Patent ID: 8504746

Claim:
An analog data acquisition device operatively connectable to a computer through a multipurpose interface of the computer, the computer having an operating system programmed so that, when the computer receives a signal from the device through said multipurpose interface of the computer indicative of a class of devices, the computer automatically activates a device driver corresponding to the class of devices for allowing the transfer of data between the device and the operating system of the computer, the analog data acquisition device comprising: a) a program memory; b) an analog signal acquisition channel for receiving a signal from an analog source; c) a processor operatively interfaced with the multipurpose interface of the computer, the program memory, and a data storage memory when the analog data acquisition device is operational; d) wherein the processor is configured and programmed to implement a data generation process by which analog data is acquired from the analog signal acquisition channel, the analog data is processed and digitized, and the processed and digitized analog data is stored in a file system of the data storage memory as at least one file of digitized analog data; e) wherein when the analog acquisition device is operatively interfaced with the multipurpose interface of the computer, the processor executes at least one instruction set stored in the program memory and thereby automatically causes at least one parameter indicative of the class of devices to be sent to the computer through the multipurpose interface of the computer, independent of the analog source, wherein the analog data acquisition device is not within the class of devices; and f) wherein the processor is further configured and programmed to execute at least one other instruction set stored in the program memory to thereby allow the at least one file of digitized analog data acquired from the analog signal acquisition channel to be transferred to the computer using the device driver corresponding to said class of devices so that the analog data acquisition device appears to the computer as if it were a device of the class of devices; whereby there is no requirement for any user-loaded file transfer enabling software to be loaded on or installed in the computer in addition to the operating system.