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System, method and user interface for network status reporting

  • US 8,285,855 B2
  • Filed: 02/28/2005
  • Issued: 10/09/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer readable medium other than a signal per se having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor that is a functional component of a network communications device, causes the processor to execute a process for informing the user of a network connection status, the process comprising:

  • attempting to join a network;

    determining a state of the attempt from a plurality of connection states, wherein the plurality of connection states include;

    a first state configured as a disabled state that indicates the network communications device is installed but is stopped;

    a second state configured as a disconnected state to indicate that the network communications device is not connected to a network medium, responsive to detecting that the network communications device is unable to establish a wired network connection or a wireless network connection;

    a third state configured as a connecting state that indicates the network communications device is connected to the network medium and at least one of authenticating the network communications device or assigning a network address is being performed;

    a fourth state configured as a warning state that indicates the network communications device is connected to the network medium and at least one of authentication of the network communications device failed or the assigned network address is invalid; and

    a fifth state configured as a connected state that indicates the network communications device is connected to the network, authentication of the network communications device is successful, and the assigned network address is valid;

    responsive to failing to obtain a routable IP address, waiting a predetermined period of time before making an additional attempt to acquire the routable IP address using a DHCP client associated with the network communications device based on a state of a currently assigned IP address, a current state of the DHCP client, and a retry time indicating how long the DHCP client is configured to wait before again attempting to acquire the routable IP address and delaying output of an indication of the state of the attempt until after the additional attempt; and

    responsive to determining to indicate the state of the attempt as one of the second state, third state, fourth state, or fifth state, informing the user of the state of the attempt by causing a single unified icon to be displayed that is configured to represent the determined state of the attempt in accordance with an internal state that tracks a combination of a device specific state, an authentication specific state, and a IP-specific state for a network adapter.

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