US6336152B1 — Method for automatically configuring devices incl…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 228 words

For a system for configuring a computer, said computer characterized by at least one system bus, a plurality of resources comprising memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, and devices connected to each system bus, each device associated with device information that uniquely identifies said corresponding device and defines usage requirements of said resources for said corresponding device, said configuring system, responsive to certain events causing an asynchronous change in the operating state of said computer, for configuring each device by collecting said device information from each memory storage device, for determining at least one possible logical device configuration based upon the collected device information, allocating said resources for each device in response to said device information, and loading a device driver for each device, wherein at least one of said devices is a network adapter including a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, a method for automatically configuring said layers of each network adapter without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, in response to loading said device driver corresponding to said network adapter, comprising the steps, (a) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter; (b) loading each identified layer; and (c) repeating steps (a)-(b) for each of the remaining ones of said interfaces.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 228 words

For a system for configuring a computer, said computer characterized by at least one system bus, a plurality of resources comprising memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, and devices connected to each system bus, each device associated with device information that uniquely identifies said corresponding device and defines usage requirements of said resources for said corresponding device, said configuring system, responsive to certain events causing an asynchronous change in the operating state of said computer, for configuring each device by collecting said device information from each memory storage device, for determining at least one possible logical device configuration based upon the collected device information, allocating said resources for each device in response to said device information, and loading a device driver for each device, wherein at least one of said devices is a network adapter including a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, a method for automatically configuring said layers of each network adapter without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, in response to loading said device driver corresponding to said network adapter, comprising the steps, (a) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter; (b) loading each identified layer; and (c) repeating steps (a)-(b) for each of the remaining ones of said interfaces.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 61 words

The method of claim 1 , Herein said identifying step comprises searching a database of said computer and locating a first entry having an interface identification code that identifies said particular interface, said first entry further having a layer identification code for each layer associated with said particular interface, each layer identification code uniquely defining the identity of a corresponding layer.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein said identifying step further comprises storing each layer identification code within one of a plurality of hierarchically-arranged device nodes within system memory of said computer, said device nodes defining the present configuration of said network adapter.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 120 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein said step of loading each identified layer comprises: (a) locating within said database a second entry having one of said layer identification code for a selected layer, said second entry further having a driver identification code that uniquely defines a driver for said selected layer; (b) locating within said database a third entry having said driver identification code, said third entry containing configuration parameters for said driver for said selected layer; (c) loading said driver for said selected layer within system memory of said computer; (d) supplying said configuration parameters to said driver for said selected layer; and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) for each of said remaining layers associated with said particular interface.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 217 words

A system for automatically configuring a computer without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, said computer characterized by a system bus and a plurality of computer resources comprising memory addresses, direct memory access channels, and input/output ports, said system comprising: a plurality of devices connected to said system bus, at least one of said devices being a network adapter, each device connected to a memory storage unit that stores device information for a corresponding one of said devices, said device information uniquely identifying said corresponding device and defining usage requirements of said computer resources for said corresponding device; configuring means for configuring each device in response to certain events causing an asynchronous change in the operating state of said computer, said configuring means operative to collect said device information from each memory storage unit, to determine at least one possible logical device configuration based upon the collected device information, and to allocate said computer resources for each device in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said computer resources by each device; and network configuring means for configuring each of a plurality of layers associated with said network adapter, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, each of said layers associated with one of a plurality of interfaces.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 217 words

A system for automatically configuring a computer without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, said computer characterized by a system bus and a plurality of computer resources comprising memory addresses, direct memory access channels, and input/output ports, said system comprising: a plurality of devices connected to said system bus, at least one of said devices being a network adapter, each device connected to a memory storage unit that stores device information for a corresponding one of said devices, said device information uniquely identifying said corresponding device and defining usage requirements of said computer resources for said corresponding device; configuring means for configuring each device in response to certain events causing an asynchronous change in the operating state of said computer, said configuring means operative to collect said device information from each memory storage unit, to determine at least one possible logical device configuration based upon the collected device information, and to allocate said computer resources for each device in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said computer resources by each device; and network configuring means for configuring each of a plurality of layers associated with said network adapter, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, each of said layers associated with one of a plurality of interfaces.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 140 words

