US6353857B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Controllerless modem
Assignee: Intel Corp
•
Filing: 1997-03-31
•
Granted: 2002-03-05
•
Expires: 2017-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A modem is implemented as a virtual device driver with all processing handled by the host computer thus obviating the need for a stand alone processor for the modem. The modem virtual device driver ensures that the modem obtains adequate processing time regardless of other processes running on the host. By combining a port driver directly into the modem contact code, the need for a hardware UART with its attendant limitations is eliminated.
Inventors
- 👤 James E. Bader
- 👤 Scott Deans
- 👤 Rob Miller
- 👤 Richard P. Tarquini
- 👤 Bankim Wani
- 👤 II Jack Waters
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/105
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A computer, comprising: a. a processor, b. an operating system running on said processor, and c. a virtual device driver, interfaced to said operating system, providing modem functionality for managing communications over a communications port wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
A computer, comprising: a. a processor, b. an operating system running on said processor, and c. a virtual device driver, interfaced to said operating system, providing modem functionality for managing communications over a communications port wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The computer of claim 1 in which said processing time is controllable as to at least one of a frequency with which a slice of processing time is made available and a duration of the slice of processing time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer of claim 1 in which said modem functionality includes at least one of fax services, voice services and data services.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer of claim 1 in which said virtual device driver is implemented in layers, including at least three of an operating system interface layer, a UART layer, a module layer, a module I/O layer, an interrupt layer and a physical layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer of claim 1 in which said virtual device driver includes a software layer emulating UART to UART communications.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
10 words
The computer of claim 1 in communications with another computer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer of claim 1 , wherein the frequent heartbeat is generated by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
A computer comprising: a. a processor; b. a process, running on said processor for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting said processor to obtain processing time wherein said process at least includes registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
A computer comprising: a. a processor; b. a process, running on said processor for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting said processor to obtain processing time wherein said process at least includes registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer of claim 8 , wherein the frequent heartbeat is generated by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of operating a computer to obtain communications services, comprising the step of: a. running a process for providing modem functionality as a virtual device driver on said processor wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of operating a computer to obtain communications services, comprising the step of: a. running a process for providing modem functionality as a virtual device driver on said processor wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein ensuring the frequent heartbeat further comprises the step of: repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of operating a computer to obtain communications services, comprising the step of: a. running a process on a computer with a processor for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting said processor to obtain processing time wherein said process at least includes registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of operating a computer to obtain communications services, comprising the step of: a. running a process on a computer with a processor for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting said processor to obtain processing time wherein said process at least includes registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein ensuring the frequent heartbeat further comprises the step of: repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
114 words
A computer system comprising: a. a network; b. a first computer connected to a second computer over said network; at least one of said first and said second computers having a virtual device driver providing modem functionality wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
114 words
A computer system comprising: a. a network; b. a first computer connected to a second computer over said network; at least one of said first and said second computers having a virtual device driver providing modem functionality wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the frequent heartbeat is generated by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of operating a computer during communications with another computer over a network, comprising the step of providing modern functionality using a virtual device driver running on a processor of said computer wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modern functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of operating a computer during communications with another computer over a network, comprising the step of providing modern functionality using a virtual device driver running on a processor of said computer wherein the virtual device driver utilizes real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modern functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein ensuring the frequent heartbeat further comprises the step of: repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
110 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; and b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing modem functionality as a virtual device driver wherein the virtual device driver utilize real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
110 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; and b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing modem functionality as a virtual device driver wherein the virtual device driver utilize real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer program product of claim 18 , said computer program further comprising instructions for ensuring the frequent heartbeat by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
111 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing modem functionality and for ensuring processing time for said modem functionality wherein said instructions utilize real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
111 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing modem functionality and for ensuring processing time for said modem functionality wherein said instructions utilize real time services to ensure adequate processing time for said modem functionality and wherein the real time services at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of said modem functionality, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said modem functionality, and determining whether a personality exchange between said modem functionality and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer program product of claim 20 , said computer program further comprising instructions for ensuring the frequent heartbeat by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
101 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting a processor to obtain processing time wherein said instructions at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
101 words
A computer program product, comprising: a. a memory medium; b. a computer program stored on said memory medium, said computer program containing instructions for providing communications to and from one or more external devices over a communications link and for interrupting a processor to obtain processing time wherein said instructions at least include registering a background call back to timely activate an automatic control unit for ensuring adequacy of providing said communications, ensuring a frequent heartbeat for said communications, and determining whether a personality exchange between said communications and a computer application is able to occur without damaging other computer processes.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer program product of claim 22 , said computer program further comprising instructions for ensuring the frequent heartbeat by repeatedly executing a periodic process of setting an asynchronous timer, timing out said asynchronous timer, and executing a timer call back.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-03-04 | 2005-09-03 | 2006-03-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-03-04 | 2009-09-03 | 2010-03-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-03-04 | 2013-09-03 | 2014-03-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |