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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`'
`
`PATENT
`
`Tasler, Michael
`In re application of:
`Applied For
`ApplicationNo.:
`I-Ierewith
`Filed:
`For:
`FLEXIBLE INTERFACE
`Attention: EOIUS ,
`-
`
`Box PCT ‘
`Assistant Commissioner for Patents"
`Washington, DC 20231
`
`Group No.:
`Examiner:
`
`Unknown
`Unknown
`'
`
`EXPRESS MAIL CERTIFICATE
`
`"Express Mail" Label Number: EL304928607US
`Date of Deposit:
`'
`06/14/99 .
`
`.
`
`Ihereby state that the following attached papers or fee:
`’
`'
`I 1.
`Check No. 5994 in the amount of $420.00
`2.
`- Transmittal Letter to.the United States Elected Office (E0/US) (Entry into U.S. National Phase
`. Under Chapter II‘ (3 pages)
`‘
`Copy of German Application filed with the PCT (36 pages)
`34.
`Translation of PCT Application PCT/EP98/01187 as origin
`Copy of the [PER (6 pages)
`5.
`First'Preliminary Amendment‘ and Remarks (2 pages) V
`. Final version ofPCT/EP98/01 187 for the prosecution at the.U
`amendment (28 pages)
`‘
`For Patent Application (28 pages)
`Declaration and Power of Attorney
`aiming Small Entity Status — Independent Inventor (1 page)
`Verified Statement (Declaration) Cl
`Copy of International Search Report (7 pages)
`IDS Transmittal (1 page)
`IDS Form PTO/SB/08A and 08B (2 pages)
`_
`"_'r‘3'; Concise explanation ofdocuments cited in examinationproceedings ofcorresponding foreign and
`international applications (4 pages)
`_
`IDS References (7 for a total of 92 pages)
`V
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`under 37 CFR 1.10, on the date indicated above and is addressed to Attention
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`Elaine C, Vonspreokelsen
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 7
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 7
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`35 U.S.C. §371:—
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`This express request to immediately begin national examination‘ procedures (35 U.S.C.
`§371(r)).
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`TheU.S. National Fee (35 U.S.C. §371(c)(1)) and other fees (37 C.F.R. § 1.492) as-indicated
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`CERTIFICATION UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.10*
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`WARNING:
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`oversight that can be avoided by the exercise ofreasonable care, requestsfor waiver ofthis requirement will
`. not be granted on petition." Notice ofOct. 24, 1996, 60 Fed. Reg. 56,439, at 56,442.
`
`(Transmittal Letter to the United States Elected". Office (E0/US)—page 1 o‘f.3)
`
`
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 8
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`A
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`Pr a.ctit—.ioner’s. Docket No.
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`41sHec‘q.
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`TRANSMITTAL LETTER
`UNITED STATES ELECTED OFFICE (EOfUS)
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`3
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`
`(ENTRY INTO U.S. NATIONAL PHASE UNDER CHAPTER II)
`
`—
`PCT/E1’-98/01187
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`04 March 1997 (4.03.97)
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`TITLE OF INVENTION:
`APPLICANT(S):
`4
`
`FLEXIBLE INTERFACE
`Tasler, Michael
`
`Attention-: E0/US
`Box PCT ‘
`Assistant Commissioner for Patents
`Washington DC 20231
`
`'
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`'
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 8
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`

`
`(1) FOR
`'
`
`TOTAL
`CLAIMS
`
`.
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`.
`
`(2) NUMBER
`FILED
`
`(3) NUMBER ’
`EXTRA
`
`16
`
`3
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`-20 =
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`— 3 =
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`]I\IDEPEN—
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`CLAIMS
`
`
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`$0.00
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`BASIC FEE
`
`
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`TOTAL
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`
`U.S. PTO WAS NOT INTERNATIONAL
`PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION AUTHORITY
`Where no international preliminary examination fee as set
`forth in §l .482 has been paid to the U.S. PTO, and
`payment of an international search fee as set forth in
`§l.445(a)(2) to the U.S. PTO:
`where a search report on the international
`' application has been prepared by the European
`Patent Oflfice or the Japanese P'ateI1t'Office (37
`C.F.R. §l.49_2(a)(5))
`$840.00
`'
`- Total of above Calculations
`
`;
`
`Reduction by ‘/2 for filing by small entity, if applicable, Affidavit
`must be filed. (note 37 CFR §§l .9, 1.27, -1.28)
`
`‘
`
`Total National Fee
`
`Fee for recording the enclosed assignment document $40.00 (37
`C.F.R. §1.21(h))_. See attached “ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET”.
