are presently considered to be preferred, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.