Reconfiguration of protocol stacks and/or frame type assignments in a network interface device
First Claim
1. A method of using configuration packets received from a local area network (LAN) to reconfigure a network interface device on the LAN, said method comprising the steps of:
- executing an initialization process which loads protocol stack modules and assigns frame types to each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information in the network interface device regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN;
receiving packets including data and address information from the LAN;
determining whether a received packet is a configuration packet by detecting whether the packet is addressed to a predetermined address;
altering the configuration information using the data in the packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet; and
changing the configuration of at least one of (i) the loaded protocol stack modules and (ii) the frame type assignments for the network interface device based on the altered configuration information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network interface device which can communicate with other devices via a local area network (LAN) using various protocols and frame types, and which can be remotely reconfigured to use different protocols and frame types. The network interface device includes a LAN interface that receives packets including address and data information from the LAN and transmits packets to the LAN. The network interface device also includes a processor that (i) executes an initialization routine to load protocol stack modules and to assign a frame type for each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN, (ii) determines whether a packet received from the LAN is a configuration packet by detecting whether the received packet is addressed to a predetermined address, and (iii) alters the configuration information using the data in the configuration packet, in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet, and changes the configuration of at least one of (i) the loaded protocol stacks and (ii) the frame type assignments based on the altered configuration information.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of using configuration packets received from a local area network (LAN) to reconfigure a network interface device on the LAN, said method comprising the steps of:
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executing an initialization process which loads protocol stack modules and assigns frame types to each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information in the network interface device regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN; receiving packets including data and address information from the LAN; determining whether a received packet is a configuration packet by detecting whether the packet is addressed to a predetermined address; altering the configuration information using the data in the packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet; and changing the configuration of at least one of (i) the loaded protocol stack modules and (ii) the frame type assignments for the network interface device based on the altered configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A network interface device which can communicate with other devices via a local area network (LAN) using various protocols and frame types, and which can be remotely reconfigured to use different protocols and frame types based on configuration packets received from the LAN, said network device comprising:
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a LAN interface over which packets including address and data information are received from the LAN, and over which packets to the LAN are transmitted; and a processor that (i) executes an initialization routine to load protocol stack modules and to assign a frame type for each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN, (ii) determines whether a packet received from the LAN is a configuration packet by detecting whether the received packet is addressed to a predetermined address comprising a media access control address of said network interface device and a predetermined identifying stamp, (iii) alters the configuration information using the data in the configuration packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet, and (iv) changes the configuration of at least one of (a) the loaded protocol stack modules, and (b) the frame type assignments, based on the altered configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for transmitting configuration packets comprising configuration information regarding active protocols and frame type assignments to a network interface device connected to a local area network (LAN) from a computer which is connected to the LAN and which has a display device, said method comprising the steps of:
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inputting to the computer new configuration information indicating protocol stacks to be loaded on the network interface device and frame type assignments for each of the loaded protocol stacks; forming a communication packet including destination address information identifying the network interface device, address data identifying the packet as a configuration packet, and the input configuration information; and transmitting the configuration packet to the network interface device via the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer which is connected to a local area network (LAN) and which transmits, to a network interface device connected to the LAN, configuration packets including configuration information regarding protocol stacks to be loaded in the network interface device and frame type assignments for the loaded protocol stacks, said computer comprising:
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a LAN interface over which communication packets are transmitted to and received from the LAN; an inputting device for inputting to the computer new configuration information indicating protocol stacks to be loaded in the network interface device and frame type assignments for each of the loaded protocol stacks; and a processor that (i) forms a communication packet including destination address information identifying the network interface device, address data identifying the packet as a configuration packet, and the input configuration information, and (ii) transmits the communication packet to the network interface device via said LAN interface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A local area network system comprising:
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a plurality of network devices interfaced to a local area network (LAN); a peripheral which can process data received from the local area network; and a network interface device which interfaces the peripheral to the LAN, and which can be remotely reconfigured to use different protocols and frame types based on configuration packets received from the LAN, the network device comprising; a LAN interface over which packets including address and data information are received from the LAN, and over which packets to the LAN are transmitted; and a processor that (i) executes an initialization routine to load protocol stack modules and to assign a frame type for each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN, (ii) determines whether a packet received from the LAN is a configuration packet by detecting whether the received packet is addressed to a predetermined address comprising a media access control address of the network interface device and a predetermined identifying stamp, (iii) alters the configuration information using the data in the configuration packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet, and (iv) changes the configuration of at least one of (a) the loaded protocol stack modules, and (b) the frame type assignments, based on the altered configuration information.