The system of claim 5 , wherein said network configuring means comprises: identifying means for identifying a selected layer associated with a particular interface by searching a database of said computer and locating a first entry having an identification code that identifies said particular interface, said first entry further having a layer identification code that uniquely defines the identity of said selected layer; said identifying means further operative to locate within said database a second entry having said layer identification code, said second entry further having a driver identification code that uniquely defines a driver for said layer selected, and to locate within said database a third entry having said driver identification code, said third entry containing configuration parameters for said driver; and a device loader for loading said driver for said selected layer within system memory of said computer.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system of claim 5 , wherein said events include at least one of powering said computer, connecting another one of devices to said selected system bus, and removing one of said devices from said selected system bus.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 299 words

A computer system characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system buses, said resources comprising at least one of memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, and a program module for automatically configuring the devices of the computer system without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, the computer system comprising: a processing unit; and a memory, coupled to the processing unit, for storing the program module; the processing unit, responsive to instructions of the program module, operative to (a) collect device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device, wherein the device information is utilized to determine at least one possible logical device configuration; (b) allocate said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices; (c) load a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer; (d) repeat tasks (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses; and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter, the processing unit is operative to (e) identify each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter; (f) load each identified layer; and (g) repeat tasks (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 299 words

A computer system characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system buses, said resources comprising at least one of memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, and a program module for automatically configuring the devices of the computer system without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, the computer system comprising: a processing unit; and a memory, coupled to the processing unit, for storing the program module; the processing unit, responsive to instructions of the program module, operative to (a) collect device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device, wherein the device information is utilized to determine at least one possible logical device configuration; (b) allocate said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices; (c) load a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer; (d) repeat tasks (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses; and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter, the processing unit is operative to (e) identify each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter; (f) load each identified layer; and (g) repeat tasks (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 65 words

The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said processing unit identifies each layer by searching a database of said computer and locating a first entry having an interface identification code that identifies said particular interface, said first entry further having a layer identification code for each layer associated with said particular interface, each layer identification code uniquely defining the identity of a corresponding layer.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 121 words

The computer system of claim 9 , wherein said processing unit loads each identified layer by: (a) locating within said database a second entry having one of said layer identification code for a selected layer, said second entry further having a driver identification code that uniquely defines a driver for said selected layer; (b) locating within said database a third entry having said driver identification code, said third entry containing configuration parameters for said driver for said selected layer; (c) loading said driver for said selected layer within system memory of said computer; (d) supplying said configuration parameters to said driver for said selected layer; and (e) repeating tasks (a)-(d) for each of said remaining layers associated with said particular interface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 283 words

In a computer system characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system busses, said resources comprising at least one of memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, a computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for automatically configuring the devices of the computer system without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, performs the steps of: (a) collecting device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device, wherein the device information is utilized to determine at least one possible logical device configuration; (b) allocating said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices; (c) loading a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer; (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses; and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter, (e) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter; (f) loading each identified layer; and (g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 283 words

In a computer system characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system busses, said resources comprising at least one of memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, said layers comprising at least one of protocols, redirectors, and servers, a computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for automatically configuring the devices of the computer system without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, performs the steps of: (a) collecting device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device, wherein the device information is utilized to determine at least one possible logical device configuration; (b) allocating said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices; (c) loading a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer; (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses; and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter, (e) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter; (f) loading each identified layer; and (g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 73 words

The program module of claim 11 , wherein said instructions for identifying each layer, when executed by the computer, performs the steps of searching a database of said computer and locating a first entry having an interface identification code that identifies said particular interface, said first entry further having a layer identification code for each layer associated with said particular interface, each layer identification code uniquely defining the identity of a corresponding layer.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 130 words

The program module of claim 12 , wherein said instructions for loading each identified each layer, when executed by the computer, performs the steps of: (a) locating within said database a second entry having one of said layer identification code for a selected layer, said second entry further having a driver identification code that uniquely defines a driver for said selected layer; (b) locating within said database a third entry having said driver identification code, said third entry containing configuration parameters for said driver for said selected layer; (c) loading said driver for said selected layer within system memory of said computer; (d) supplying said configuration parameters to said driver for said selected layer; and (e) repeating tasks (a)-(d) for each of said remaining layers associated with said particular interface.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2004-12-31	2005-07-02	2006-01-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2008-12-31	2009-07-02	2010-01-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2012-12-31	2013-07-02	2014-01-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method for automatically configuring devices including a network adapter without manual intervention and without prior configuration information

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