`
`
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`
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`= $840.00 '
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`0 — $420.00
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`Total Fees enclosed
`
`$420.00
`
`.
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`*See attached Preliminary Amendment Reducingthe Number of Claims.
`
`A check in the amount of $420.00 to cover the above fees is enclosed.
`
`3. A copy of the International application as filed (35 U.S.C. §371(c)(2')) is transmitted herewith.
`
`4.
`
`A_ translation of the Internationalapplication into the English language (35 U.S.C. §37l(c)(2)) is -
`transmitted herewith.
`'
`"
`’
`
`.
`
`5. A0 copy ofthe international examination report (POT/IPEA/409) is transmitted herevirith.
`
`6. There were no annex(es) to the international preliminary examination report.
`
`7. A translation’ ofthe annexes to-the international preliminary examination report is not required as there .
`' were no annexes.
`
`(Transmittal Letter tothe. United States‘Elect'ed Office (BO/US)-——page 2 of'3)"
`
`
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 9
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`8. Antoat-h or 4dec1arati(;._V__,..I“L1ie inventor (3_5'U.S.C. §37l(c)(4)) ea-mwing with 35 U.S.C. §1l<_1-5 is
`V submitted herewith, and’ such oathor declaration is attached to the application.
`.
`
`(
`
`A 11. Other document(s).or information included:
`
`9. AnInternational SearchReport (PCT/ISA/210) or Declaration under PCT Article 17(2)(a) is-transmitted‘
`A herewith.
`(
`
`I0.
`
`4
`
`Infonnation Disclosure Statement under 37 C.F.R. §§_1.97 and 1.98 is transmitted herewith. ‘ Also
`transmitted herewith are Forms PTO-1449 PTO/SB/08A and 08B, Explanation of documents cited in .
`. the examination proceedings of corresponding foreign and international applications,‘ and copies of
`citations listed.
`'
`A
`
`11. Additional documentsi.
`
`a. Preliminary amendment (37 C.F.R. §1.12l)
`b. Verified Statement (Declaration) Claiming Small Entity Status
`cg Express Mail Certificate
`d. Return Postcard
`
`12. The above items arebeing transmitted before 30 months from any claimed priority date.
`
`’
`
`‘
`
`,~ AUTHORIZATION.‘TO CHARGE ADDITIONAL FEES
`
`_ The Commissioner is hereby authorized to charge the following additional fees that may be required by this
`paper and during the entire pendency of this application to Account No.: 04-1697
`'
`'
`-
`
`37' C.F.R. §1.492(a)( 1), (2), (3), and (4) (filing fees)
`- 37 C.F.R. §l.492(b), (c), and (d) (presentation of extra claims)
`37 C.F.R. §1..17 (application processing fees)
`37 C.F.R. §1.17(a)(1)-(5) (extension fees pursuant to l.136(a))
`37 C.F.R. §l.492(e) and (f) (surcharge fees for filing the declaration and/or filing an English
`translation of an International Application later than 30. months after the priority date).
`
`' C
`
`arl A. Forest
`
`Dufi, Graziano & Forest, P.C.
`1790 - 30th Street, Suite 140
`Boulder, CO 80301-1018 USA
`
`. (Transmittal Letter to the United States Elected Office (BO/US)—pag‘e 3 of3)
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 10
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`Tel. No; (303)449-9497
`FaxNo.: (303)449-0814-
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 10
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`d.P~T3
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`09/331002
`510 Rocd PCT/PTO 1 4 JUN"1999
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`!lexible Interf.3.C£-
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`Description
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`The present invention relates to the transfer of data and in particular to interface
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`dev~ces for ·communication between a computer or host device and a data
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`transmit/receive device from which data is to be acquired or with which two-way
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`communication is to take place.
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`Existing data acquisition systems for computers are very limited in their areas of
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`application. Generally such systems can be classified into two groups.
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`In the first group host devices or computer systems are attached by means of an
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`interface to a device whose data is to be acquired. The interfaces of this group are
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`normally standard interfaces which, with specific driver software, can be used with a
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`variety of host systems. An advantage of such interfaces is that th~y are largely
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`independent of the host device. However, a disadvantage is that they generally require
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`very sophisticated drivers which are prone to malfunction and which limlt data
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`transfer rates between the device connected to the interface and the host device and
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`vice versa. Further, it is often very difficult to implement such interfaces for portable
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`systems and they offer few possibilities for adaptation with the result that such
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`systems offer little flexibility.
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`The devices from which data is to be acquired cover the entire electrical engineering
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`spectrum. In a typical case, it is assumed that a customer who operates, for example, a
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`diagnostic 'radiology system in a medical engineermg environment reports a fault. A
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`field service technician of the system manufacturer visits the customer and reads
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`system log files generated by the diagnostic radiology system by means a portable
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`computer or laptop for example. If the fault cannot be localized or if the fault is
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`intermittent, it will be necessary for the service technician to read not only an error
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`log file but also data from current operation. It is apparent that in this case fast data
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`transfer and rapid data analysis are necessary.
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 11
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`Another case requiring the use of an interface could be, for example, when an
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`electronic measuring device, e.g. a multimeter, is attached to a computer system to
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`transfer the data measured by the multimeter to the computer. Particularly when long-
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`term measurements or large volumes of datapare involved is it necessary for the
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`interface to support a high data transfer rate.
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`From these randomly chosen examples it can be seen that an interface may be put to
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`totally different uses..It is therefore desirable that an interface be sufficiently flexible
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`to permit attachment of very different electrical or electronic systems to a host device
`by means of the interface. To prevent operator error, it is also desirable that a service
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`technician is not required to operate different interfaces in different ways for different
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`applications but that, if possible, a universal method of operating the interface be
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`provided for a large number of applications.
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`To increase the'data transfer rates across an interface, the route chosen in the second
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`group of data acquisition systems for the interface devices was to specifically match
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`the interface very closely to individual host systems or computer systems. The
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`advantage of this solution is that high data transfer rates are possible. However, a
`A disadvantage is that the drivers for the interfaces of the second group are very closely
`matched to a single host system with the result that they generally cannot be used with
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`other host systems or their use is very ineffective. Further, such types of interface
`have the disadvantage that they must be installed inside the computer casing to
`achieve maximum data transfer rates as they access the internal host bus system. They
`are therefore generally not suitable for portable host systems in the form of laptops
`whose minimum possible size leaves little internal space to plug in an interface card.
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`A solution to this problem is offered by the interface devices of IOtech (business
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`address: 25971 Cannon Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44146, USA) which are suitable for
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`laptops such as the WaveBook/512 (registered trademark). The interface devices are
`connected by means of a plug—in card, approximately the size of a credit card, to the
`PCMCIA interface which is now a standard feature in laptops. The plug—in card
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`converts the PCMCIA interface into an interface known in the art as IEEE 1284. The
`I said plug-in card provides a special printer interface which is enhanced as regards the
`data transfer rate and delivers a data transfer rate of approximately 2 MBps as
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 12
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 12
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`compared with a rate of approx. 1 MBps for known printer interfaces. The known
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`interface device generally consists of a driver component, a digital signal processor, a
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`buffer and a hardware module which terminates in a connector to which the device
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`whose data is to be acquired is attached. The driver component is attached directly to
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`the enhanced printer interface thus permitting the known interface device to establish
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`a connection between a computer and the device whose data is to be acquired.
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`In order to work with the said interface, an interface—specific driver must be installed
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`on the host device so that the host device can communicate with the digital signal
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`processor of the interface card. As described above, the driver must be installed on the
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`host device. If the driver is a driver developed specifically for the host device, a high
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`data transfer rate is achieved but the driver cannot be easily installed on a different
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`host system. However, if the driver is a general driver which is as flexible as possible
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`and which can be used on many host devices, compromises must be accepted with.
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`regard to the data transfer rate.
