US5784622A — Method and apparatus for multiprotocol operation …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 270 words

Method for multiprotocol operation of a peripheral that is interfaced to a local area network by an interactive network board which executes first and second peripheral servers for servicing jobs from respectively different operating systems, the method comprising the steps of: a first executing step of executing the first server to check its operating system job queue and to receive job information from a first operating system according to a first operating system protocol, the job queue for the first operating system storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral; seizing exclusive control over the peripheral by the first server so as to service the received job information in the peripheral, and automatically signalling to other servers that the first server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by the second server to the peripheral is blocked; a second executing step of executing the second server to check its operating system job queue and to receive job information from a second operating system according to a second operating system protocol which is different from the first operating system protocol, the job queue for the second operating system storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral, said first and second executing steps being interleavedly performed under coordination of a multitasking operating system on the interactive network board; completing service of the received job information by the first server; and relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral by the first server in response to completing service in said completing step, so as to allow the second server to seize exclusive control over the peripheral.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 270 words

Method for multiprotocol operation of a peripheral that is interfaced to a local area network by an interactive network board which executes first and second peripheral servers for servicing jobs from respectively different operating systems, the method comprising the steps of: a first executing step of executing the first server to check its operating system job queue and to receive job information from a first operating system according to a first operating system protocol, the job queue for the first operating system storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral; seizing exclusive control over the peripheral by the first server so as to service the received job information in the peripheral, and automatically signalling to other servers that the first server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by the second server to the peripheral is blocked; a second executing step of executing the second server to check its operating system job queue and to receive job information from a second operating system according to a second operating system protocol which is different from the first operating system protocol, the job queue for the second operating system storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral, said first and second executing steps being interleavedly performed under coordination of a multitasking operating system on the interactive network board; completing service of the received job information by the first server; and relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral by the first server in response to completing service in said completing step, so as to allow the second server to seize exclusive control over the peripheral.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 57 words

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of seizing exclusive control over the peripheral by the second server so as to service the job information received by the second server and signalling to other servers that the second server has exclusive control such that access by the first server to the peripheral is blocked.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second servers issues a request for access to the peripheral in the case where job information is received from the respective first and second operating systems.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method according to claim 3, wherein said relinquishing step further comprises the step of interrogating other servers to determine if a request for access to the peripheral is pending and relinquishing control over the peripheral when a request for access is pending and an end of job has been reached.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method according to claim 1, wherein the multitasking operating system is comprised by a non-preemptive multitasking monitor.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method according to claim 1, wherein, in said first and second executing steps, the first and second servers check their respective operating system job queues via a common LAN communication module.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 61 words

A method according to claim 6, wherein, in said first and second executing steps, the first and second servers check their respective operating system job queues via the common LAN communication module and via respectively different first and second protocol stacks on the interactive network board, the first and second protocol stacks linking the respective servers to their associated operating systems.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of prescanning broadcast requests to detect the presence of predetermined header information corresponding to the first and second protocol stacks so as to automatically determine frame packet type of the broadcast request.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 16 words

A method according to claim 7, wherein the first protocol stack comprises an SPX/IPX protocol stack.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 320 words

Apparatus for multiprotocol operation of a network peripheral, comprising: an interactive network board connectable to the peripheral via a bi-directional interface and connectable to a local area network bus via a network interface; a memory which stores process steps for a first server for (i) checking its operating system job queue, the operating system job queue storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral, (ii) receiving job information from a first operating system according to a first operating system protocol, (iii) seizing exclusive control over the peripheral and beginning to service the received job information in the peripheral, (iv) signalling to other servers that the first server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by other servers to the peripheral is blocked, (v) completing service of the received job information in the peripheral, and (vi) relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral in response to completing services of the received job information; a memory which stores process steps for a second server for (i) checking its operating system job queue, the operating system job queue storing job information comprising data to be processed by the network peripheral, (ii) receiving job information from a second operating system according to a second operating system protocol which is different from the first operating system protocol, (iii) seizing exclusive control over the peripheral and beginning to service the received job information in the peripheral, (iv) signalling to other servers that the second server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by other servers to the peripheral is blocked, (v) completing service of the received job information in the peripheral, and (vi) relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral in response to completing service of the received job information; and a processor on said interactive network board for interleavedly executing the first and second peripheral servers under coordination of a multitasking operating system on said interactive network board.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 320 words

Apparatus for multiprotocol operation of a network peripheral, comprising: an interactive network board connectable to the peripheral via a bi-directional interface and connectable to a local area network bus via a network interface; a memory which stores process steps for a first server for (i) checking its operating system job queue, the operating system job queue storing job information comprising data to be processed by the peripheral, (ii) receiving job information from a first operating system according to a first operating system protocol, (iii) seizing exclusive control over the peripheral and beginning to service the received job information in the peripheral, (iv) signalling to other servers that the first server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by other servers to the peripheral is blocked, (v) completing service of the received job information in the peripheral, and (vi) relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral in response to completing services of the received job information; a memory which stores process steps for a second server for (i) checking its operating system job queue, the operating system job queue storing job information comprising data to be processed by the network peripheral, (ii) receiving job information from a second operating system according to a second operating system protocol which is different from the first operating system protocol, (iii) seizing exclusive control over the peripheral and beginning to service the received job information in the peripheral, (iv) signalling to other servers that the second server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral such that access by other servers to the peripheral is blocked, (v) completing service of the received job information in the peripheral, and (vi) relinquishing exclusive control over the peripheral in response to completing service of the received job information; and a processor on said interactive network board for interleavedly executing the first and second peripheral servers under coordination of a multitasking operating system on said interactive network board.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second servers issues a request for access to the peripheral in the case where another server has seized exclusive control over the peripheral and job information for the server has been received.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and second server determines whether a request for access to the peripheral is pending from other servers and relinquishes control over the peripheral when an end of job is reached in the case where a request is pending.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the multitasking operating system is executed by said processor and is comprised by a non-preemptive multitasking monitor for multitasking the first and second servers.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said processor further executes a LAN communication module for accessing the local area network and wherein said first and second servers commonly utilize the LAN communication module.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 38 words

Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said processor further executes respectively different first and second protocol stacks which link the first and second servers to their respective first and second operating systems through the common LAN communication module.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said processor further executes a prescanner which prescans broadcast requests to detect the presence of predetermined header information corresponding to the first and second protocol stacks so as to determine frame packet type of the broadcast request.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-07-20	2002-01-19	2002-07-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-07-20	2006-01-19	2006-07-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-07-20	2010-01-19	2010-07-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for multiprotocol operation of a networked peripheral

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