High performance communications interface

• US 6,067,318 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Microcom Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Bailey, Jay Patrick, Copley, Brian J., Freitas, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Application Number:
  US08/866,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/377, 379/93.01, 364/241.9, 364/240.8, 364/919, 395/275, 395/325, 395/200, 395/500
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors

Abstract

A parallel interface is provided between a standard parallel port of a computer system and a modem so as to increase the data transfer rate between the two systems without modifying the hardware of the computer system and independently of the application program running on the computer system.

Claims

1. A data communications system having at least one mode of operation for bidirectionally transferring data at a high performance rate between said system and data terminal equipment, said data terminal equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

at least one system parallel port for coupling said communications system to said equipment parallel port of said data terminal equipment so as to create a parallel interface through which data can be transferred in parallel data units between said communications system and said data terminal equipment;

means for transmitting data in said parallel data units through said system parallel port to said equipment parallel port, and for receiving data in said parallel data units through said system parallel port from said equipment parallel port;

a system communications port for coupling said communications system to a telephone network so that data received from said data terminal equipment can be transmitted over said telephone network, and data received from said telephone network can be transmitted in said parallel data units through said system parallel port; and

means for transmitting said data to and receiving data from said data terminal equipment in accordance with a packetized data protocol, said packetized data protocol including transmitting said data to and receiving data from said data terminal equipment in the form of packets comprising at least two parallel data units.

2. A modem having at least one mode of operation for bidirectionally transferring data at a high performance rate between a telephone network and a computer system including at least one computer parallel port for connecting said computer system to a printer, said modem comprising:

at least one modem parallel port for coupling said modem to said computer parallel port so as to create a parallel interface through which data can be transferred in parallel data units between said modem and computer system;

means for transmitting data in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port to said computer parallel port, and for receiving data in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port from said computer parallel port;

a modem communications port for coupling said modem to said telephone network so that data received from said computer system can be transmitted over said telephone network and data received from said telephone network can be transmitted in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port; and

means for transmitting said data to and receiving data from said computer system in accordance with a packetized data protocol, said packetized data protocol including transmitting said data to and receiving data from said computer system in the form of packets comprising at least two parallel data units.

3. A modem according to claim 2, wherein said modem communications port is a serial port so that data received from said computer can be serially transmitted over said telephone network, and data serially received from said telephone network can be transmitted in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port.

4. A data communications system for bidirectionally transmitting information including data at a high performance rate between a system parallel port of said data communications system and data communications equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

means for bidirectionally transferring information between said equipment parallel port and said system parallel port in parallel information units, in accordance with a packetized data protocol;

means for bidirectionally transferring command instructions in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications equipment and said data communications system and for bidirectionally transferring status information in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications system and said data communications equipment; and

means for transferring information including data, command instructions, and status information in the form of parallel information packets each comprising at least one parallel information unit all in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one parallel information unit includes means for indicating whether said parallel information packet includes command instructions, status information or data.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein each of said parallel information packets includes at least one command unit and at least one parameter unit.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said command unit includes means for indicating whether said parameter unit includes command instructions, status information or data.

8. A data communications system for bidirectionally transmitting information including data at a high performance rate between a system parallel port of said data communications system and data communications equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

means for bidirectionally transferring information between said equipment parallel port and said system parallel port in parallel information units, in accordance with a packetized data protocol;

means for bidirectionally transferring command instructions in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications equipment and said data communications system and for bidirectionally transferring status information in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications system and said data communications equipment; and

means for transferring information in a burst mode including at least one packet of information comprising a plurality of parallel information units.

9. A data communications system for bidirectionally transmitting information including data at a high performance rate between a system parallel port of said data communications system and data communications equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

means for bidirectionally transferring information between said equipment parallel port and said system parallel port in parallel information units, in accordance with a packetized data protocol; and

means for bidirectionally transferring command instructions in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications equipment and said data communications system and for bidirectionally transferring status information in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications system and said data communications equipment;

wherein said means for transferring information in a burst mode includes means for transferring said information as a plurality of packets of information, each packet comprising at least one parallel information unit, and wherein

at least one information packet includes means for indicating whether said at least one information packet is the last packet to be transferred.

10. A data communications system for bidirectionally transmitting information including data at a high performance rate between a system parallel port of said data communications system and data communications equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

means for bidirectionally transferring information between said equipment parallel port and said system parallel port in parallel information units, in accordance with a packetized data protocol; and

means for bidirectionally transferring command instructions in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications equipment and said data communications system and for bidirectionally transferring status information in accordance with said predefined information transmission protocol between said data communications system and said data communications equipment;

wherein data, command instructions and status information are transmitted between said data communications system and said data communications equipment via a parallel interface having status lines indicating status conditions of said data communications system or said data communications equipment and wherein

said system further includes means for determining whether data, command instructions and status information is transmitted irrespective of the status conditions of said status lines.

11. A data communications system having at least one mode of operation for bidirectionally transferring data at a high performance rate between said system and data terminal equipment, said data terminal equipment including at least one equipment parallel port, said system comprising:

at least one system parallel port for coupling said communications system to said equipment parallel port of said data terminal equipment so as to create a parallel interface through which data can be transferred in parallel data units between said communications system and said data terminal equipment;

means for transmitting data in said parallel data units through said system parallel port to said equipment parallel port, and for receiving data in said parallel data units through said system parallel port from said equipment parallel port;

a system communications port for coupling said communications system to a telephone network so that data received from said data terminal equipment can be transmitted over said telephone network, and data received from said telephone network can be transmitted in said parallel data units through said system parallel port; and

means for transmitting said data to and receiving data from said data terminal equipment in a burst mode whereby packets of parallel data units are transmitted to or received from said data terminal equipment at as fast a rate as possible.

12. A modem having at least one mode of operation for bidirectionally transferring data at a high performance rate between a telephone network and a computer system including at least one computer parallel port for connecting said computer system to a printer, said modem comprising:

at least one modem parallel port for coupling said modem to said computer parallel port so as to create a parallel interface through which data can be transferred in parallel data units between said modem and computer system;

means for transmitting data in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port to said computer parallel port, and for receiving data in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port from said computer parallel port;

a modem communications port for coupling said modem to said telephone network so that data received from said computer system can be transmitted over said telephone network and data received from said telephone network can be transmitted in said parallel data units through said modem parallel port; and

means for transmitting data to and receiving data from said computer system in a burst mode whereby packets of parallel data units are transmitted to or received from said computer system in as fast a rate as possible.