Solid-state memory device that emulates a known storage device

1. A device that provides information and is connectable to a data processing system, comprising:

a device function subsystem that provides device functionality;

a persistent memory device containing device information that, when installed by an operating system of the data processing system, enables the data processing system to interact with the device to utilize device functionality provided by the device function subsystem; and

a known storage device emulation subsystem that emulates a storage device of a type usable by the operating system without further modification and enables the operating system to install the device information contained by the persistent memory device to utilize device functionality provided by the device function subsystem.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the persistent memory device is provided in a solid state read-only memory device, and wherein the known storage device emulation subsystem is provided in an application-specific integrated circuit connected to the solid state read-only memory device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the persistent memory device comprises a first storage device that provides a first rate of data transfer; and

wherein the device function subsystem comprises a second storage device providing a second rate of data transfer slower than the first rate of data transfer.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a single case that contains both the first and second storage devices during operation of the storage devices, such that data that must be transferred at a relatively high rate may be stored in the first storage device and data that can be transferred at a slower rate may be stored in the second storage device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first storage device comprises a solid-state memory device, and wherein the second storage device comprises an optical media drive.

6. A method in a data processing system for recognizing an unknown device, comprising the steps of:

an operating system of the data processing system misidentifying a nonvolatile memory in an unknown device as a known storage device;

searching the nonvolatile memory for device information usable with the operating system;

retrieving the device information from the nonvolatile memory; and

the operating system installing the device information in the data processing system to enable the operating system to interact with a functional subsystem of the device.

7. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a data processing system to perform the steps of:

an operating system of the data processing system misidentifying a nonvolatile memory in an unknown device as a known storage device;

searching the nonvolatile memory for device information usable with the operating system;

retrieving the device information from the nonvolatile memory; and

the operating system installing the device information in the data processing system to enable the operating system to interact with a functional subsystem of the device.

8. A memory device adapted for connection to a computer system via a serial connection, comprising:

a solid-state read-only memory device having contents; and

a storage device emulation subsystem that emulates a storage device of a type known by an operating of the computer system without further modification to enable the operating system to read the contents of the solid-state read-only memory device using only functionality of the operating system provided for reading from storage devices of the known type.

9. The memory device of claim 8 wherein the contents of the solid-state read-only memory device comprise a game program and associated data.

10. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the storage device emulation subsystem comprises a disk file data structure stored on the solid-state read-only memory device, said data structure comprising a plurality of files organized in the same manner that they would be organized if stored on a storage device of a type known to the operating system, such that any of the files may be read in the same manner as reading files from the storage device of the known type.

11. A method in a data processing system for reading data, comprising:

determining that a read-only solid-state memory device is connected to the data processing system; an operating system of the data processing system misidentifying the read-only solid-state memory device as a disk drive of a type previously known to the operating system; and

reading data from the read-only solid-state memory device using only functionality of the operating system used to read data from a disk drive of the type previously known to the operating system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reading step reads data from the read-only solid-state memory device using only commands of the operating system used to read data from a disk drive of the type previously known to the operating system.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the reading step reads data from the read-only solid-state memory device using a driver used by the operating system to read data from a disk drive of the type previously known to the operating system.

14. A device connectable to a data processing system, comprising:

a device function subsystem comprising a first storage device providing a first rate of data transfer;

a persistent memory device comprising a second storage device providing a second rate of data transfer different than said first rate of data transfer, said persistent memory device storing device information that, when installed by an operating system of the data processing system enables the operating system to interact with the device connected to the data processing system to utilize the first storage device provided by the device function subsystem; and

a known storage device emulation subsystem that upon connection of the device to the data processing system, emulates a storage device of a type usable by the operating system without further modification and enables the operating system to install the device information contained by the persistent memory device to utilize the first storage device provided by the device function subsystem.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said first rate of data transfer is slower than said second rate of data transfer.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said second storage device comprises a solid-state memory.