Device for the computer linking of apparatuses with heterogeneous communication systems, and key pertaining to such a device
First Claim
1. A computer-peripheral interfacing system accommodating heterogeneous protocol requirements to flexibly link computers and peripheral apparatuses to one another, the system comprising:
- a peripheral apparatus link cable designed for connecting to a first peripheral apparatus, said peripheral apparatus link cable comprising a peripheral identification key for identifying the first peripheral apparatus and an end terminated with a standard peripheral connector;
a computer link cable designed for connecting to a first computer, said computer link cable comprising a computer identification key for identifying the first computer and an end terminated with a standard computer connector; and
a connecting interface unit for linking the first peripheral apparatus to the first computer, said connecting interface unit comprising;
a peripheral cable plug designed to accept said standard peripheral connector of said peripheral apparatus link cable,a computer cable plug designed to accept said standard computer connector of said computer link cable,a first channel processor operatively connected with said peripheral cable plug, and designed to communicate with said peripheral apparatus link cable via said peripheral cable plug to ascertain said peripheral identification key for identifying the first peripheral apparatus,a second channel processor operatively connected with said computer cable plug, and designed to communicate with said computer link cable via said computer cable plug to ascertain said computer identification key for identifying the first computer, anda central processor operatively connected to said first and second channel processors and to a library of protocol conversion programs, and designed to configure said first channel processor based on a first protocol conversion program associated with said peripheral identification key and to configure said second channel processor based on a second protocol conversion program associated with said computer identification key,wherein said first and second channel processors are designed to be configured, on a software level, by said first and second conversions programs respectively so that said first and second channel processors communicate, via said peripheral apparatus link cable and said computer link cable respectively, with the first peripheral apparatus and the first computer respectively, and bidirectionally transfer information between the first peripheral apparatus and the first computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device (L) for transferring data between heterogeneous apparatuses (1, 2, 3 and 4) and one or more computers (18 and 19). An interface (20) is automatically configured by loading and executing specific protocol conversion programs and adapting the physical link on the basis of recognition of the connecting cable (5, 6, 7, 8, 16 or 17) between the interface and the computer(s) and apparatus(es) to be connected. The connecting cable is recognized by entering a key (k5, k6, k7, k8, k16 or k17) in the cable in the form of one or more electrical or electronic components providing nonambiguous identification of the cable.
108 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A computer-peripheral interfacing system accommodating heterogeneous protocol requirements to flexibly link computers and peripheral apparatuses to one another, the system comprising:
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a peripheral apparatus link cable designed for connecting to a first peripheral apparatus, said peripheral apparatus link cable comprising a peripheral identification key for identifying the first peripheral apparatus and an end terminated with a standard peripheral connector; a computer link cable designed for connecting to a first computer, said computer link cable comprising a computer identification key for identifying the first computer and an end terminated with a standard computer connector; and a connecting interface unit for linking the first peripheral apparatus to the first computer, said connecting interface unit comprising; a peripheral cable plug designed to accept said standard peripheral connector of said peripheral apparatus link cable, a computer cable plug designed to accept said standard computer connector of said computer link cable, a first channel processor operatively connected with said peripheral cable plug, and designed to communicate with said peripheral apparatus link cable via said peripheral cable plug to ascertain said peripheral identification key for identifying the first peripheral apparatus, a second channel processor operatively connected with said computer cable plug, and designed to communicate with said computer link cable via said computer cable plug to ascertain said computer identification key for identifying the first computer, and a central processor operatively connected to said first and second channel processors and to a library of protocol conversion programs, and designed to configure said first channel processor based on a first protocol conversion program associated with said peripheral identification key and to configure said second channel processor based on a second protocol conversion program associated with said computer identification key, wherein said first and second channel processors are designed to be configured, on a software level, by said first and second conversions programs respectively so that said first and second channel processors communicate, via said peripheral apparatus link cable and said computer link cable respectively, with the first peripheral apparatus and the first computer respectively, and bidirectionally transfer information between the first peripheral apparatus and the first computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer link device for linking one or more apparatuses with heterogeneous communication protocols and one or more computers with heterogeneous communication protocols, comprising an interface, link cables, and identification keys associated with said link cables,
said link cables designed and adapted for connection between said interface and the apparatuses and the computers that are to be linked, said interface comprising plural plugs for connection to said link cables, plural channel processors capable of being configured at the software level following the reading of said identification keys associated with said link cables, a library of protocol conversions programs, and a central processor operatively connected to said plural channel processors and to said library, wherein said central processor is designed and adapted to select from said library, based on said identification keys, software protocol information to configure said plural channel processors to enable bidirectional transfer of information between the apparatuses and the computers connected to said interface.
Specification