CN102469625B - A kind of wireless network card and wireless network card driving method - Google Patents

Abstract

A wireless network card and a method for driving the same are provided. The wireless network card comprises a storage device; a wireless device; a hub controller, coupled to the storage device and the wireless device, for enabling the storage device and disabling the wireless device when the wireless network card is connected to a host computer; and a plug port coupled to the hub controller for connecting the wireless network card to an external bus of the host computer. The invention can install the driving program in time and avoid the startup error.

Description

A kind of wireless network card and wireless network card driving method

technical field

The invention relates to a wireless network card and a driving method of the wireless network card, more particularly to a wireless network card combined with a memory and a wireless device and a driving method of the wireless network card.

Background technique

The advantages of a general wireless network card (such as a USBWiFi dongle (network card)) are portability and plug-and-play. However, in installing the driver, not every computer host can instantly find the driver that matches the connected wireless network card.

Therefore, a general wireless network card can have both a wireless device (such as WI-FI) and a storage device (suitable for storing driver capacity, such as flash memory FLASH), so that the wireless network card itself can load the driver of the wireless device. When the wireless network card is reconnected to the host computer, the host computer will detect the storage device and the wireless device of the wireless network card, and the host computer will pop up a window for installing the storage device and the wireless device. If the above-mentioned situation occurs in the host computer with the driver installed, a window will pop up every time the wireless network card is reconnected to the host computer, which will cause unnecessary troubles for the user.

There are more and more devices on the market that have storage devices and wireless devices or other functions (such as Bluetooth (Bluetooth)) at the same time. The storage devices of this type of products are all used to store drivers and application programs that match the devices in the wireless network card. For example, a USB interface device with a USB interface has a storage device and a wireless device, and the storage device has a driver program and an application program of the wireless device, so that the installation can be completed quickly. Generally speaking, the desktop computers or notebook computers produced today all have the function of supporting USB booting. When the user starts the computer, he connects this type of USB interface device at the same time, but in fact the USB interface device does not support booting, which causes the host computer to fail to start normally. As far as we know, the only way to solve this problem is to remove the USB interface device and restart.

Therefore, how to install the driver in a timely manner and avoid booting errors are the problems to be overcome by the present invention.

Contents of the invention

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless network card, the wireless network card includes a hub controller, the hub controller is coupled to a storage device and a wireless device, for when the wireless network card is connected to a computer host, Enabling the above-mentioned storage device and disabling the above-mentioned wireless device, or/and delaying the initialization of the wireless network card for a predetermined time. The wireless network card also includes an insertion port, which is coupled to the hub controller and used for connecting the wireless network card to an external bus of a host computer.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless network card, the wireless network card includes a storage device; a wireless device; a hub controller, the hub controller is coupled to the storage device and the wireless device, for when the network card is connected to a computer host, enabling the storage device and disabling the wireless device; external bus.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless network card, the wireless network card includes a storage device; a wireless device; a hub controller, the hub controller is coupled to the storage device and the wireless device, for When the network card is connected to a computer host, the initialization of the wireless network card is delayed for a predetermined time; An external bus of the host computer.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for driving a wireless network card. The method includes detecting whether a wireless network card is connected to a computer host, wherein the wireless network card includes a hub controller, a storage device, and a wireless device; When the network card is connected to the computer host, execute a first software program stored in an EEPROM through the hub controller to enable the storage device and disable the wireless device; And when the above-mentioned wireless network card is connected to the above-mentioned computer host for the first time, after the above-mentioned storage device is enabled and the above-mentioned wireless device is disabled, install a driver stored in the above-mentioned storage device to the above-mentioned computer host.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for driving a wireless network card. The method includes detecting whether a wireless network card is powered, wherein the wireless network card includes a hub controller, a storage device, and a wireless device; and when the wireless network card is powered When power is supplied, a first software program is executed by the hub controller to delay the initialization of the wireless network card for a predetermined time.

The invention can timely install the driver program and avoid boot errors.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network card 100 and a computer host 200 of the present invention.

2A-2B are flowcharts of a method for driving a wireless network card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for driving a wireless network card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of main component symbols:

100 wireless network card 142 storage device controller

120 hub controller 144 second software program

122 EEPROM 146 Driver

124 Docking Ports 160 Wireless Devices

126 first software program 200 mainframe computer

140 storage device 220 external bus

detailed description

Methods of making and using various embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. It should be noted, however, that the present invention provides many possible inventive concepts that can be implemented in various specific scopes. These specific examples are only used to illustrate the method of making and using the present invention, but not to limit the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a wireless network card 100 and a computer host 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless network card 100 is a hand-held device that can be carried around, and includes a plug port 124 (such as a USB Plug (USB plug)) for connecting to an external bus 220 of the host computer 200 . The external bus 220 is a way for the host computer 200 and the wireless network card 100 to transmit data, and is a socket for plugging into the port 124 . The wireless network card 100 also includes a casing for covering the circuits inside the wireless network card 100 .

The housing of the wireless network card 100 further includes a hub controller 120 (hub controller), a storage device 140 and a wireless device 160 . The hub controller 120 is coupled to the storage device 140 and the wireless device 160 for detecting and executing a first software program 126 to control data transmission of the storage device 140 and a wireless device 160 . For example, the first software program 126 can be a firmware. The first software program 126 is used to enable the storage device 140 and disable the wireless device 160 , and/or delay the initialization of the wireless network card 100 . The storage device 140 is coupled to the hub controller 120 for storing a driver 146 and other application software programs. The above-mentioned driver program 146 is the driver software of the wireless device 160 and the above-mentioned application software program can be a second software program 144 . The second software program 144 is used for installing on the host computer 200 to disable the storage device 140 and enable the wireless device 160 . This embodiment also includes an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) 122 coupled to the hub controller 120 for storing firmware (such as the first software program 126), and a storage device controller 142, It is coupled between the hub controller 120 and the storage device 140 for controlling the storage device 140 .

The insertion port 124 of the above-mentioned present embodiment can be a USB insertion port, the hub controller 120 can be a USB hub controller, the storage device 140 can be a non-volatile memory (such as flash memory NAND Flash), and the wireless The device 160 can be a Wi-Fi wireless device, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the wireless device 160 can also be a Bluetooth wireless device, a 3G wireless device, a 3.5G wireless device, and so on.

FIG. 2A is a flowchart of a method for driving a wireless network card according to an embodiment of the present invention. Steps S10-S18 are actions when the wireless network card 100 is connected to the host computer 200 for the first time. As in step S10, when the wireless network card 100 is connected to the host computer 200 (that is, when the host computer 200 supplies power to the wireless network card 100), the hub controller 124 actively detects a first software program 126, such as detecting a program stored in the storage device 140. firmware. The hub controller 124 further executes the first software program 126 for enabling the storage device 140 and disabling the wireless device 160 . Next, as shown in step S12, the host computer 200 detects the wireless network card 100 at this time, but since the storage device 140 and the wireless device 160 have been enabled and disabled respectively, that is, the action of step S10 has been completed, so that the host computer 200 is reading When the wireless network card 100 is taken, the wireless device 160 is regarded as not existing. In other words, after the hub controller 124 executes the first software program 126 , for the host computer 200 , the wireless network card 100 only detects the storage device 140 and initializes the storage device 140 . In step S13 , the host computer 200 detects the wireless network card 100 . After the host computer 200 detects and initializes the storage device 140, the user can install the driver program 146 stored in the storage device 140, as shown in step S14. Then in step S16 , the second software program 144 stored in the storage device 140 is automatically installed in the system of the host computer 200 . Wherein the second software program 144 is an automatic execution file (Autorun.inf file), installed in the host computer 200, in order to detect the wireless network card 100, and when detecting the wireless network card 100, disable the storage device 140 and enable the wireless device 160, so that relative to the host computer 200, the storage device 140 is regarded as not existing, as shown in step S18. In other words, the host computer 200 only detects the wireless device 160 , and uses the driver 146 installed on the host computer 200 to normally execute the functions of the wireless device 160 .

As shown in steps S20-S24 of FIG. 2B, after completing steps S10-16, the wireless network card 100 connects to the host computer 200 for the second time and thereafter. At this time, the host computer 200 already has the second software program 144 and the driver program 146 , and the driver program 146 does not need to be installed repeatedly. Step S20 is similar to step S10 , when the wireless network card 100 is connected to the host computer 200 , the hub controller 124 actively detects a first software program 126 , for example, detects a firmware stored in the storage device 140 . The hub controller 124 further executes the first software program 126 for enabling the storage device 140 and disabling the wireless device 160 . As shown in step S22 , the host computer 200 detects the wireless network card 100 . Compared with the first connection of the wireless network card 100 to the computer host 200, the second software program 144 detects the wireless network card 100, and before the computer host 200 detects the storage device 140, disables the storage device 140 and enables the wireless device 160, and the computer host 200, the storage device 140 is regarded as not existing, as shown in step S24. Since the storage device 140 is regarded as non-existent relative to the host computer 200 , the host computer does not repeatedly pop up the window, and uses the driver 146 installed on the host computer 200 to normally execute the functions of the wireless device 160 .

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for driving a wireless network card according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in step S30, the wireless network card 100 is connected to the host computer 200 and is turned on. The hub controller 124 of the wireless network card 100 executes the first software program 126 to delay the initialization of the wireless network card 100 for a predetermined time, so as to delay the initialization of the wireless network card until after step S34, as shown in step S32, wherein the predetermined time can be greater than or approximately 1.0 seconds. In step S34, a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computer host 200 will detect devices connected to the computer host 200, such as hard disk (HDD), optical drive (CDROM), and USB devices. Next, as shown in step S36, since the first software program 126 delays the initialization of the wireless network card 100 after step S34, the BIOS will not detect the wireless network card 100, so that the host computer 200 will not detect the wireless network card 100 according to the basic input and output system. Set and detect the appropriate device for normal boot.

Although the present invention is disclosed above with examples, it is not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the claims of the present invention should be broadly construed to cover all embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof.

Claims (7)

1. a wireless network card, this wireless network card comprises:

One storage device;

One wireless device;

One line concentration controller, this line concentration controller couples said storage unit and above-mentioned wireless device, in order to when above-mentioned wireless network card is connected to a main frame, by initialization delay one given time of above-mentioned wireless network card, make after a basic input output system of above computer main frame completes detection, above-mentioned wireless network card just carries out above-mentioned initialization; And

One grafting port, this grafting port couples above-mentioned line concentration controller, in order to above-mentioned wireless network card to be connected to an external bus of above computer main frame;

Wherein, above-mentioned line concentration controller in order to detect firmware and software program, and performs one first software program in order to by above-mentioned for the initialization delay of above-mentioned wireless network card given time.

2. wireless network card as claimed in claim 1, also comprises:

One Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory, is coupled to above-mentioned line concentration controller, in order to store above-mentioned first software program.

3. wireless network card as claimed in claim 1, wherein above-mentioned given time is more than or equal to 1.0 seconds.

4. a wireless network card driving method, the method comprises:

Whether detect a wireless network card to be powered, wherein above-mentioned wireless network card comprises a line concentration controller, a storage device and a wireless device; And

When above-mentioned wireless network card is powered, above line concentration controller, performs one first software program, in order to initialization delay one given time by above-mentioned wireless network card, after the basic input output system of main frame has been detected, above-mentioned wireless network card just carries out above-mentioned initialization.

5. wireless network card driving method as claimed in claim 4, wherein above-mentioned first software program is stored in an Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory.

6. wireless network card driving method as claimed in claim 4, wherein above-mentioned given time is more than or equal to 1.0 seconds.

7. wireless network card driving method as claimed in claim 4, wherein above-mentioned wireless network card powered by the main frame be connected.