Universal serial bus adapter with automatic installation

Abstract

A peripheral device and a method for operating the peripheral device for automatic installation, in which the method includes coupling the peripheral device to a computer and sending a first device identification from the peripheral device to the computer. The peripheral device emulates a device of a type determined by the first device identification, including transferring a driver from the peripheral device to the computer. Then, the peripheral device sends a second device identification from the peripheral device to the computer, such that the sent device identification is for a device supported by the driver transferred to the computer. The peripheral device then operates by interacting with the driver on the computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for automating the installation of a peripheral device driver in a computer, comprising: 
 storing at least a file named autorun.inf on an emulated mass storage device;    receiving an identification of the mass storage device;    using a driver to establish communication with the emulated mass storage device across an interface;    executing, by the computer, at least a portion of the instructions in an autorun.inf file to transmit across the interface a driver of a second type of device from the emulated mass storage device;    transmitting, by the peripheral device, an identification of the second type of device across the interface;    operating the peripheral device as the second type of device;    receiving the identification of the second type of device; and    using the transferred driver to establish communication, across the interface, with a device of the second type.