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Communications network for communicating with computers provided with disparate protocols

  • US 4,688,170 A
  • Filed: 09/22/1983
  • Issued: 08/18/1987
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1983
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a communications network involving a plurality of diverse stand-alone computers, each computer provided with an input/output port and communicating via data lines in synchronous or asynchronous modes, and each computer utilizing protocols including but not limited to a data format and bit rate specific to that computer, the improvement comprising:

  • a plurality of first initiating diverse stand-alone computers provided in the communications network;

    a plurality of second remote diverse stand-alone computers communicating with said first computers via the communications network;

    a single memory unit physically provided in each of said plurality of first initiating diverse stand-alone computers containing data information stored therein indicating the protocols, including the data format and bit rate of each of said plurality of first and second diverse stand-alone computers in the communications network, said data information including a data packet indicating the nature of, the absence or presence of a parity bit, the word length of said data information, the absence or presence of a cyclic redundancy check and whether said data information is in a synchronous or asynchronous mode, said memory unit connected to the input/output port of its respective computer; and

    emulation means physically provided in said plurality of first computers and connected to said memory unit of each of said first computers for sending and receiving data utilizing the protocols of said plurality of first computers and said plurality of said second computers, including the data format and the bit rates of both said plurality of first and said plurality of second computers in the communications network, said data information including a data packet indicating the nature of, the absence or presence of a parity bit, the word length of said data information, the absence or presence of a cyclic redundancy check and whether said data information is in a synchronous or asynchronous mode to the input, whereby each of said first computers can automatically communicate with computers in both of said plurality of first and said plurality of second computers in the communications network based upon the storage, in the memory unit of each of said plurality of first computers, of the protocols, including the data format and the bit rate utilized by said plurality of first and said plurality of second computers in the communications network and regardless of whether said plurality of second computers is provided with said single memory unit or said emulation means.

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