Apparent network interface for and between embedded and host processors
First Claim
1. An apparent interface for enabling network based communications between two devices, namely a host processor included in a host computer and an embedded processor embedded in said host computer, said apparent interface comprising:
- a host computer peripheral interface bus, for providing a communication path between said host processor and said embedded processor;
a host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said embedded processor and for allowing said host computer to communicate directly with said embedded processor utilizing a network based communications protocol; and
embedded processor network based communications means compatible with said host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said host computer and for allowing said embedded processor to communicate directly with said host computer utilizing said network based communications protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparent network interface permits one processor such as a processor embedded within a larger processing system (an embedded processor) to communicate to a host processor or other processors and devices on the network to which the embedded processor is attached, using standard network communication mechanisms/protocols such as TCP/IP, NFS, FTP, HTTP, etc. The web server protocol HTTP is particularly useful because it permits the embedded computer to publish a user interface for remote monitoring and remote control using a standard web browser application. The invention provides the host computer with an apparent network interface that appears to be a standard network device, such as an Ethernet interface card. This apparent interface communicates directly with the embedded processor, which appears to be a device on this apparent network. Significant cost savings and performance enhancements are realized by implementing the communication directly over the host computer'"'"'s peripheral bus rather than using standard network hardware such as Ethernet hardware.
274 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparent interface for enabling network based communications between two devices, namely a host processor included in a host computer and an embedded processor embedded in said host computer, said apparent interface comprising:
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a host computer peripheral interface bus, for providing a communication path between said host processor and said embedded processor; a host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said embedded processor and for allowing said host computer to communicate directly with said embedded processor utilizing a network based communications protocol; and embedded processor network based communications means compatible with said host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said host computer and for allowing said embedded processor to communicate directly with said host computer utilizing said network based communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of providing an apparent network interface between two devices, namely a host processor included in a host computer and an embedded processor embedded in said host computer, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a host computer peripheral interface bus including a communication path between said host processor and said embedded processor; providing a host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said embedded processor and for allowing said host computer to communicate directly with said embedded processor utilizing a network based communications protocol; providing an embedded processor network based communications means compatible with said host computer network based communications means, for providing an apparent network interface to only said host computer and for allowing said embedded processor to communicate directly with said host computer utilizing said network based communications protocol; writing data by said host computer over said peripheral interface bus to a memory location coupled to said embedded processor when data is to be written by said host processor and read by said embedded processor; and writing data by said embedded processor over said peripheral interface bus to a memory location coupled to said host processor when data is to be written by said embedded processor and read by said host processor. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification