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US5742845A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System for extending present open network communication protocols to communicate with non-standard I/O devices directly coupled to an open network

Assignee: WiLAN Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-22
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Granted: 1998-04-21
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Expires: 2015-06-22
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Abstract

Abstract An open network system for supporting input/output (I/O) operations for non-standard I/O devices are disclosed. The system includes a server coupled to a plurality of I/O devices through an open network and an extended open system protocol that supports communication with devices that are not personal computers (PCs). These devices include magnetic stripe readers, check readers, smart card readers, credit card terminals, screen phone terminals, PIN pads, printers, and the like. The extended open network protocol includes tags which identify device and input operations and attributes which identify the location, data exchange method, and data variable names for the retrieval, acquisition, and submission of data between the server and I/O devices. Preferably, the open network protocol is implemented in a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP). Preferably, the system includes a common gateway interface (CGI) at the server which converts protocol statements communicated between the server and I/O devices to application language statements for providing data to an application program coupled to the server. Most preferably, the application statements and protocol statements are constructed in integrated statements with an editor. The editor ensures that data identifiers in the application and protocol statements are compatible. The integrated statements are then parsed by the editor to segregate the protocol statements from the application statements. The protocol statements are downloaded in a file to a client program at an I/O device for processing. The application statements are stored in a file for use by the application. In this manner, generation of the files for client and application processing are automatically done without the user ensuring the correlation of the data fields in the two files.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard Hiers Wagner

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 09:54
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/30; G06F8/33; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/10; G06Q20/105; G06Q20/108; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/382; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/02; H04L69/00; H04L69/08; H04L69/03; H04L69/18; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim 120 words
An open network processing system comprising: a server for communicating in an extended open network protocol; and a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices coupled to said server through an open network, said I/O devices communicating with said server in said extended open network protocol that supports communication with non-standard I/O devices; wherein said extended open network protocol further comprising: tags for identifying one of said I/O devices and input operation to be performed with said one of said I/O devices; action attributes for defining said identified device operation to be performed with a local resource for one of said I/O devices; and method attributes for defining a data transfer method for providing data between said server and said I/O devices.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 120 words
An open network processing system comprising: a server for communicating in an extended open network protocol; and a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices coupled to said server through an open network, said I/O devices communicating with said server in said extended open network protocol that supports communication with non-standard I/O devices; wherein said extended open network protocol further comprising: tags for identifying one of said I/O devices and input operation to be performed with said one of said I/O devices; action attributes for defining said identified device operation to be performed with a local resource for one of said I/O devices; and method attributes for defining a data transfer method for providing data between said server and said I/O devices.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said tags, action attributes, and methods are implemented in an Hyper Text Transport Protocol.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
The system of claim 1, said tags further comprising: form tags for identifying device operations; and input tags for identifying input for one of said I/O devices.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
The system of claim 1, said action attributes further comprising: file operation identifiers for a non-standard I/O device; printer operation identifier for a non-standard I/O device; and data operation identifiers for a non-standard I/O device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 46 words
The system of claim 1, said method attributes further comprising: universal resource file operation identifiers; database identifier for identifying a database associated with said server; and a method command for identifying an alternative communication network for communication between one of said I/O devices and another processor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
The system of claim 1, said extended open network protocol further comprising: types for identifying non-standard I/O devices for data input; and names for identifying data storage at one of said I/O devices.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 50 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising: protocol statements for said extended open network protocol which support communication between said server and said I/O devices; application statements for an application on said server; and a common gateway interface (CGI) for providing data between said protocol statements and said application statements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
The system of claim 7 wherein said protocol statements are HTTP statements and said application processing statements are SQL statements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 60 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a magnetic stripe reader so that data read from a magnetic strip may be communicated with said server by said extended open network protocol over said open network whereby possession of a card bearing said stripe may be used for a transaction over said open network.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 29 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said extended open network protocol includes input tags and types for reading a first and a second track from said magnetic stripe reader.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 46 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a Personal Identification Number (PIN) entry device so that a PIN automatically encrypted in hardware by said PIN entry device may be communicated to said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 38 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a personal digital assistant so that data may be communicated between said personal digital assistant and said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 48 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a check magnetic reader so that data encoded on a check and read by said check magnetic reader may be communicated between said check reader and said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 49 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a bar code reader so that data encoded with bar codes and read by said bar code reader may be communicated between said bar code reader and said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 43 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is one of a credit card terminal and screen phone terminal so that data may be communicated between said one terminal and said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 38 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said extended open network protocol communicates data from one of a keypad, local variable, and a magnetic stripe reader of said one terminal with said server by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 51 words
The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said I/O devices is a personal computer (PC) interfaced to at least one non-standard I/O device so that said non-standard I/O device and said server may communicate data over said open network through said PC by said extended open network protocol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 31 words
The system of claim 17 wherein said non-standard I/O device interfaced to said PC is one of a magnetic stripe reader, a PIN pad, a printer, or a smart card reader.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 129 words
An open network transaction system comprising: a server for communicating files in an extended open network protocol; and a plurality of I/O devices coupled to said server through an open network, each said I/O device includes a client program for communicating with said server in an extended open network protocol for communicating data between non-standard I/O devices and said server; wherein said extended open network protocol further comprising: tags for identifying one of said I/O devices and input operation to be performed with said one of said I/O devices; action attributes for defining said identified device operation to be performed with a local resource for one of said I/O devices; and method attributes for defining a data transfer method for providing data between said server and said I/O devices.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 129 words
An open network transaction system comprising: a server for communicating files in an extended open network protocol; and a plurality of I/O devices coupled to said server through an open network, each said I/O device includes a client program for communicating with said server in an extended open network protocol for communicating data between non-standard I/O devices and said server; wherein said extended open network protocol further comprising: tags for identifying one of said I/O devices and input operation to be performed with said one of said I/O devices; action attributes for defining said identified device operation to be performed with a local resource for one of said I/O devices; and method attributes for defining a data transfer method for providing data between said server and said I/O devices.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 38 words
The system of claim 19, further comprising: an application at said server; and a common gateway interface between said server and said client programs, said common gateway interface for communicating data between said client programs and said application.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 12 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said application is a database application.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 21 wherein said database application is a Structured Query Language application.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 18 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said extended open network protocol is an extended Hyper Text Transport Protocol.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 38 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said server communicates files to said client program for processing; and said client program returns data from a non-standard I/O device to said server in a form communicated in said processed file.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 33 words
The system of claim 24 wherein said non-standard I/O device is one of a magnetic stripe reader, a PIN pad, a screen phone terminal, a credit card terminal, and a smart card reader.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 25 words
The system of claim 24 wherein said common gateway interface incorporates said data from said non-standard I/O device in an application statement for said application.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 30 words
The system of claim 26 wherein said common gateway interface incorporates data received from said application into a form communicated by said server to said one of said I/O devices.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 46 words
The system of claim 27 wherein said form communicated by said server to said one of said I/O devices includes a command for an alternative communication link so that a program co-resident in said one of said I/O devices is activated for said alternative communication link.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 48 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said I/O device is a merchant terminal, said merchant terminal communicates a locally stored terminal id and consumer account data input via a non-standard I/O device to a processor through said alternative communication link by said co-resident program to complete a transaction.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 53 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said I/O device is a consumer terminal and said form communicated by said server includes a merchant account number, said consumer terminal communicates said merchant account number and a consumer number to a processor through said alternative communication link by said co-resident program to complete a transaction.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 17 words
The system of claim 30 wherein said consumer account number is verified through a non-standard I/O device.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 22 words
The system of claim 31 wherein said non-standard I/O device is one of a PIN entry device and a magnetic card reader.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 30 wherein said processor communicates a remittance data to a merchant server corresponding to said merchant account number via said open network.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-04-20 2001-10-20 2002-04-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-04-20 2005-10-20 2006-04-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-04-20 2009-10-20 2010-04-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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