Patent Publication Number: US-2012030765-A1

Title: Operation method of an anti-virus storage device having a storage disk and a read-only memory

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to an operation method of an anti-virus storage device, and particularly to an operation method of an anti-virus storage device having a storage disk and a read-only memory. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device  100  according to the prior art. The anti-virus storage device  100  includes a flash  102  and a controller  104 . The controller  104  is coupled to the flash  102  for controlling operation of the flash  102 . The flash  102  includes a read-only partition  1022  and a main storage partition  1024 . The read-only partition  1022  stores an anti-virus application program, an anti-virus engine, and a virus pattern. Because a format of the read-only partition  1022  is a CD ROM format, contents of the read-only partition  1022  can not be changed after being manufactured. A user must first launch the anti-virus application program stored in the read-only partition  1022 , and then the user can execute an access function on the main storage partition  1024 . However, contents of the read-only partition  1022  of the flash  102  may be erased by an appropriate method, resulting in an anti-virus function of the anti-virus storage device  100  failing. In addition, after the flash  102  is operated for a period of time, the anti-virus application program often may not be executed due to bad blocks of the flash  102 , also resulting in the anti-virus function of the anti-virus storage device  100  failing. And, when the user utilizes a Mac operating system or a Linux operating system, the user may not execute the access function on the main storage partition  1024  because the user can not first launch the anti-virus application program stored in the read-only partition  1022 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present application provides an operation method of an anti-virus storage device having a storage disk and a read-only memory. The method includes connecting the storage device to a host and displaying a single disk name on an interface of an operating system of the host, the single disk name represents the read-only memory at this stage; executing an anti-virus application program corresponding to the operating system, wherein the anti-virus application program is stored in the read-only memory; generating a hidden partition in the storage disk, wherein the hidden partition comprises an anti-virus engine and a virus pattern; and starting up the anti-virus engine, enabling a main storage partition. One thing should be noticed here that the single disk name displaying on the interface of the operating system, now represents the main storage partition at this stage. 
     The present application provides an anti-virus storage device using a read-only memory and method thereof. The anti-virus application program is stored in the read-only memory to avoid an anti-virus function of the anti-virus storage device failure due to bad blocks of the storage disk. And the anti-virus storage device only shows one disk at the same time, so a user is guided to first launch the anti-virus application program, and then the user can use the anti-virus storage device. Further, in the present application, the user can determine whether a main storage partition of the storage disk is enabled and displayed directly without executing the anti-virus application program when the anti-virus application program has no execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host. 
     These and other objectives of the present application will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2A  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device using a read-only memory according to an embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 2B  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 2C  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an anti-virus method using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 2A  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device  200  using a read-only memory according to an embodiment of the present application. The anti-virus storage device  200  includes a storage disk  202 , a read-only memory (ROM)  204 , and a controller  206 . The storage disk  202  is a flash, which includes a hidden partition  2022  and main storage partition  2024 . The hidden partition  2022  is used for storing an anti-virus engine, a virus pattern and related programs, and the main storage partition  2024  is used for providing writing and reading of data for a user. The read-only memory  204  is used for storing an anti-virus application program  2042 , and the anti-virus application program  2042  includes execution files for various operating systems. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the anti-virus application program  2042  includes a first execution file  20422  executed in a first operating system (such as a WINDOWS operating system), a second execution file  20424  executed in a second operating system (such as a MAC operating system), and a third execution file  20426  executed in a third operating system (such as a LINUX operating system), where the read-only memory  204  includes, but is not limited to, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or a programmable ROM (PROM). In addition, the read-only memory  204  can also utilize a flash set in a read-only mode. The controller  206  has I/O pins, which are coupled to the storage disk  202  and the read-only memory  204  for controlling operations of the storage disk  202  and the read-only memory  204 . Further, the anti-virus storage device  200  is a Universal Serial Bus Flash Device (UFD), a Solid-State Drive (SSD) or other mass storage device. 
     When the user connects the anti-virus storage device  200  to a host, the user initially only sees a representative disk name of the read-only memory  204  on an interface of the operating system of the host. After the user launches/executes the anti-virus application program  2042  stored in the read-only memory  204 , the user can execute the access function on the main storage partition  2024  of the storage disk  202 . At this stage, it should be noticed that the interface of the operating system of the host still shows only one representative disk name, but a target disk corresponding to the representative disk name at this stage has been changed from the read-only memory  204  to the main storage partition  2024  of the storage disk  202 , that is, the representative disk name represents the main storage partition at this stage. In addition, the anti-virus application program  2042  stored in the read-only memory  204  is similar to a shortcut file, so the user can copy the anti-virus application program  2042  to the host to execute installation and launch the anti-virus application program  2042 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2B  and  FIG. 2C .  FIG. 2B  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device  200  using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application, and  FIG. 2C  is a diagram illustrating an anti-virus storage device  200  using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application. A difference between the embodiment of  FIG. 2B  and the embodiment of  FIG. 2A  is that the anti-virus application program  2042  in  FIG. 2B  only includes the first execution file  20422  executed in the first operating system. Subsequent operational principles of the embodiment of  FIG. 2B  are the same as the embodiment of  FIG. 2A , so further description thereof is omitted for simplicity. But, the embodiment of  FIG. 2B  is not limited to the first execution file  20422 . The anti-virus application program  2042  can also include the second execution file  20424  executed in the second operating system or the third execution file  20426  executed in the third operating system. A difference between the embodiment of  FIG. 2C  and the embodiments of  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  is that the anti-virus application program  2042  in  FIG. 2C  includes the first execution file  20422  executed in the first operating system and the second execution file  20424  executed in the second operating system. Further, subsequent operational principles of the embodiment of  FIG. 2C  are the same as the embodiment of  FIG. 2A , so further description thereof is omitted for simplicity. But the embodiment of  FIG. 2C  is not limited to the first execution file  20422  and the second execution file  20424 . So, any anti-virus application program  2042  including the first execution file  20422 , the second execution file  20424 , the third execution file  20426 , or a combination thereof falls within the scope of the present application. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an anti-virus method using a read-only memory according to another embodiment of the present application. The method in  FIG. 3  is illustrated for the anti-virus storage device  200  in  FIG. 2A . Detailed steps are as follows: 
     Step  300 : Start. 
     Step  302 : The user connects the anti-virus storage device  200  to the host. 
     Step  304 : The user executes the anti-virus application program  2042  stored in the read-only memory  204  of the anti-virus storage device  200 . 
     Step  306 : The anti-virus application program  2042  determines the operating system of the host and hides the read-only memory  204 . Does the anti-virus application program  2042  include an execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host? If yes, go to Step  308 ; if no, go to Step  307 . 
     Step  307 : Inquire the user to determine whether the main storage partition  2024  of the storage disk  202  is enabled and displayed directly without executing the anti-virus application program  2042 . If yes, go to Step  312 ; if no, go to Step  314 . 
     Step  308 : Execute the execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host and generate the hidden partition  2022  of the storage disk  202 . 
     Step  310 : Start up the anti-virus engine and the virus pattern stored in the hidden partition  2022  corresponding to the operating system of the host. 
     Step  312 : Only display the main storage partition  2024  of the storage disk  202  of the anti-virus storage device  200 . 
     Step  314 : End. 
     In Step  302 , the anti-virus storage device  200  is a Universal Serial Bus Flash Device (UFD). In Step  304 , the interface of the operating system of the host only shows the read-only memory  204  of the anti-virus storage device  200 , so the user is guided to first execute the anti-virus application program  2042  stored in the read-only memory  204 . In Step  306 , the anti-virus application program  2042  determines the operating system of the host and hides the read-only memory  204 . The anti-virus application program  2042  includes the first execution file  20422  executed in the first operating system, the second execution file  20424  executed in the second operating system, and/or the third execution file  20426  executed in the third operating system. If the anti-virus application program  2042  has no execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host, go to Step  307 . In Step  307 , the anti-virus storage device  200  inquires the user to determine whether the main storage partition  2024  of the storage disk  202  is enabled and displayed directly without executing the anti-virus application program  2042 . If yes, go to Step  312 ; if no, go to Step  314 . If the anti-virus application program  2042  has the execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host, go to Step  308 . In Step  308 , execute the execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host and generate the hidden partition  2022  of the storage disk  202 , and go to Step  310 . In Step  310 , start up the anti-virus engine and the virus pattern stored in the hidden partition  2022  corresponding to the operating system of the host, and then go to Step  312 . 
     To sum up, the present application provides the operation method of an anti-virus storage device having a storage disk and a read-only memory. In the present application, the anti-virus application program is stored in the read-only memory, and the read-only memory and the flash are configured independently to prevent failure of an anti-virus function of the anti-virus storage device due to bad blocks of the flash. And, the anti-virus storage device only shows one disk at the same time, so the user is guided to first launch the anti-virus application program, and then the user can execute the access function on the main storage partition of the storage disk. Further, operation of the prior art is limited to only one operating system. But, in the present application, the user can determine whether the main storage partition of the storage disk is enabled and displayed directly without executing the anti-virus application program when the anti-virus application program has no execution file corresponding to the operating system of the host. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the application.