Apparatus for decoding and providing the decoded addresses to industry standard PCMCIA card through the data lines of the parallel port

Claim 1

A PCMCIA card to parallel port adapter comprising: a) an internal bus; b) a personal computer interface means for coupling between a parallel port of a personal computer and a printer interface, said personal computer interface means for selecting one of a pair of paths for signals from said parallel port, for providing signals to said printer interface and for decoding said signals from said parallel port to be provided to said internal bus, said signals from said parallel port being decoded into one of data signals, address signals and bus control signals; c) bus controller means coupled to said personal computer interface means and to said internal bus for receiving said control signals and generating internal bus control signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port; d) address generator means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said address signals and generating internal bus address signals for placement on said internal bus; e) data path means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said data signals and generating internal bus data signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port, wherein said internal bus is coupled to said bus controller means, said address generator means and said data path means and is for coupling to a PCMCIA slot interface unit, said internal bus for receiving said internal bus control signals, internal bus address signals and internal bus data signals for transfer to said PCMCIA slot interface unit and for receiving internal bus data signals and internal bus control signals from said PCMCIA slot interface unit for transfer to said parallel port, said personal computer interface means enabling direct access to said address signals.

Claim 3

A system for accessing a PCMCIA card using a parallel port of a personal computer comprising: a) a PCMCIA card to parallel port adapter including: i) a personal computer interface means for coupling between a parallel port of a personal computer and a printer interface, said personal computer interface means for selecting one of a pair of paths for signals from said parallel port, for providing signals to said parallel port and for decoding said signals from said parallel port to be provided to an internal bus, said signals from said parallel port being decoded into one of data signals, address signals and bus control signals; ii) a bus controller means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said control signals and generating internal bus control signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port; iii) an address generator means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said address signals and generating internal bus address signals for placement on said internal bus; iv) a data path means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said data signals and generating internal bus data signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port; wherein said internal bus is coupled to said bus controller means, said address generator means and said data path means and is for coupling to a PCMCIA slot interface unit, said internal bus for receiving said internal bus control signals, internal bus address signals and internal bus data signals from said parallel port for transfer to said PCMCIA slot interface unit and for receiving internal bus data signals and internal bus control signals from said PCMCIA slot interface unit for transfer to said parallel port; b) a first application program running in said personal computer under control of an operating system such that control is passed to said application program by said operating system when a second application program executes an instruction which seeks to access a PCMCIA card, said first application program operating to pass said PCMCIA access to said PCMCIA slot interface unit via said parallel port and said parallel port to PCMCIA card interface, wherein said program operates to: i) capture all input and output instructions directed to an address in a PCMCIA address space; ii) if the parallel port is being used for a print operation, suspend said print operation; iii) disassemble the PCMCIA address into nibbles of 7 bits or 4 bits each and send each nibble to the parallel port; iv) send a command to the parallel port to assert a signal to cause the address latch on the PCMCIA card to open and then deassert said asserted signal to cause the cause the address latch to close and latch the address; v) if the captured I/O instruction is an input instruction:

Claim 4

A system for accessing a PCMCIA card using a parallel port of a personal computer comprising: a) a PCMCIA card to parallel port adapter including: i) a personal computer interface means for coupling between a parallel port of a personal computer and a printer interface, said personal computer interface means for selecting one of a pair of paths for signals from said parallel port, for providing signals to said parallel port and for decoding said signals from said parallel port to be provided to an internal bus, said signals from said parallel port being decoded into one of data signals, address signals and bus control signals; ii) a bus controller means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said control signals and generating internal bus control signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port; iii) an address generator means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said address signals and generating internal bus address signals for placement on said internal bus; iv) a data path means coupled to said personal computer interface means for receiving said data signals and generating internal bus data signals for placement on said internal bus and for receiving signals from said internal bus for transmission to said parallel port; wherein said internal bus is coupled to said bus controller means, said address generator means and said data path means and is for coupling to a PCMCIA slot interface unit, said internal bus for receiving said internal bus control signals, internal bus address signals and internal bus data signals from said parallel port for transfer to said PCMCIA slot interface unit and for receiving internal bus data signals and internal bus control signals from said PCMCIA slot interface unit for transfer to said parallel port; b) a first application program running in said personal computer under control of an operating system such that control is passed to said application program by said operating system when a second application program executes an instruction which seeks to access a PCMCIA card, said first application program operating to pass said PCMCIA access to said PCMCIA slot interface unit via said parallel port and said parallel port to PCMCIA card interface, wherein said program operates to: i) capture all input and output instructions directed to an address in a PCMCIA address space; ii) if the parallel port is being used for a print operation, suspend said print operation; iii) disassemble the PCMCIA address into nibbles of 7 bits or 4 bits each and send each nibble to the parallel port; iv) send a command to the parallel port to assert a signal to cause the address latch on the PCMCIA card to open and then deassert said asserted signal to cause the cause the address latch to close and latch the address; v) if the captured I/O instruction is an input instruction: