Method and apparatus for managing access to a networked peripheral
First Claim
1. A method for managing access to a peripheral over a local area network with an interactive network board connectable to the peripheral via a bi-directional peripheral interface and connectable to the local area network via a local area network interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- executing an access management program, which includes a socket server program, on the interactive network board, said socket server program including process steps to monitor a proprietary socket number for network communication to the proprietary socket, as well as process steps to issue commands to change operational and configuration status of the peripheral and to issue requests for current operational and configuration status of the peripheral;
monitoring, with said socket server program, the proprietary socket number to detect network communications directed by a client to the proprietary socket;
establishing direct communication via the proprietary socket between the socket server and the client so as to receive network communications;
commanding, with said socket server program via the bi-directional interface and in response to first ones of received network communications, the peripheral to change its operational and configuration status;
commanding, with said socket server program via the bi-directional interface and in response to second ones of received network communications, the peripheral to transmit its current operational and configuration status;
monitoring, with said socket server program, the bi-directional peripheral interface to detect and store current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral; and
outputting, with said socket server program, the current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral onto the local area network in response to the second ones of the received network communications.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for interfacing a peripheral to a local area network with an interactive network board connected to the peripheral via a bi-directional peripheral interface and connectable to the local area network via a local area network interface. The interactive network board executes an access management program such as a socket server to monitor the local area network for communications from a network client directed to a proprietary socket. In response to communications detected by the access management program, the access management program establishes direct communication between the network client and itself and executes commands requested by the network client, such as commands to obtain or to alter the status of the network peripheral, or commands to obtain or to alter the status of the interactive network board itself. The interactive network board may also execute a peripheral server program such as a print server in a multitasking environment with the access management program.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for managing access to a peripheral over a local area network with an interactive network board connectable to the peripheral via a bi-directional peripheral interface and connectable to the local area network via a local area network interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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executing an access management program, which includes a socket server program, on the interactive network board, said socket server program including process steps to monitor a proprietary socket number for network communication to the proprietary socket, as well as process steps to issue commands to change operational and configuration status of the peripheral and to issue requests for current operational and configuration status of the peripheral; monitoring, with said socket server program, the proprietary socket number to detect network communications directed by a client to the proprietary socket; establishing direct communication via the proprietary socket between the socket server and the client so as to receive network communications; commanding, with said socket server program via the bi-directional interface and in response to first ones of received network communications, the peripheral to change its operational and configuration status; commanding, with said socket server program via the bi-directional interface and in response to second ones of received network communications, the peripheral to transmit its current operational and configuration status; monitoring, with said socket server program, the bi-directional peripheral interface to detect and store current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral; and outputting, with said socket server program, the current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral onto the local area network in response to the second ones of the received network communications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for interfacing a peripheral to a local area network using an interactive network board connectable to the peripheral via a peripheral interface and connectable to the local area network via a network interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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executing a peripheral server program on the network board, the peripheral server program for servicing peripheral data between the peripheral and the local area network; executing a socket server program on the network board, said socket server program including process steps to monitor a proprietary socket number for network communication requests issuable by at least two different clients on the local area network to the proprietary socket number, as well as process steps to issue commands to change operational and configuration status of the peripheral and to issue requests for current operational and configuration status of the peripheral via the peripheral interface in response to those network communication requests; advertising on the local area network that services of the socket server are available; receiving from one client of said at least two different clients a request for services of the socket server; establishing direct communication via the proprietary socket between said one client and the socket server; commanding, with said socket server program via the peripheral interface and in response to first ones of received network communication requests, the peripheral to change its operational and configuration status; commanding, with said socket server program via the peripheral interface and in response to second ones of received network communications requests, the peripheral to transmit its current operational and configuration status; monitoring, with said socket server program, the peripheral interface to detect and store current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral; and outputting, with said socket server program, the current operational and configuration status transmitted from the peripheral onto the local area network in response to the second ones of the received network communications. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A local area network comprising:
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a network bus; a file server connectable to the network bus, said file server for storing a print queue from a plurality of work stations which direct print jobs to the queue; an interactive network board connectable to the network bus, the interactive network board including a bi-directional peripheral interface, a processor for executing stored program process steps, and a memory for storing the program process steps; a printer connectable to the bi-directional peripheral interface of said interactive network board; a work station connectable to the network bus, said work station including a processor for executing stored program processing steps and a memory for storing the program processing steps, the processing steps including steps to request and to alter the operational and configuration status of the printer and steps to request and to alter the status of the interactive network boards, wherein the memory of said interactive network board stores program process steps to monitor a proprietary socket number on the network bus for network communications directed to said proprietary socket;
to respond to requests from said work station for status of the interactive network board by transmitting the status of the interactive network board on the network bus;
to respond to requests from said work station to alter the status of the network board by altering the status of the interactive network board and transmitting a confirmation on the network bus;
to respond to requests from said work station for operational and configuration status of said printer by interrogating for printer operational and configuration status via the bi-directional peripheral interface, by receiving printer operational and configuration status via the bi-directional peripheral interface, and by transmitting operational and configuration printer status on the network bus; and
to respond to requests from said work station to alter the operational and configuration status of the printer by commanding said printer via the bi-directional peripheral interface to alter its operational and configuration status and by transmitting confirmation thereof onto said network bus. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification