Patent Publication Number: US-7917697-B2

Title: Auto start configuration with portable mass storage device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/769,087, entitled “METHODS OF AUTO STARTING WITH PORTABLE MASS STORAGE DEVICE”, filed on the same day as the present application. This application is incorporated in its entirety by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditionally, flash memory storage devices, such as flash memory cards and flash memory drives, have been used to store user files. For example, flash memory cards are commonly used in digital cameras to store digital photos and in music players to store music files. Flash memory drives with a universal serial bus connector (“USB” flash drives) are typically used to store and transport various user files between computing devices. As the speed of the interface and storage capacity of the devices increases, these devices are also being used to store software programs that may be executed by a host device and/or the processor of the flash device itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect relates to a removable media card. The removable card comprises a flash memory array which comprises a public partition, and the public partition comprises a first group of one or more configuration files specifying device configuration parameters that control the behavior of a portable host device into which the card is inserted. The flash memory array further comprises a secure partition, and the secure partition comprises a second group of one or more configuration files specifying device configuration parameters that control the behavior of the portable device. The media card is configured to sense insertion of the removable media card in a media card receptacle of the portable device, to cause the portable device to read the device configuration parameters of the first and second groups of the removable media card, and to cause an application to be launched by the portable device. 
     Another aspect relates to providing auto run capability in a host device without native auto-run capability provided as part of the operating system of the host device. In a removable media card, a first group of at least one configuration files is provided at a first designated location, the first group comprising parameters controlling the host behavior when the card is inserted or removed into or from the host device. Upon sensing insertion of the removable media card, the at least one configuration file when read causes the host to associate content on the card with an application of the host, and causes the associated application to be executed by the host device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of flash memory card  100 , a type of non volatile storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of non volatile memory  108  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of an auto start process, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Traditionally, flash memory storage devices, such as flash memory cards and flash memory drives, have been used to store user files. For example, flash memory cards are commonly used in digital cameras to store digital photos and in music players to store music files. 
     Personal computers and other handled devices may incorporate a peripheral connector port such as an IEEE 1394 compliant (“Firewire”) connector, USB connector or other high speed peripheral connector. Flash memory drives are a convenient vehicle for storing and transporting user files between these types of computing devices. As the speed of the interface and storage capacity of the devices increases, these devices are also being used to store software programs that may be executed by a host device alone and/or the processor of the flash device itself. 
     Once a portable flash memory storage device such as a memory card is inserted into a computing device, it is desirable to automatically run an application associated with a file residing on the card or an application residing on the card. For example, an application is typically associated with a file by the file extension. While Microsoft Windows® operating systems have an auto run capability, many other devices do not. Many computing devices, especially handheld computing devices, cannot automatically run applications present on a removable flash memory storage device. For example, Linux devices, Symbian devices, some mobile phones, and special purpose devices such as GPS units either cannot run or have limited support for auto start of a necessary or desired application. 
     Additionally, existing auto run capability lacks protection against potentially malicious executables that can be set to automatically run upon insertion. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates memory card  100 , an embodiment of a non volatile storage device. Flash memory card  100  communicates with host  150  via host interface  102 . In the case of a memory card, host interface  102  comprises a group of contacts that make contact with the contacts of a memory card receptacle within the host. Host interface  102  may also comprise the drive circuitry and software that control host communications. Memory card  100  also comprises non volatile flash memory  108 , memory controller  104 , and control and communication lines  106 . Memory controller  104  controls the read/write operations of memory  108  and communications with host  150 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the memory space within flash memory  108 . Flash memory  108  may comprise numerous partitions. Certain of the partitions may be hidden from and inaccessible to host computers, while others are available. These partitions are also referred to as private partitions. System partition  108 A is a hidden or private partition. Operating firmware and other overhead data used by the memory controller to run device  100  are typically located in system partition  108 A. One or more host configuration files  160 A are stored in a private partition of memory  108  such as the system partition  108 A. As such, configuration files  160 A cannot be accessed and altered by a host computer and any entity wishing to alter the files themselves and the host configuration specified by the files. Configuration files  160 A may be thought of therefore as private configuration files. Partitions whose contents cannot be accessed and/or altered by an entity other than the memory card may be referred to as secure partitions. 