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`Particularly in an application for multi—tasking systems in which several different
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`tasks such as data acquisition, data display and editing are to be performed quasi-
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`simultaneously, each task is normally assigned a certain priority by the host system. A
`driver supporting a special task requests the central processing system of the host
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`device for processor resources in order to perform its task. Depending on the
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`particular priority assignment method and on the driver implementation, a particular
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`share of processor resources is assigned to a special task in particular time slots.
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`Conflicts arise if one or more drivers are implemented in such a way that they have
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`the highest priority by default, i.e. they are incompatible, as happens in practice in
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`many applications. It may occur that both drivers are set to highest priority which, in
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`the worst case, can result in a system crash.
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`EP 0685799 Al discloses an interface by means of which several peripheral devices
`can be attached to a bus. An interface is connected between the bus of a host device
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`and various peripheral devices. The interface comprises a finite state machine and
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`several branches each of which is assigned to a peripheral device. Each branch
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`V comprises, a data manager, cycle control, user logic and a buffer. This known interface
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 13
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`device provides optimal matching between a host device and a specific peripheral
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`device.
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`The specialist publication IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 05, page
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`245; "Communication Method between Devices through FDD Interface" discloses an
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`interface which connects a host device to a peripheral device via a floppy disk drive
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`interface. The, interface consists in particular of an address generator, an MFM
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`encoder/decoder, a serial/parallel adapter and a format signal generator. The interface
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`makes it possible to attach not only a floppy disk drive but also a further peripheral
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`device to the FDD host controller of a host device. The host device assumes that a
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`floppy disk drive is always attached to its floppy disk drive controller and
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`communication is initiated if the address is correct. However, this document contains
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`no information as to how communication should be possible if the interface is
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`connected to a multi-purpose interface instead of to a floppy disk drive controller.
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`It
`is
`the object of the present
`invention to provide an interface device for
`communication between a host device and a data transmit/receive device whose use is
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`host device-independent and which delivers a high data transfer rate.
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`This object is achieved by an interface device according to claim 1 or 12 and by a
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`method according to claim 15.
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`The present invention is based on the finding that both a high data transfer rate and
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`host device-independent use can be achieved if a driver for an input/output device
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`customary in a host device, normally present in most commercially available host
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`devices, is utilized. Drivers for input/output.devices customary in a host device which
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`are found in practically all host devices are, for example, drivers for hard disks, for
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`graphics devices or for printer devices. As however the hard disk interfaces in
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`common host devices which can be, for example, IBM PCs, IBM—compatible PCs,
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`Commodore PCs, Apple computers or even workstations, are the interfaces with the
`highest data transfer rate, the hard disk driver is utilized in the preferred embodiment
`of the interface device of the present invention. Drivers for otherstorage devices such
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`as floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives or tape drives could also be utilized in order to
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`implement the interface device according to the present invention.
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 14
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 14
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`5
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`As described in the following, the interface device according to the present invention
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`is to be attached to a host device by means of a multi-purpose interface of the host
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`device which can be implemented, for example, as an SCSI interface or as an
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`enhanced printer interface. Multi-purpose interfaces comprise both an interface card
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`and specific driver software for the interface card. The driver software can be
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`designed so that it can replace the BIOS driver routines. Communication between the
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`host device and the devices attached to the multi-purpose interface then essentially
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`talces t_>lace by means of the specific driver software for the multi-purpose interface
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`and no longer primarily by means of BIOS routines of the host device. Recently
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`however drivers for multi-purpose interfaces can also already be integrated in the
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`BIOS system of the host device as, alongside classical input/output interfaces, multi(cid:173)
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`purpose interfaces are becoming increasingly common in host devices. It is of ,course
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`also possible to use BIOS routines in parallel with the specific driver software for the
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`multi-purpose ititerface, if this is desired.
