Controlling the flow of electronic information through computer hardware
First Claim
1. A method of controlling flow, through a computer hardware resource, of information to and from computer applications, the method comprisingwhen a flow of information is initiated from one of the applications,determining if the resource is being accessed by another one of the applications and, if so, delaying the flow of information from the first application, andwhen the resource is not being accessed by another application, enabling the flow of information from the first application,when a flow of information is initiated toward the applications,determining to which one of the applications the information is flowing, anddirecting the flow of information to that one of the applications.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for controlling flow, through a computer hardware resource, of information to and from computer applications. When a flow of information is initiated from one of the applications, a determination is made whether the resource is being accessed by another one of the applications and, if so, the flow of information from the first application is delayed. If not, then the flow of information is enabled. When a flow of information is initiated toward the applications, a determination is made to which one of the applications the information is flowing, and the flow is directed to that one application. A graphical interface associates, in the mind of a user, a computer hardware resource with a corresponding real office device, the computer resource enabling the computer to function like the consumer device. The graphical interface includes a surrealistic image having physical features which represent functional components of the resource, the physical features of the image resembling corresponding features of the office device; and an animation routine which causes the image to change when the user selects one of the features of the image, thereby invoking the change occurring in a manner which resembles changes to the office device when the corresponding feature of the office device is invoked.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of controlling flow, through a computer hardware resource, of information to and from computer applications, the method comprising
when a flow of information is initiated from one of the applications, determining if the resource is being accessed by another one of the applications and, if so, delaying the flow of information from the first application, and when the resource is not being accessed by another application, enabling the flow of information from the first application, when a flow of information is initiated toward the applications, determining to which one of the applications the information is flowing, and directing the flow of information to that one of the applications.
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19. A method of using an administrator process to control flow of information through a hardware resource in a computer system, the method comprising:
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when a first application initiates a flow of information to the resource, transferring control of the resource from the administrator process to the first application, if another application initiates a flow of information while the first application has control of the resource, informing the user, using the administrator process, that the resource is being used, and upon exiting the first application, returning control of the resource to the administrator process. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-based system for simulating office devices, comprising:
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application software resident in the system, including a system operator application, and office device applications which interact with the system operator application, the system operator application being configured to; when a flow of information is initiated from one of the applications, determine if the resource is being accessed by another one of the applications and, if so, delay the flow of information from the first application, and when the resource is not being accessed by another application, enable the flow of information from the first application, when a flow of information is initiated toward the applications, determine to which one of the applications the information is flowing, and direct the flow of information to that one of the applications, a hardware resource configured, under control of the system operator application, to receive and transmit information associated with the office device applications, and a storage disk configured to store some of the information associated with the office device applications. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification