Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Master/slave computer controlling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-18
2001-02-27
Rinehart, Mark (Department: 2756)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Master/slave computer controlling
C709S204000, C709S205000, C709S209000, C709S211000, C709S244000, C345S504000, C434S350000, C434S365000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195687
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to network control and particularly to local area network (LAN) control. In greater particularity, this invention has application to a classroom environment wherein the master device under control of a human supervisor, such as an instructor or test proctor, is able to custom configure slave devices for a particular teaching environment and even temporarily limit selected functionality and access of slave devices.
As computers become more integrated into the educational environment as a teaching and a learning tool, greater use can be made of their unique capabilities to provide collaborative learning and instantaneous feedback. An instructor can broadcast information from a central or teaching node and each student can accept information from the teaching node and provide responses at their learning nodes to demonstrate understanding of concepts conveyed by the instructor. There is a growing recognition of the programmed learning method as an effective pedagogical tool. A typical configuration is a quiz or a test wherein questions are posed by a teacher and responded to by students via an interactive network.
Heretofore, generalized network control systems and configurations have not been developed which are sufficiently adaptable to control the level of information access typically desired in a pedagogical environment. It is desirable for example, in order to promote teaching and learning, to temporarily limit student access to resources otherwise readily accessible via computer telecommunication links or in stored files resident on the local computer storage elements. If computers are to be effectively used to assess understanding and collect student-produced information, then a mechanism must be provided to limit access to the notes of others and assembled information.
It is also desirable to provide a mechanism for customizing teaching environments on a location, a subject matter or on an instructor-tailored basis. Whenever a student computer is brought into a classroom, it is desirable for that computer to be configured for the specific class as soon as it is logged onto the network of the specific room or segment of the network identified with a particular lesson. Still further it is desirable to limit or otherwise manage the student computers to which a particular teacher's computer controls during a particular period in order to minimize conflicts with other computers which may be logged onto the network, particularly where there is no mechanism for segmenting the network to a defined geographic location. For these and other reasons, an enhanced and highly invasive control system is needed in a pedagogical environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a master-slave network control system and method of operation are provided wherein the master node element has substantially absolute invasive control over functions, configuration and capabilities of slave node elements which are logged onto the network and wherein the master node element can exercise latent control over slave node elements when not logged on to the network by controlling reacceptance onto the network in order to promote selected pedagogical and like functions facilitated through networked communication between the master node elements and the slave node elements.
In a specific embodiment, the master node element is a client in communication with a server daemon or service, to convey instructions to the service, and wherein the service oversees and controls substantially all system-level and application-level operations of a plurality of slave node elements during network connection periods, the slave elements also being clients of the service.
In another specific embodiment, the master node element is a server element and the slave node elements are clients of its service.
The master node element and the service operate together, or the master acting as the server operates alone, to effect the following rules:
the master control node can only control slave nodes that are either
a) assigned to the master node for the duration of a specific time period, and/or
b) located in a set of physical locations controlled by the master node.
at the end of the specific time period and/or upon departure by the slave node device from the controlled physical location, the slave node device returns to a state of control predefined (by the system) to permit reacceptance of the slave node onto the network under control of the master node.
the slave client node must communicate to the master node its system level status in a timely manner.
At each slave client node, a slave control node module must be invoked which can receive communication from the master control node, acknowledge communication from the master node, shut down an application or application feature on the slave node in an orderly manner, and control invocation of any program, service or driver at the slave node, or it can configure the slave node for a specific application or environment. For security purposes, the slave control module is preferably embedded in the slave node so as not to be defeatable. To this end, the master control node is configured to reaccept logins only from slave control nodes that have not been tampered with, as for example evidenced by appropriate encryption or by a degree of difficulty in modification hardware components which implement the slave control node functions. For example, the slave control node functions can be part of a permanently installed BIOS level ROM program in a portable computer intended for classroom use.
As an operational security feature, the master control node or its surrogate frequently resends its connection commands to nonresponsive slave nodes within the assigned node set to assure that all assigned and present slave nodes are accounted for.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5005122 (1991-04-01), Griffin et al.
patent: 5310349 (1994-05-01), Daniels et al.
patent: 5437555 (1995-08-01), Ziv-El
patent: 5458494 (1995-10-01), Krohn et al.
patent: 5684952 (1997-11-01), Stein
patent: 5700149 (1997-12-01), Johnson, III et al.
patent: 5724530 (1998-03-01), Stein et al.
patent: 5727950 (1998-03-01), Cook et al.
patent: 5793951 (1998-08-01), Stein et al.
patent: 5805830 (1998-09-01), Reese et al.
patent: 5823788 (1998-10-01), Lemelson et al.
patent: 5850250 (1998-12-01), Konopka et al.
patent: 5867653 (1999-02-01), Aras et al.
patent: 5878214 (1999-03-01), Gilliam et al.
patent: 5887170 (1999-03-01), Ansberry et al.
patent: 5933498 (1999-08-01), Schneck et al.
patent: 5974446 (1999-10-01), Sonnenreich et al.
patent: 6003067 (1999-12-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 6006253 (1999-12-01), Kumar et al.
patent: 6023730 (1998-08-01), Tani
Decouchant et al. “Structured Cooperative Authoring on the World Wide Web”, Dec. 1995.
Baker et al. “Local Control Over Filtered WWW Access”, Nov. 1995.
David R. Woolley, “Choosing Web Conferencing Software”, 1996.
Yeh et al. “Synchronous Navigation Control for Distance Learning on the Web”, May 1996.
Decouchant et al. “Alliance: A Structured Cooperative Editor on the Web”.
England et al. “RAVE: Real-Time Service for the Web”, May 1996.
Frivold et al. “Extending WWW for Synchronous Collaboration”.
Ming-Chih Lai et al. “Toward a New Educational Environment”.
Bentley et al. “Supporting Collaborative Information Sharing with the World Wide Web: The BSCW Shared Workspace System”, Dec. 1995.
Gutwin et al. Support for Workspace Awareness in Educational Groupware, Sep. 1995.
Greaves Thomas W.
Law Timothy G.
Milewski Richard A.
Moore David R.
Schade Fred B.
Allen Kenneth R.
Netschools Corporation
Rinehart Mark
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
Vaughn, Jr. William C.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for master-slave control in a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for master-slave control in a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for master-slave control in a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2595478