     One or more configuration files  160 B are stored within user partition  108 B. User partition  108 B is generally used to store user files such as documents, photos, music, and software applications. At least one configuration file is preferably located in a designated place such as in the root directory of the device. User partition  108 B is freely accessible to host computers. Files in the user partition may therefore be freely modified or substituted. In the case of configuration files  160 B, this means that the configuration of the host can be easily changed. While this may be desirable in some environments, in certain scenarios this may compromise the security of the host. For example, a parameter within the configuration files ( 160 A or  160 B) may cause the host to run a malicious or harmful executable. 
     Features of the configuration file include the definition of sections, key value pairs, platforms, system differentiation and variation differentiation within operating systems, variable (key) substitution, and file type association with applications. For example, the configuration file may specify what music player application will be used to play music files. As a memory card may be inserted into many different types of hosts, the music application may vary with the host. For example, the specified music application that runs on a handheld device with an ARM processor running Windows CE may be different than the specified music application for a Symbian machine, Linux machine etc. The applications may also be unique to the host device for special purpose devices such as GPS&#39;s etc. 
     The insertion of the card and the configuration files may trigger any number of actions that make using the host device a better experience for the user. As an example the insertion and configuration files may trigger the automatic starting of: applications; a menu of user selectable items; media playback; and other sequences of operations. 
     In an example where a menu of user selectable items is available, a user may select an option from the menu (that was automatically launched) that launches a web browser from the menu. The selected option may also trigger the start of another application and/or process on the host device. The selected option may also further trigger the opening of a file browser/manager so that the user may view the contents of the card. The file browser/manager may display the root directory or another specified location. The selected option may also trigger closing of the menu or presentation of additional menus for the user to further select from. 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of an auto start process, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step  304 , the insertion of the memory card is sensed by the device and/or card. Next, in step  308 , the host device will read a first group of configuration parameters from a public partition of the card. The host will typically have a support library which loads the configuration files having the parameters. Typically this library will be called when the device gets a card-insert notification via interrupt or some other physical trigger. The first group of parameters may specify an application to be executed by the host, and that application may then be launched, as shown in step  326 . Alternatively, before proceeding to step  326 , the host will read a second group of configuration parameters from a private partition of the card, as seen in step  312 . The second group of configuration parameters would be contained in one or more configuration files, these files and the parameters specified therein would not be publicly accessible outside of the card, and are therefore far more secure to configurations that may specify execution of a malicious application or any other undesirable configuration. 
     In step  316 , the host will compare the first and second groups of configuration files. As seen in step  320 , if no material difference is detected, an application or applications specified by the configuration as set by either of the first or second groups will then be launched by the host in step  326 . If however, a material difference is detected in step  320 , the configuration specified by the first group will then be overwritten by a configuration specified by the second group. The threshold for materiality may differ in various embodiments and devices/platforms, but at a minimum it ensures that differences in form/formatting but not in content shall not be considered material. This provides a mechanism to prevent against the specification of undesirable configurations. Use of this mechanism can also provide for some level of user changes up to a threshold beyond which user specified configuration changes will not be accepted, and the configuration will revert to the configuration specified by the configuration in the private partition. The configuration in the private partition may be modified by the card in conjunction with the host, only by authorized users, or may alternatively not be modifiable except by the supplier of the card. 
     Additionally, the second configuration files may completely override all options in the public configuration. It is at the discretion of the host device which configuration option(s) to override. Additionally, the host determines which configuration files to read and which configuration options in those files to use. For example, in the situation where the host is a mobile telephone, the mobile network operator for the telephone may also dictate or specify which configuration files to read and which configuration options in those files to use.