Patent
1992-11-18
1998-07-21
Lall, Parshotam S.
G06F 1314
Patent
active
057846227
ABSTRACT:
Method and apparatus for multiprotocol operation of an interactive network board which ties a peripheral to a local area network and which executes first and second peripheral servers for servicing jobs from respectively different operating systems. The first server checks its operating system job queue and receives job information from the operating system according to a first protocol. The first server seizes exclusive control over the peripheral and signals to other servers that the first server has control. In coordination with the first server, the second server checks its operating system job queue and receives job information from the operating system. When the first server relinquishes control over the peripheral, the second server can seize exclusive control over the peripheral so as to send its job information to the peripheral. Preferably, while each server has exclusive control over the peripheral, it checks with other servers to determine whether those other servers have pending requests for use of the peripheral. If there are pending requests, then control over the server can be relinquished at the end of a job, even though there are remaining jobs in the job queues, so as to allow alternate usage of the peripheral by each server. The interactive network board automatically and adaptively determines the frame packet types being used for LAN communication by the respective operating systems by prescanning broadcast requests on the LAN bus for predetermined header information corresponding to each of the operating protocol stacks (or towers) for the servers.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4742483 (1988-05-01), Morrell
patent: 4766534 (1988-08-01), DeBenedictis
patent: 4866664 (1989-09-01), Burkhardt, Jr. et al.
patent: 4974199 (1990-11-01), Verbanets, Jr. et al.
patent: 5007013 (1991-04-01), Elms
patent: 5018079 (1991-05-01), Shukunami et al.
patent: 5056058 (1991-10-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 5067104 (1991-11-01), Krishnakumar et al.
patent: 5075875 (1991-12-01), Love et al.
patent: 5109515 (1992-04-01), Laggis et al.
patent: 5136716 (1992-08-01), Harvey et al.
patent: 5138712 (1992-08-01), Corbin
patent: 5142622 (1992-08-01), Owens
patent: 5237693 (1993-08-01), Kiyohara et al.
patent: 5245703 (1993-09-01), Hubert
patent: 5265239 (1993-11-01), Ardolino
patent: 5278834 (1994-01-01), Mazzola
patent: 5317568 (1994-05-01), Bixby et al.
patent: 5323393 (1994-06-01), Barrett et al.
patent: 5339427 (1994-08-01), Elko et al.
Fritz, et al., "A Network Of Computers Running the UNIX System", AT&T Bell Labs Technical Journal, vol. 63, No. 8, Oct. 1984, pp. 1877-1896.
Deitel, H., "An Introduction to Operating Systems", Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1984, Chapters 3 and 10.
Hindin, H., "Two Is Better Than One", Computer Design, Apr. 1, 1986, pp. 49-64.
Barrett Lorraine F.
Kalwitz George A.
Kraslavsky Andrew J.
Russell William C.
Wadsworth Robert D.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Coulter Kenneth R.
Lall Parshotam S.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for multiprotocol operation of a networked 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 multiprotocol operation of a networked , we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for multiprotocol operation of a networked will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1657445