Data communication system having an interface device determining whether transmitted data to be locally processed or to be transmitted to a reception device for processing

• US 6,694,376 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Hady, Nabil
• Application Number:
  US09/232,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/238, 370/230, 370/389, 370/220
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A data communication system including a manager computer G capable of transmitting transmission firmware files to be written to a storage area in the ROM of a network interface controller (NIC) by TFTP and transmission firmware files to be written to a storage area in the ROM of a printer by LPR. Based on whether the files were transmitted by TFTP or LPR, the NIC determines whether to process them itself or direct them to the printer. Accordingly, such data can be reliably directed according to the type of protocol used for transmission, without being assigned an identifier.

Claims

1. A data communication system, comprising:

a data transmission device that transmits data;

an interface device that receives the data from the data transmission device; and

a data reception device that receives via the interface device at least a portion of the data from the data transmission device,

wherein the data transmission device further comprises;

determining means for determining the data to be transmitted by the data transmission device is first data to be processed by said interface device or second data to be processed by the data reception device;

designating means for designating a first communication protocol for the data to be transmitted by the data transmission device when the data is the first data, and for designating a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol for the data to be transmitted by the data transmission device when the data is the second data; and

transmitting means for transmitting the data in the first communication protocol if designated the data is to be transmitted in the first communication protocol, and for transmitting the data in the second communication protocol if designated the data is to be transmitted in the second communication protocol;

wherein the interface device further comprises;

data receiving means for receiving the data transmitted from the data transmission device;

protocol judging means for judging that the data received by the data receiving means is the first data transmitted in the first communication protocol or the second data transmitted in the second communication protocol;

data processing means for processing the data without transferring the data to the data reception device if judged the data is transmitted in the first communication protocol; and

data transferring means for transferring the data to the data reception device if judged the data is transmitted in the second communication protocol.

2. The data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said interface device comprises a first programmable ROM having a rewritable storage area;

a first CPU that executes processes based on processing programs stored in the rewritable storage area; and

a first RAM that temporarily stores data necessary for said first CPU to execute the processes, said data reception device comprises a second programmable ROM having a rewritable storage area;

a second CPU that executes processes based on processing programs stored in the rewritable storage area of said second programmable ROM; and

a second RAM that temporarily stores data necessary for said second CPU to execute the processes, wherein data transmitted using the first communication protocol includes new processing programs to be written to the rewritable storage area of said first programmable ROM and data transmitted using the second communication protocol includes now processing programs to be written to the rewritable storage area of said second programmable ROM.

3. The data communication system according to claim 2, wherein said data reception device comprises an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium based on image data received via said interface device, wherein the second communication protocol is used for transmitting the image data to said data reception device.

4. The data communication system according to claim 2, wherein said data transmission device assigns a password to the new processing programs when transmitting the new processing programs using the first communication protocol, and wherein said interface device writes the new processing programs to the rewritable storage area of said first programmable ROM only when the password has been assigned to the new processing program.

5. The data communication system according to claim 4, wherein trivial file transmission protocol (TFTP) is used as the first communication protocol.

6. The data communication system according to claim 2, wherein said data transmission device assigns a password to the new processing programs when transmitting the new processing programs using the second communication protocol, and wherein said data reception device writes the new processing programs to the rewritable storage area of said second programmable ROM only when the password has been assigned to the new processing program.

7. The data communication system according to claim 6, wherein line printer remote (LPR) is used as the second communication protocol.

8. An interface device, connected to a communication line and a data reception device, comprising:

data receiving means for receiving data transmitted from the communication line;

protocol judging means for judging the data received by the data receiving means is transmitted in a first communication protocol or a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol;

data processing means for processing the data without transferring the data to the data reception device if judged the data is transmitted in the first communication protocol; and

data transferring means for transferring the data to the data reception device if judged the data is transmitted in the second communication protocol.

9. The interface device according to claim 8, wherein said data processing means comprises a programmable ROM having a rewritable storage area;

a CPU that executes processes based on processing programs stored in the rewritable storage area; and

a RAM that temporarily stores data necessary for said CPU to execute the processes, wherein data transmitted using the first communication protocol includes new processing programs to be written to the rewritable storage area of said programmable ROM.

10. The interface device according to claim 9, wherein the new processing programs received from the communication line by the first communication protocol include a password, and the new processing programs are written to the rewritable storage area of said programmable ROM only when the password is included in the new processing program.

11. The interface device data according to claim 8, wherein trivial file transmission protocol (TFTP) is used as the first communication protocol.