ANALOG DATA GENERATING AND PROCESSING DEVICE FOR USE WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interface device (10) provides fast data communication between a host device with input/output interfaces and a data transmit/receive device, wherein the interface device (10) comprises a processor means (13), a memory means (14), a first connecting device (12) for interfacing the host device with the interface device, and a second connecting device (15) for interfacing the interface device (10) with the data transmit/receive device. The interface device (10) is configured by the processor means (13) and the memory means (14) in such a way that, when receiving an inquiry from the host device via the first connecting device (12) as to the type of a device attached to the host device, regardless of the type of the data transmit/receive device, the interface device sends a signal to the host device via the first connecting device (12) which signals to the host device that it is communicating with an input/output device.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. An analog data acquisition device operatively connectable to a computer through a multipurpose interface of the computer, the computer having an operating system and being programmed so that when it receives a signal from the device through said multipurpose interface of the computer indicative of a class of devices, the computer automatically activates a device driver corresponding to that class of devices for allowing the transfer of data between the device and the operating system of the computer, the analog data acquisition device comprising:
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a) a program memory; b) an analog signal acquisition channel for receiving a signal from an analog source; c) a processor operatively interfaced with the multipurpose interface of the computer, the program memory, and a data storage memory when the analog data acquisition device is operational; d) wherein the processor is configured and programmed to implement a data generation process by which analog data is acquired from the analog signal acquisition channel, the analog data is processed, and digitized, and the processed and digitized analog data is stored in a file system of the data storage memory as at least one file of digitized analog data; e) wherein when the analog acquisition device is operatively interfaced with multipurpose interface of the computer, the processor executes at least one instruction set stored in the program memory and thereby automatically causes at least one parameter indicative of the class of devices to be sent to the computer through the multipurpose interface of the computer, independent of the analog source, wherein the analog data acquisition device is not within the class; and f) wherein the processor is further configured and programmed to execute at least one other instruction set stored in the program memory to thereby allow the at least one file of digitized analog data acquired from the analog signal acquisition channel to be transferred to the computer using the device driver corresponding to said class of devices so that the analog data acquisition device appears to the computer as if it were a device of that class; whereby there is no requirement for any user-loaded file transfer enabling software to be loaded on or installed in the computer in addition to its operating system. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An analog data acquisition and interface device for interfacing to a host device which includes a mass storage device and associated device driver, comprising:
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a processor configured to operatively interface with a memory, an analog source, and a multi-purpose interface of the host device; wherein the processor is configured to control a data generation process by which analog data is acquired from the analog source, the analog data is processed and digitized, and the processed and digitized analog data is stored in the memory as digitized analog data; wherein the processor is configured such that, when operatively interfaced with the multi-purpose interface, the processor causes at least one parameter identifying the analog data acquisition device as a digital mass storage device, instead of as an analog data acquisition device and regardless of the analog source, to be automatically sent to the multi-purpose interface of the host device; and wherein the processor is configured to automatically transfer the digitized analog data acquired from the analog source to the host device, in a manner that causes the analog data acquisition and interface device to appear to be the mass storage device, while using the device driver associated with the mass storage device to perform the automatic transfer without requiring any user-loaded file transfer enabling software to be loaded on or installed in the computer.
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33. An analog data acquisition and interface device for interfacing to a host device which includes a mass storage device and associated device driver, comprising:
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a program memory; a processor coupled to the program memory and configured to operatively interface with a storage memory, an analog source, and a multi-purpose interface of the host device; wherein the processor is configured to control a data generation process by which analog data is acquired from the analog source, the analog data is processed and digitized, and the processed and digitized analog data is stored in the memory as digitized analog data; wherein the processor is configured such that, when operatively interfaced with the multi-purpose interface, the processor causes at least one parameter identifying the analog data acquisition device as a digital mass storage device instead of an analog data acquisition device and regardless of the analog source, to be automatically sent to the multi-purpose interface of the host device; wherein the processor is configured to automatically transfer to the host device the digitized analog data acquired from the analog source, in a manner that causes the analog data acquisition and interface device to appear to be the mass storage device while using the device driver associated with the mass storage device to perform the automatic transfer; and wherein the processor is configured to transmit to the host device commands to access a system bus of the host device to enable direct communications with other data devices of the host device while bypassing any host device processor. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method for analog data acquisition and interfacing to a host device wherein the host device includes a device driver, comprising:
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operatively interfacing a data acquisition device, including a processor and a memory, with a multi-purpose interface of the host device; acquiring analog data from an analog source, processing and digitizing the analog data, and storing the processed and digitized analog data in the memory as digitized analog data under control of the processor; automatically sending under control of the processor at least one parameter to the multi-purpose interface of the host device, the at least one parameter identifying the analog data acquisition device as a digital storage device instead of as an analog data acquisition device, regardless of the analog source; and automatically transferring to the host device at least some of the digitized analog data acquired from the analog source to the host device in response to a data request command, in a manner that causes the analog data acquisition device to appear to be a digital storage device instead of as an analog data acquisition device, while using the device driver to perform the automatic transfer of the acquired digitized analog data to the host device without requiring any user-loaded file transfer enabling software to be loaded on or installed in the host device. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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Specification