Dual-driver interface
First Claim
1. A network interface device capable of communication with a data processing device supporting an operating system and at least one application, the network interface device supporting communication with the operating system by means of:
- a first driver configured to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device via a bus of the data processing device;
a second driver configured to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device via the bus of the data processing device, wherein the first driver and the second driver are independently addressable by the network interface device;
two or more data channels, each data channel being individually addressable by the network interface device and being capable of carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device, such that one channel of the two or more data channels is dedicated exclusively for use by only the first driver to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device thereby establishing the one channel as an entire path between the network interface device and the data processing device; and
a control channel individually addressable by the network interface device and used by the second driver to transfer control data between the data processing system and the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface device being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional individually addressable data channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network interface device capable of communication with a data processing system supporting an operating system and at least one application, the network interface device supporting communication with the operating system by means of: two or more data channels, each data channel being individually addressable by the network interface device and being capable of carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device; and a control channel individually addressable by the network interface device and capable of carrying control data between the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional data channel.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A network interface device capable of communication with a data processing device supporting an operating system and at least one application, the network interface device supporting communication with the operating system by means of:
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a first driver configured to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device via a bus of the data processing device; a second driver configured to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device via the bus of the data processing device, wherein the first driver and the second driver are independently addressable by the network interface device; two or more data channels, each data channel being individually addressable by the network interface device and being capable of carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device, such that one channel of the two or more data channels is dedicated exclusively for use by only the first driver to transfer data between the network interface device and the data processing device thereby establishing the one channel as an entire path between the network interface device and the data processing device; and a control channel individually addressable by the network interface device and used by the second driver to transfer control data between the data processing system and the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface device being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional individually addressable data channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A data processing device comprising:
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an operating system and at least one application; and a network interface device, the network interface device being capable of communication with the data processing system through a first driver and a second driver, the network interface device supporting communication with the operating system by means of; two or more data channels, each data channel being individually addressable by the network interface device and being capable of carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device, at least one but not all of the two or more data channels accessible through the first driver and exclusively for use by the first driver to establish a complete path between the network interface device and the data processing device; and a control channel individually addressable by the network interface device and capable of carrying control data between the data processing system and the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional individually addressable data channel, the control channel provided by the second driver. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method for communicating with a network interface device at a data processing device supporting an operating system and at least one application, the method comprising:
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providing a first driver for communicating with the network interface device; providing a second driver for communicating with the network interface device, wherein the first driver and second driver are independently addressable by the network interface device; establishing two or more data channels, each data channel being individually addressable by the network interface device and being capable of carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device, wherein at least one data channel but not all of the two or more data channels is accessible through the first driver and dedicated to the first driver; and establishing a control channel individually addressable by the network interface device and capable of carrying control data between the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface device being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional data channel, wherein the control channel is established by the second driver.
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30. A method for communicating with a network interface device at a data processing device supporting an operating system and at least one application, the method comprising:
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providing at least two drivers for communicating with the network interface device, each of the at least two drivers independently addressable by the network interface device; establishing one or more channels, at least two of the one or more channels established with a first driver and second driver to establish a channel dedicated to the first driver and a channel to the second driver, at least one dedicated channel configured to carry data between the network interface device and the data processing device; and communicating from one of the channels to the other data indicative of the status and/or capability of the one channel; and based on that communicated data determining which of the channels is to act as a control channel for carrying control data between the network interface device, and which of the channels is to act as a data channel for carrying application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device.
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31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions fixed thereon for execution at a data processing device, the instructions being operable to define, when executed, an operating system having a first driver and a second driver capable of communication with a network interface device by means of:
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a data channel capable of carrying and forming a complete link for application-level data between the network interface device and the data processing device, the data channel is supported by the first driver and dedicated to the first channel; and a control channel capable of carrying control data between the network interface device, the control data defining commands and the network interface device being responsive to at least one command sent over the control channel to establish at least one additional individually addressable data channel, the control channel supported by the second driver; wherein the data channel and the control channel are individually addressable by the network interface device. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification