Patent ID: 7555588

Claim:
A computer having a USB bus including at least two connectors to each of which removable USB devices can be connected, the computer being programmed such that, after start-up of the computer and upon connection of a removable USB device to such a connector: a unique USB address is allocated to that removable USB device, the allocated USB address being used by the computer to address data packets on the USB bus to that removable USB device, and the USB address not necessarily being the same each time that removable USB device is connected to the computer; and at least for some removable USB devices, a software program relevant to that USB device is automatically launched; characterised in that the computer is programmed to respond differently when a removable USB device is connected to at least one particular one of the USB connectors in that: the computer is programmed to detect whether that removable USB device has been connected to said one particular USB connector; and in response to such detection, the computer is programmed to do one of the following: not to launch or to cancel launching of a software program that would have been launched if that removable USB device had been connected said other USB connector; to launch a software program that would not have been launched if that removable USB device had been connected said other USB connector; and to launch a software program that is different to a software program that would have been launched if that removable USB device had been connected said other USB connector.