Universal programmable data communication connection system
First Claim
1. A data protocol converter for a data communication system, said data protocol converter selectively connecting and allowing data communication between at least one data source having a first communication protocol, said data source coupled to a selected one of a plurality of data communication system input ports, and at least one data destination having a second communication protocol different from said first communication protocol, said data destination coupled to a selected one of a plurality of data communication system output ports, said data protocol converter comprising:
- at least one user definable protocol processing process capable of being executed on said data communication system, each user definable protocol processing process including;
at least one logical input to recieve data from said data source, and including a data queue receiving said data;
at least one logical output; and
at least first and second user selectable communication protocol translation tasks selectable from among a plurality of communication protocol translation tasks, each of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks including at least one data input and one data output;
means, responsive to user selections, for selecting said at least first and second protocol translation tasks from among said plurality of protocol translation tasks;
path connecting means, responsive to said user selections, for selectively providing a data path to interconnect and allow data communication between said data source having said first communication protocol and said data destination having said second communication protocol, said data path comprising a plurality of constituent selectively connectable data sub-paths;
said path connecting means providing a first selectively connectable data sub-path between said at least first and second communication protocol translation tasks, for connecting the input of one of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the output of the other of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks, between the input of said other of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the logical input of said protocol processing process, and between the output of said one of first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the logical output of said protocol processing process;
said path connecting means providing a second selectively connectable data sub-path between the logical input of said protocol processing process and said selected input of said data communication system connected to said data source, wherein the logical input of said protocol processing process is connected to receive data from said data source;
said path connecting means providing a third selectively connectable data sub-path between the logical output of said protocol processing process and said selected output of said data communication system connected to said data source, wherein the logical output of said protocol processing process is connected to provide protocol converted data to said data destination; and
a path control manager, operative to control execution of each protocol processing process, and to maintain a flow of data along said data path from said data source to said data destination along said selectively connectable constituent first, second and third data sub-paths, according to and through the selected communication protocol translation tasks executing in said at least one protocol processing process.
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Abstract
A universal programmable data communication connection system which is user programmable to provide a selective data path between one or more data source and one or more data destination. The data connection system allows the user to "patch" signals from source to destination with simple commands. The system then provides the data path and conversion processes through selection among prestored process tasks or "softblocks" which are connected to "sockets" by software "wires". Within a finite capacity, one or more data paths of varying degrees of complexity may be connected or disconnected, at operator command, without interruption of existing or non-altered system connections and functions. If the data source and data destination are of different format and/or protocol, the connection system can also provides the corresponding data processing to maintain an uninterrupted flow of data.
241 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A data protocol converter for a data communication system, said data protocol converter selectively connecting and allowing data communication between at least one data source having a first communication protocol, said data source coupled to a selected one of a plurality of data communication system input ports, and at least one data destination having a second communication protocol different from said first communication protocol, said data destination coupled to a selected one of a plurality of data communication system output ports, said data protocol converter comprising:
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at least one user definable protocol processing process capable of being executed on said data communication system, each user definable protocol processing process including; at least one logical input to recieve data from said data source, and including a data queue receiving said data; at least one logical output; and at least first and second user selectable communication protocol translation tasks selectable from among a plurality of communication protocol translation tasks, each of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks including at least one data input and one data output; means, responsive to user selections, for selecting said at least first and second protocol translation tasks from among said plurality of protocol translation tasks; path connecting means, responsive to said user selections, for selectively providing a data path to interconnect and allow data communication between said data source having said first communication protocol and said data destination having said second communication protocol, said data path comprising a plurality of constituent selectively connectable data sub-paths; said path connecting means providing a first selectively connectable data sub-path between said at least first and second communication protocol translation tasks, for connecting the input of one of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the output of the other of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks, between the input of said other of said first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the logical input of said protocol processing process, and between the output of said one of first and second communication protocol translation tasks and the logical output of said protocol processing process; said path connecting means providing a second selectively connectable data sub-path between the logical input of said protocol processing process and said selected input of said data communication system connected to said data source, wherein the logical input of said protocol processing process is connected to receive data from said data source; said path connecting means providing a third selectively connectable data sub-path between the logical output of said protocol processing process and said selected output of said data communication system connected to said data source, wherein the logical output of said protocol processing process is connected to provide protocol converted data to said data destination; and a path control manager, operative to control execution of each protocol processing process, and to maintain a flow of data along said data path from said data source to said data destination along said selectively connectable constituent first, second and third data sub-paths, according to and through the selected communication protocol translation tasks executing in said at least one protocol processing process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of providing a selected communication protocol conversion between a data source having a first communication protocol and a data destination having a second communication protocol different from said first communication protocol, comprising the steps of:
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operator selecting at least one protocol processing process from among a plurality of protocol processing processes executable on a data communication system; directing said at least one protocol processing process to interconnect with said data source and data destination connected with selected ports of said data communication system, each of said selected protocol processing processes comprising at least first and second user selectable communication protocol translation tasks; user selecting said at least first and second communication protocol translation tasks from among a plurality of communication protocol translation tasks, each of said communication protocol translation tasks including an input and an output; directing said at least first and second communication protocol translation tasks to interconnect within said selected at least one protocol processing process wherein said communication protocol translation tasks cooperate to provide said selected communication protocol conversion; said data communication system performing the steps of; creating at least one process label associated with each selected process, and having task execution control parameters according to the operator selected process and the selected interconnection between a data source and a data destination; forming an index pointing to each of said selected at least first and second tasks resident in a memory; executing a selected process by executing said at least first and second tasks as pointed to by said index under control of its associated process label; providing one or more intervening data queues for logically interconnecting selected processes; forming a selected connection of one or more processes by said intervening data queues; applying data from said data source to the first of said processes; and sending said data to said data destination from the last of said connected processes through any intervening data queues and processes. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification