Granted Patent B1

US 7,725,628 · App. 11/110,612 · Granted May 25, 2010

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. A storage system for storing information comprising:

a storage device, the storage device comprising:

a controller device; and

a sensor in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving pass-through vendor specific commands;

wherein the controller device is configured to receive the pass-through vendor specific commands from an application software module of a host when the controller device is placed in communication with the application software module through a driver module of the host, the driver module coupled to the controller device through a Universal Standard Bus (USB) interface;

wherein the controller device is configured to strip data contained in the pass-through vendor specific commands that is intended for the sensor from the pass-through vendor specific commands and to send the stripped data to the sensor; and

wherein the sensor is unknown to the driver module of the host and is configured to recognize the stripped data for acting thereupon.

2. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said host having an operating system for causing performance of tasks by said host.

3. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said storage device further including a memory unit, said memory unit including one or more flash memory units for storing information received from said controller device.

4. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said storage device further including a memory unit, said memory unit including one or more nonvolatile memory units for storing information received from said controller device.

5. A storage device as recited in claim 4 wherein the sensor is a fingerprint sensor for detecting a human fingerprint when a tip of a finger is swiped over the sensor, said sensor causing storage of fingerprint information in said memory unit through said application software module and said controller device.

6. A storage system as recited in claim 5 wherein said sensor being coupled to said controller device through a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) interface for communication therebetween.

7. A storage system as recited in claim 6 wherein said sensor is coupled to said driver module via an interface going through said controller device.

8. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said driver module causing said application software module to communicate with said controller device by converting high-level software language to a low-level language comprehensible to the hardware included in said controller device.

9. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said controller device remaining known to said host by being mapped in a memory map of said host.

10. A storage device as recited in claim 5 wherein said host being a personal computer (PC), said driver module being a Universal Standard Bus (USB) mass storage driver, said controller device being a USB controller, said application software module being an application software module for fingerprint matching and authentication programs.

11. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said storage device being physically included in said host.

12. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor remains known to said application software module and said controller device, said pass-through vendor specific commands being known to said controller device and the sensor, the sensor reacting to the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific commands.

13. A storage system as recited in claim 10 wherein said application software module issues a read command to said controller device for causing said sensor to read fingerprint information, said read command including a parameter specifying a size of data to be returned.

14. A storage system as recited in claim 13 wherein said controller device transferring a program to be used by said driver module to said host to be loaded onto said driver module.

15. A storage system as recited in claim 14 wherein said application software module executes application software for causing fingerprint information to be used as a password.

16. A storage device as recited in claim 5 wherein said sensor transfers information gathered from a fingerprint mechanism to said controller device for transferring the same to said application software module.

17. A storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein said pass-through vendor specific commands remaining unknown to third parties to protect the information gathered by said sensor from manipulation by third parties.

18. A method for storing information comprising:

receiving a pass-through vendor specific command at a controller device of a storage device from an application software module of a host through a driver module of the host;

stripping from the pass-through vendor specific command, at the controller device, data intended for a sensor of the storage device, the sensor in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving the pass-through vendor specific command;

sending the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command to the sensor; and

acting upon, at the sensor, the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command;

wherein the sensor is unknown to the driver module of the host; and

wherein the driver module is coupled to the controller device through a Universal Standard Bus (USB) interface.

19. A storage system for storing information comprising:

means for receiving a pass-through vendor specific command at a controller device of a storage device from an application software module of a host through a driver module of the host;

means for stripping from the pass-through vendor specific command, at the controller device, data intended for a sensor of the storage device, the sensor in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving the pass-through vendor specific command;

means for sending the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command to the-sensor; and

means for acting upon, at the sensor, the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command;

wherein the sensor is unknown to the driver module of the host; and

wherein the driver module is coupled to the controller device through a Universal Standard Bus (USB) interface.

20. A computer readable medium having stored therein computer readable program code for causing a storage device to perform a method, comprising:

receiving a pass-through vendor specific command at a controller device of a storage device from an application software module of a host through a driver module of the host;

stripping from the pass-through vendor specific command, at the controller device, data intended for a sensor of the storage device, the sensor in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving the pass-through vendor specific command;

sending the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command to the sensor; and

acting upon, at the sensor, the data stripped from the pass-through vendor specific command;

wherein the sensor is unknown to the driver module of the host; and

wherein the driver module is coupled to the controller device through a Universal Standard Bus (USB) interface.

21. A storage system for storing information comprising:

a storage device, the storage device comprising:

a controller device;

one or more function devices in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving pass-through vendor specific commands;

wherein the controller device is configured to receive a pass-through vendor specific command from an application software module of a host when the controller device is placed in communication with the application software module through a driver module of the host, wherein the controller device is configured to be coupled to the driver module through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the driver module and the one or more function devices; and

wherein the controller device is configured to strip data associated with the pass-through vendor specific command that is intended for the one or more function devices and to send the stripped data to the one or more function devices;

wherein the one or more function devices are unknown to driver module of the host and are configured to receive the stripped data.

22. A method for storing information comprising:

receiving a pass-through vendor specific command at a controller device of a storage device from an application software module of a host through a driver module of the host;

stripping, at the controller device, data intended for a function device of the storage device, the data being associated with the pass-through vendor specific command and the function device being in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving the pass-through vendor specific command;

sending the stripped data to the function device; and

acting upon, at the function device, the stripped data;

wherein the function device is unknown to the driver module of the host; and

wherein the driver module is coupled to the controller device through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the driver module and the function device.

23. A storage system for storing information comprising:

means for receiving a pass-through vendor specific command at a controller device of a storage device from an application software module of a host through a driver module of the host;

means for stripping, at the controller device, data intended for a function device of the storage device, the data being associated with a pass-through vendor specific command and the function device being in communication with the controller device as a result of the controller device receiving that pass-through vendor specific command;

means for sending the stripped data to the function device; and

means for acting upon, at the function device, the stripped data;

wherein the function device is unknown to the driver module of the host; and

wherein the driver module is configured to be coupled to the controller device through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the driver module and the function device.

Assignments (9)