EP0751656A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Protocol independent and adaptive network interface
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1996-06-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A protocol independent method of transmitting a data packet from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a LAN to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN. A protocol independent interface (PII) program is initialized which determines which protocols are available for use, assigns an access line to each protocol that is available for use, assigns an access ID to the first application program, and creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data. A data packet is sent to the PII program together with the access ID of the first application program and a destination ID for the second application program, and one of the available protocols is selected to transmit the data packet. A block of protocol specific information is retrieved from the mapping information based on the access ID of the first application program and the access line corresponding to the selected protocol, and a transmission packet is formed which includes the data packet, the destination ID, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information. The transmission packet is then transmitted via the LAN.
Inventors
- 👤 Chiu Ming Man
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/02; H04L41/0213; H04L41/0226; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
A protocol independent method of transmitting a data packet from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said method comprising the steps of: initializing a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns an access ID to the first application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data; sending a data packet to the protocol independent interface program together with the access ID of the first application program and a destination ID for the second application program; selecting one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet; retrieving a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access ID of the first application program and the access line corresponding to the protocol selected in said selecting step; forming a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information; and transmitting the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to Claim 1, wherein said selecting step comprises determining whether a preferred protocol is available and selecting the preferred protocol if it is available.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to Claim 1, wherein said selecting step comprises determining which of the available protocols has the least traffic and selecting the protocol determined to have the least traffic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to Claim 1, wherein said selecting step comprises determining which of the available protocols has been used least by the protocol independent interface program and selecting the protocol determined to have been used the least.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the second device is a network interface device which interfaces between a peripheral and the LAN and which executes a service routine, wherein said method further comprises the step of transmitting data packets including data to be serviced by the service routine.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of delivering a data packet received from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a protocol independent data packet from the first application program, together with data identifying the first application program and a destination ID identifying the second application program; determining which protocols are available for use on the LAN; selecting one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet; determining protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data based on the data identifying the first application program and the protocol selected in said selecting step; forming a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the determined protocol specific information; and transmitting the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to Claim 6, wherein said selecting step comprises determining whether a preferred protocol is available and selecting the preferred protocol if it is available.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to Claim 6, wherein said selecting step comprises determining which of the available protocols has the least traffic and selecting the protocol determined to have the least traffic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to Claim 6, wherein said selecting step comprises determining which of the available protocols has been used least by the protocol independent interface program and selecting the protocol determined to have been used the least.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
95 words
A method according to Claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein the protocol independent interface program assigns a unique access ID to the first application program, assigns an access line to each available protocol, and creates mapping information having a one-to-one correspondence between each access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information, and wherein said determining step comprises retrieving a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access ID of the first application program and the access line corresponding to the protocol selected in said selecting step.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
53 words
A method according to any of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the second device is a network interface device which interfaces between a peripheral and the LAN and which executes a service routine, wherein said method further comprises the step of transmitting data packets including data to be serviced by the service routine.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of receiving data which is transmitted from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said method comprising the steps of: initializing a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns a unique access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data; receiving a transmission packet which includes data and a block of protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data; retrieving from the mapping information the access ID/access line pair which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the received transmission packet; and sending the data contained in the received transmission packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping information.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to Claim 12, wherein the second device is a network interface device which interfaces between a peripheral and the LAN and which executes a service routine, wherein said method further comprises the step of receiving data packets including data to be serviced by the service routine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
229 words
A network device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) and which transmits data from a first application program executing on said network device to a second application executing on another device interfaced to the LAN, said network device comprising: a LAN interface for sending data to and receiving data from the LAN; a storage device which stores an application program and a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available, (ii) assigns an access line to each available protocol, (iii) assigns an access ID to the first application program, and (iv) creates mapping information having a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data; and a processor which (i) executes the first application program, (ii) initializes the protocol independent interface program, (iii) processes a data packet which is generated by the first application program by selecting a protocol to transmit the data packet, retrieving a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access line corresponding to the selected protocol and the access ID of the first application program, and forming a transmission packet including a destination ID for the second application, the data packet, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information, and (iv) transmits the transmission packet via said LAN interface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A network device according to Claim 14, wherein said network device is a network interface device which interfaces between a peripheral and the LAN, and wherein said processor executes a service routine, receives data packets including data to be serviced by the service routine via said LAN interface, and services the data using the service routine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
219 words
A network device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) and which receives data that is transmitted from a first application program executing on another device interfaced to the LAN to a second application executing on said network device, said network device comprising: a LAN interface for sending data to and receiving data from the LAN; a storage device which stores the second application program and a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available, (ii) assigns an access line to each available protocol, (iii) assigns an access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information having a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data; and a processor which (i) executes the second application program, (ii) initializes the protocol independent interface program, (iii) receives via said LAN interface a data packet which is transmitted by the first application program and which includes a block of protocol specific information, (iv) retrieves an access ID/access line pair from the mapping information which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the data packet, and (v) sends the data packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
A network device according to Claim 16, wherein said network device is a network interface device which interfaces between a peripheral and the LAN, and wherein said processor executes a service routine, receives data packets including data to be serviced by the service routine via said LAN interface, and services the data using the service routine.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
80 words
A multi-protocol computer network interface for interfacing a processing unit, a peripheral device or the like to a computer network, comprising: means for receiving from an application program protocol independent data messages to be sent to a destination application program on the computer network; means for selecting an appropriate protocol for transmitting the data message in dependence upon channels available between the two application programs; and means for transmitting the data message together with protocol-specific information for the selected protocol.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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