System and method for automatically configuring network settings on a computer terminal via a network interface card

• US 6,917,964 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yuasa, Miwako, Kita, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US10/050,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/260, 370/261, 709/204, 709/205, 709/220, 709/222, 709/227, 709/228, 709/200, 709/201, 345/751, 345/752, 345/753, 345/754
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for automatically configuring network settings on a computer terminal via a network interface card so that the computer terminal can communicate on a local area network, without requiring users to manually input the network settings. A network interface card is inserted into a computer terminal device. The network interface card automatically determines whether the computer terminal should be configured as host server or a client based on whether another host server is detected on the network. Based on this determination, the network interface card communicates with the host server and receives network configuration information and automatically sets the network settings for the computer terminal. A further embodiment of the invention includes pre-loading a presentation data application program on the network interface card, such that each terminal in the network can display a received presentation or transmit a presentation to the other terminals.

Claims

1. A network interface card that is attachable to a computer terminal device, the card comprising:

a card body having a network interface to connect the computer terminal device to a local area network;

a network configuration manager that sends a configuration request to a host server of the local area network, wherein upon receiving the request from the network configuration manager, the host server sends network configuration information to the network configuration manager, such that the computer terminal is automatically configured to operate on the local area network based on the configuration information; and

a processor that determines whether the computer terminal device should be configured as a host or a client of the local area network, wherein if the computer terminal device is a host, then the processor sends the network configuration information to the network configuration manager, otherwise the processor sends the request to the host server on the local area network.

2. The network interface card of claim 1, further comprising presentation application software stored on the card for controlling and displaying presentation data.

3. The network interface card of claim 2, wherein the computer terminal device automatically activates application software stored on a hard disk, and the network interface card allows the computer terminal device to recognize the network interface card as a hard disk so that the presentation application software is automatically loaded by the computer terminal device.

4. The network interface card of claim 1, wherein the processor determines that the computer terminal device is a host server based on whether the network interface card receives an inhibiting command from the local area network, wherein if the network interface card does not receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a host and sends out an inhibiting command on the local area network, otherwise if the network interface card does receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a client.

5. The network interface card of claim 1, wherein the processor sends a request to the host of the local area network in order to get a presentation right, wherein once the presentation right is obtained, presentation data is transmitted to the host and other clients on the local area network.

6. The network interface card of claim 1, further comprising a wireless local area network interface to connect the computer terminal device to a wireless local area network, wherein the network interface card requests the network configuration information at the end of a polling cycle.

7. A network conference terminal device having a network interface card attached to a computer terminal device, the computer terminal device capable of displaying and controlling presentation data, the network interface card comprising:

a card body having a network interface to connect the computer terminal device to a local area network;

a network configuration manager that sends a configuration request to a host server of the local area network, wherein upon receiving the request from the network configuration manager, the host server sends network configuration information to the network configuration manager, such that the computer terminal is automatically configured to operate on the local area network based on the configuration information; and

a processor that determines whether the computer terminal device should be configured as a host or a client of the local area network, wherein if the computer terminal device is a host, then the processor sends the network configuration information to the network configuration manager, otherwise the processor sends the request to the host server on the local area network.

8. The network conference terminal device of claim 7, wherein the network interface card further comprising presentation application software stored on the card for controlling and displaying presentation data.

9. The network conference terminal device of claim 8, wherein the computer terminal device automatically activates application software stored on a hard disk, and the network interface card allows the computer terminal device to recognize the network interface card as a hard disk so that the presentation application software is automatically loaded by the computer terminal device.

10. The network conference terminal device of claim 7, wherein the processor determines that the computer terminal device is a host server based on whether the network interface card receives an inhibiting command from the local area network, wherein if the network interface card does not receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a host and sends out an inhibiting command on the local area network, otherwise if the network interface card does receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a client.

11. The network conference terminal device of claim 7, wherein the processor sends a request to the host of the local area network in order to get a presentation right, wherein once the presentation right is obtained, presentation data is transmitted to the host and other clients on the local area network.

12. The network conference terminal device of claim 7, wherein the network interface card further comprises a wireless local area network interface to connect the computer terminal device to a wireless local area network, wherein the network interface card requests the network configuration information at the end of a polling cycle.

13. A network conference system comprising:

a host server of a wireless local area network;

a client of the wireless local area network, wherein the client includes a computer terminal device having an attached network interface card, the network interface card comprising;

a card body having a network interface to connect the computer terminal device to a local area network;

a network configuration manager that sends a configuration request to a host server of the local area network, wherein upon receiving the request from the network configuration manager, the host server sends network configuration information to the network configuration manager, such that the computer terminal is automatically configured to operate on the local area network based on the configuration information; and

a processor that determines whether the computer terminal device should be configured as a host or a client of the local area network, wherein if the computer terminal device is a host, then the processor sends the network configuration information to the network configuration manager, otherwise the processor sends the request to the host server on the local area network.

14. The network conference system of claim 13, wherein the network interface card further comprising presentation application software stored on the card for controlling and displaying presentation data.

15. The network conference system of claim 14, wherein the computer terminal device automatically activates application software stored on a hard disk, and the network interface card allows the computer terminal device to recognize the network interface card as a hard disk so that the presentation application software is automatically loaded by the computer terminal device.

16. The network conference system of claim 13, wherein the processor determines that the computer terminal device is a host server based on whether the network interface card receives an inhibiting command from the local area network, wherein if the network interface card does not receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a host and sends out an inhibiting command on the local area network, otherwise if the network interface card does receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a client.

17. The network conference system of claim 13, wherein the processor sends a request to the host of the local area network in order to get a presentation right, wherein once the presentation right is obtained, presentation data is transmitted to the host and other clients on the local area network.

18. The network conference system of claim 13, the network interface card requests the network configuration information at the end of a polling cycle.

19. A method of configuring a computer terminal to operate on a local area network in order to display and control presentation data, the method comprising:

installing a network interface card in the computer terminal;

determining whether the computer terminal is a host server or a client of the local area network based on whether the network interface card receives an inhibiting command from the local area network, wherein if the network interface card does not receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is automatically configured as a host server of the local area network and sends out an inhibiting command on the local area network, otherwise if the network interface card does receive an inhibiting command, the computer terminal device is configured as a client;

if the computer terminal is a client, sending a configuration request from the network interface card to the host server of the local area network, wherein upon receiving the configuration request, the host server sends network configuration information to the network interface card, such that the computer terminal is automatically configured to operate as a client on the local area network based on the configuration information; and

executing a presentation application program, stored on the network interface card, on the computer terminal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending a request to the host of the local area network in order to get a presentation right, wherein once the presentation right is obtained, presentation data is transmitted to the host and other clients on the local area network.