Method and apparatus for remote delivery of managed USB services via a mobile computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619417-B2
Application number	US-201113162877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2011
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A managed Universal Serial Bus (USB) service capability is disclosed. The managed USB service capability is configured to use a mobile computing device (e.g., a smartphone or other suitable mobile computing device) to support a set of services for a computer (e.g., a desktop, a laptop, and the like) capable of connecting to the mobile computing device via a USB connection. The managed USB service capability enables local and/or remote control of the mobile computing device to operate in various USB device classes, such that the mobile computing device can provide various managed USB services for the computer via the peripheral connection. In this manner, the mobile computing device may be dynamically configured to operate as one or more of a network interface, a virtual private network (VPN) client, a smart card, a serial console, a mass-storage device, a booting device, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:
a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to:
receive, at the mobile computing device via a wireless interface of the mobile computing device from a remote network server via a network connection between the mobile computing device and the remote network server, a request to configure the mobile computing device to operate in a selected peripheral connection device class of a plurality of peripheral connection device classes;
configure the mobile computing device to operate in the selected peripheral connection device class;
receive, at the mobile computing device from the remote network server via the network connection, information associated with a service to be provided for a host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class; and
communicate with the host computer, via a peripheral connection interface of the mobile computing device configured to support a peripheral connection between the mobile computing device and the host computer, based on the service to be provided for the host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage subsystem and an associated peripheral mass storage subsystem;
a serial port subsystem and an associated peripheral serial port subsystem; and
a networking subsystem and an associated peripheral network connection subsystem.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a peripheral interface selector configured to select one of a plurality of peripheral subsystems of the mobile computing device;
a Peripheral Controller Driver configured to communicate with the peripheral interface selector; and
a Peripheral Controller configured to communicate with the Peripheral Controller Driver.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peripheral connection device classes comprise a plurality of Universal Serial Bus (USB) device classes.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of USB device classes comprise at least one of a USB Mass Storage device class, a USB ACM Modem device class, and a USB Ethernet device class.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a storage subsystem and an associated USB peripheral Mass Storage subsystem;
a serial port subsystem and an associated USB peripheral ACM Modem subsystem; and
a networking subsystem and an associated USB peripheral Ethernet subsystem.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a USB interface selector configured to select one of a plurality of USB peripheral subsystems of the mobile computing device;
a USB Peripheral Controller Driver configured to communicate with the USB interface selector; and
a USB Peripheral Controller configured to communicate with the USB Peripheral Controller Driver.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide a management agent, wherein the management agent is configured to:
receive the request to configure the mobile computing device to operate in the selected peripheral connection device class; and
initiate configuration of the mobile computing device to operate in the selected peripheral connection device class.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8 , further comprising:
an interface selector configured to select a peripheral connection subsystem associated with the selected peripheral connection device class;
wherein the management agent is configured to propagate a command to the interface selector for triggering the interface selector to select the peripheral connection subsystem associated with the selected peripheral connection device class.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to provide a user agent, wherein the user agent is configured to provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for receiving local control information, wherein the user agent is further configured to provide the local control information to the management agent.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface comprises a cellular interface.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the service to be provided for the host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class comprises a set of operating system (OS) files, wherein the processor is configured to:
create a partition on a memory card of the mobile computing device;
map the partition to a USB Mass Storage device on the mobile computing device;
format the mapped partition on the mobile computing device to include a bootable boot sector; and
load the OS files into the mapped partition on the mobile computing device.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12 , wherein, to communicate with the host computer based on the service to be provided for the host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class, the processor is configured to:
provide the OS files toward the host computer via the peripheral connection between the mobile computing device and the host computer.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the service to be provided for the host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class comprises smart card security information configured for using the mobile computing device as a smart card for the host computer, wherein the processor is configured to:
configure the mobile computing device as a smart card with network connectivity via the network connection; and
store, on the mobile computing device, the smart card security information configured for using the mobile computing device as a smart card for the host computer.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , wherein the smart card security information comprises at least one of authentication certificates or cryptographic keys for encryption of a hard disk of the host computer.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , wherein, to communicate with the host computer based on the service to be provided for the host computer by the mobile computing device based on the selected peripheral connection device class, the processor is configured to communicate with the host computer using a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection running over a USB Ethernet link between the mobile computing device and the host computer.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive, at the mobile computing device from the remote network server via the network connection, a command configured to revoke the smart card security information configured for using the mobile computing device as a smart card for the host computer.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
configure the mobile computing device to operate as a serial console terminal for the host computer;
receive, at the mobile computing device via the network connection, a login request for login to the host computer; and
propagate the login request from the mobile computing device toward the host computer via the peripheral connection between the mobile computing device and the host computer.

19. An apparatus, compr

Assignees

• Hari Adiseshu
• Francini Andrea
• Chang Yuh-Jye
• Jaitly Manoj K
• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Hari Adiseshu
• Francini Andrea
• Chang Yuh-Jye
• Jaitly Manoj K

Classifications

• G06F13/385 Primary

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• H04L67/16

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L45/60

  Router architectures · CPC title

• H04L61/2521

  Translation architectures other than single NAT servers · CPC title

• G06F8/38

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title