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26. A local area network system comprising:
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a plurality of network devices interfaced to a local area network (LAN); a network interface device connected to the LAN which interfaces one of the plurality of network devices to the LAN; and a computer which is connected to the LAN and which transmits, to the network interface device connected to the LAN, configuration packets including configuration information regarding protocol stacks to be loaded in the network interface device and frame type assignments for the loaded protocol stacks, the computer comprising; a LAN interface over which communication packets are transmitted to and received from the LAN; an inputting device for inputting to the computer new configuration information indicating protocol stacks to be loaded in the network interface device and frame type assignments for each of the loaded protocol stacks; and a processor that (i) forms a communication packet including destination address information identifying the network interface device, address data identifying the packet as a configuration packet, and the input configuration information, and (ii) transmits the communication packet to the network interface device via the LAN interface.
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27. A computer-readable memory medium for storing computer-executable process steps to use configuration packets received from a local area network (LAN) to reconfigure a network interface device on the LAN, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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an executing step to execute an initialization process which loads protocol stack modules and assigns frame types to each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information in the network interface device regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN; a receiving step to receive packets including data and address information from the LAN; a determining step to determine whether a received packet is a configuration packet by detecting whether the packet is addressed to a predetermined address; an altering step to alter the configuration information using the data in the packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet; and a changing step to change the configuration of at least one of (i) the loaded protocol stack modules and (ii) the frame type assignments for the network interface device based on the altered configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. Computer-executable process steps stored in a computer-readable medium, the process steps to use configuration packets received from a local area network (LAN) to reconfigure a network interface device on the LAN, the process steps comprising:
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code to execute an initialization process which loads protocol stack modules and assigns frame types to each of the loaded protocol stack modules based on configuration information in the network interface device regarding the protocols and frame types used on the LAN; code to receive packets including data and address information from the LAN; code to determine whether a received packet is a configuration packet by detecting whether the packet is addressed to a predetermined address; code to alter the configuration information using the data in the packet in response to a determination that the received packet is a configuration packet; and code to change the configuration of at least one of (i) the loaded protocol stack modules and (ii) the frame type assignments for the network interface device based on the altered configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer-readable memory medium for storing computer-executable process steps to transmit configuration packets comprising configuration information regarding active protocols and frame type assignments to a network interface device connected to a local area network (LAN) from a computer which is connected to the LAN and which has a display device, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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an inputting step to input to the computer new configuration information indicating protocol stacks to be loaded on the network interface device and frame type assignments for each of the loaded protocol stacks; a forming step to form a communication packet including destination address information identifying the network interface device, address data identifying the packet as a configuration packet, and the input configuration information; and a transmitting step to transmit the configuration packet to the network interface device via the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. Computer-executable process steps stored in a computer-readable medium, the process steps to transmit configuration packets comprising configuration information regarding active protocols and frame type assignments to a network interface device connected to a local area network (LAN) from a computer which is connected to the LAN and which has a display device, the process steps comprising:
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code to input to the computer new configuration information indicating protocol stacks to be loaded on the network interface device and frame type assignments for each of the loaded protocol stacks; code to form a communication packet including destination address information identifying the network interface device, address data identifying the packet as a configuration packet, and the input configuration information; and code to transmit the configuration packet to the network interface device via the LAN. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification