Patent Publication Number: US-2011055450-A1

Title: Multifunctional Storage Device with Built-in Software Controlled I/O Bus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a multifunctional storage device with a built-in software controlled input/output (I/O) bus, in particular to a multifunctional storage device (such as a memory disk) capable of automatically running a software program to control and turn on at least one I/O device (including built-in and external I/O devices) connected to at least one bridge of the multifunctional storage device for saving the troubles of installing complicated driver programs or performing a manual configuration conducted, so as to achieve a real plug-and-play function. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, a universal serial bus (USB) interface slot is a common slot provided by small electronic devices such as notebook computers, palm computers, personal digital assistants (PDA) and digital still cameras (DSC) for installing a memory card, a modem card, a GPS card or a GPRS card having a USB interface to achieve the functions of expanding the storage of the small electronic devices, connecting a telephone call, conducting a global positioning operation, or logging on a wireless network, etc. Since the applications of the small electronic devices become increasingly broader, and the demand for expanded functions becomes increasingly higher, the small electronic device with a limited volume can provide a very limited number of USB interface slots only. Even if several USB interface slots are provided, the USB interface slots are arranged closely with one another, and users have to insert cards into these closely arranged USB interface slots, and thus the installed devices are very crowded. Some larger cards may occupy too much insertion space, such that one of the USB interface slots cannot be used. 
     Therefore, a conventional USB memory disk is disclosed to overcome the aforementioned problems, which mainly provides a built-in input/output USB memory disk capable of integrating various different I/O devices and memories into an electronic card in order to reduce the quantity of USB interface slots occupied by the small electronic devices. 
     However, the conventional technology has not provided an effective management and control of the power supply and data transmission of each bridge, although it provides the function of a USB hub to extend the connections to more small electronic devices (such as a USB interface memory card, modem, GPS and GPRS, etc) and also improves the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art that many USB interface slots are arranged together, and users have to insert several cards in the USB interface slots at the same time, and thus the USB interface cards are too crowded, or some larger card may even occupy too much insertion space, such that one of the interface slots cannot be used. 
     Therefore, it is a main subject for the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, such that the design and technical characteristics of the invention can achieve a real plug-and-play function. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, particularly the ineffective management and control of the power supply and the data transmission of each bridge and the failure of achieving a real plug-and-play function, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a multifunctional storage device with a built-in software controlled I/O bus in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a multifunctional storage device with a built-in software controlled I/O bus, and the storage device not just provides the expanded memory storage and I/O functions for an external electronic device to reduce the number of transmission interface slots (such as USB slots) of the external electronic device only, but also automatically runs a setup program to turn on/off at least one I/O device (which is an extended device) connected to at least one bridge automatically, such that a user can save the troubles of installing complicated driver programs and performing manual setups, and the multifunctional storage device (which is the memory disk) requires no additional setup or driver program when used in any other computer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention, as well as its many advantages, may be further understood by the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a hardware structure of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a start-up procedure of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     To make it easier for our examiner to understand the technical characteristics and operating procedure of the present invention, we use preferred embodiments together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the invention as follows. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  for a schematic block diagram of a hardware structure of multifunctional storage device with a built-in software controlled I/O bus in accordance with the present invention, the multifunctional storage device (which is a memory disk  1 ) comprises a transmission interface plug  11 , a transmission interface hub  12 , at least one I/O device  13 , at least one bridge  14  and a built-in storage device  15 , wherein the transmission interface plug  11  is provided for inserting the memory disk  1  into a slot  21  of an external electronic device  2  (such as a computer) for the expanded memory storage and I/O functions of the external electronic device  2 , and the transmission interface hub  12  is connected to the transmission interface plug  11  for converting a transmission interface into a plurality of transmission interfaces; and at least one I/O device  13  provides expanded memory storage and I/O functions; and at least one bridge  14  converts a transmission interface signal (such as VCC, D+, D− and GND) of the transmission interface hub  12  into an I/O interface signal of at least one I/O device  13 , or converting an I/O interface signal of at least one I/O device  13  into a transmission interface signal, and the built-in storage device  15  is connected to the transmission interface hub  12  and includes a memory controller  151  and a memory module  152  provided for storage, and at least one bridge  14  allocates the signals of the transmission interface plug  11  into the I/O device  13 , such that the I/O device  13  can share a transmission interface at the same time. 
     With the foregoing hardware structure, the technical characteristics of the present invention can be implemented as follows: 
     The memory controller  151  divides the memory module  152  into two parts; an auto-execution area  1521  (which is a read only area) and a general storage area  1522  (which is a read and write area), wherein the auto-execution area (or the read only area)  1521  stores a software program and a driver program required by the corresponding I/O device  13 , such that the driver program can be run automatically to control and prevent users from deleting any file in the driver program accidentally, and the general storage area  1522  (or the read and write area) stores an auto-run setup program provided for a user to modify a parameter of the setup program according to the user&#39;s habit, and stores a newly added driver program for an extended use of I/O devices  13 . 
     The transmission interface plug  11  and the transmission interface hub  12  come with an interface selected from the specifications of USB, IEEE 1394 and eSATA. 
     The I/O device  13  (such as a Bluetooth device or a general packet radio service (GPRS) device) can be built in the memory disk  1  or an external I/O device  13 . If the memory disk  1  further includes a connector  3 , and the connector  3  is connected to the external I/O device  13 , and then electrically connected to the bridge  14 , then a transmission interface signal (VCC, D+, D− and GND) of the transmission interface hub  12  can be converted into an I/O interface signal of the I/O device  13 , or converting an I/O interface signal of the I/O device  13  into a transmission interface signal, wherein the I/O interface of the I/O device  13  is preferably a serial interface. 
     The memory controller  151  is a flash memory controller  151 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2  for a flow chart of an auto-run procedure of a software program installed in the auto-execution area (read only area)  1521  of a multifunctional storage device (such as a memory disk  1 ) of the present invention after the memory disk  1  is connected to a computer, the procedure comprises the following steps: 
     Step 1: Run the software program automatically. 
     Step 2: Load related parameters of an auto-run setup program, while at least one bridge  14  allocates signals of the transmission interface plug  11  to the transmission interface plug  11  and at least one I/O device  13 , such that the transmission interface plug  11  and the I/O device  13  can share a transmission interface at the same time. 
     Step 3: Determine whether or not the bridge  14  has received a signal for turning on the I/O device  13 , and go to the next step if the signal is received, or else terminate the procedure. 
     Step 4: Turn on the I/O device  13 , and determine whether or not it is necessary to install a corresponding driver program for the I/O device  13 , and go to the next step is it is necessary to install the driver program, or else jump to Step 6. 
     Step 5: Install a newly added driver program for the extended use of the I/O device  13 , and terminate the auto-run procedure. 
     Step 6: Automatically run a parameter setup of the I/O device  13  by the auto-run program, and terminate the auto-run procedure. 
     In summation of the description above, the memory disk  1  of the present invention not just provides the expanded memory storage and I/O functions for the external electronic device  2  to reduce the number of transmission interface slots (such as the USB slots) occupied by the external electronic devices  2  only, but also automatically turns on or off the I/O device  13  (which is an extended device) connected to the bridge  14  by the software program according to the auto-run setup program, so as to save the trouble of installing complicated driver programs and performing manual setup. In addition, the setup program for turning on or off at I/O device  13  and the driver program are stored in the built-in memory module  152 , and thus the memory disk  1  of the present invention has no setup or driver installation issues when used in any other computer, so as to achieve a real plug-and-play function. Obviously, the present invention improves over the prior art and complies with patent application requirements, and thus is duly filed for patent application. 
     Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.