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`The interface device according to the present invention comprises a processor means,
`a memory means, a first connecting device for interfacing the host device with the
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`interface device, and a second connecting device for interfacing the interface device
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`with the data transmit/receive device. The interface device is configured by the
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`processor means and the memory means in such a way that the interface device, when
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`receiving an inquiry from the host device via the first_ connecting device as to the type
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`of a device attached to the host device, sends a signal, regardless of the type of the
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`data transmit/receive device, to the host device via the first connecting device which
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`signals to the host device that it is communicating with an input/output device. The
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`interface device according to the present invention therefore simulates, both in terms
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`of hardware and software, the way in which a conventional input/output device
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`functions, preferably that of a hard disk drive. As support for hard disks is
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`implemented as standard in all commercially available host systems, the simulation of
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`a hard disk, for example, can provide host device-independent use. The interface
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`device according to the present invention therefore no longer communicates with the
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`host device or computer by means of a specially designed driver but by means of a
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`program which is present in the. BIOS system (Basic Input/Output System) and is
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`normally precisely matched to the specific computer system on which it is installed,
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 15
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`or by means of a specific program for the multi-purpose interface. Consequently, the
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`interface device according to the present invention combines the advantages of both
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`groups. On the one hand, communication between the computer and. the interface
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`takes place by means of a host device-specific BIOS program or by means of a driver
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`program which is matched to the multi-purpose interface and which could be regarded
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`the BIOS program or A a
`as a "device-specific driver". On the other hand,
`corresponding multi-purpose interface program which operates one of the common
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`input/output interfaces in host systems is therefore present in all host systems so that
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`the interface device according to the present invention is host device—independent.
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`In the following, preferred embodimentsof the present invention will be explained in
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`more detail with reference to the drawings enclosed, in which:
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`Fig. 1
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`shows a general block diagram of the interface device according to the
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`present invention; and
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`' Fig. 2 shows a detailed block diagram of an interface device according to a preferred
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`embodiment of the present invention.
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`Fig.
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`1 shows a general block diagram of an interlace device 10 according to the
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`present invention. A first connecting device 12 of the interface device 10 can be
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`attached to a host device (not shown) via a host line 11. The first connecting device is
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`attached both to a digital signal processor 13 and to a memory means 14. The digital
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`signal processor 13 and the memory means 14 are also attached to a second
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`connecting device 15 by means of bi—directiona1 communication lines (shown for all
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`lines by means of two directional arrows). The second connecting device can be
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`attached by means of an output line 16 to a data transmit/receive device which is to
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`receive data from the host device or from which data is to be read, i.e. acquired, and
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`transferred to the host device. The data transmit/receive device itself can also
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`communicate actively with .the host device via the first and second connecting device,
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`as described in more detail in the following.
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`. Communication between the host system or host device and the interface device is
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`based on known standard access commands as supported by all known operating
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 16
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 16
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`I'-""'}‘<‘u""":"_‘5"“v'<f5'.>'-‘fi"v”lv‘».'€:5§‘.’.‘.7'
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`systems (e.g. DOS, Windows, Unix). Preferably, the interface device according to the
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`present
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`invention simulates a hard disk with a root directory whose entries are
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`"virtual" files which can be created for the most varied functions. When the host
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`device system with which the interface device according to the present invention is
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`connected is booted and a data transmit/receive device is also attached to the interface
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`device 10, usual BIOS routines or multi-purpose interface programs issue an
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`instruction, known by those skilled in the art as the INQUIRY instruction, to the
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`input/output interfaces in the host device. The digital signal processor 13 receives this
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`inquiry instruction via the first connecting device and generates a signal'which is sent
`to the host device ‘(not shown) again via the first connecting device 12 and the host
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`line 11. This signal indicates to the host device that, for example, a hard disk drive is
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`attached at the interface to which the ‘INQUIRY instruction was sent.'Optionally, the
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`host device can send an instruction, known by those skilled in the art as "Test Unit
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`Ready", to the interface device to request more precise details regarding the queried
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`device.
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`Regardless of which data transmit/receive_ device at the output line 16 is attached to
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`the second connecting device, the digital signal processor 13 informs the host device
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`that it
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`is communicating with a hard disk drive. If the host device receives the
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`response‘ that a drive is present, it then sends a request to the interface device 10 to
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`read the boot sequence which, on actual hard disks, normally resides on the first
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`sectors of the disk. The digital signal processor 13, whose operating system in stored
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`in the memory means 14, responds to this instruction by sending to the host device a
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`virtual boot sequence which, in the case of actual drives, includes the drive type, the
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`starting position and the length of the file allocation table (FAT), the number of
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`sectors, etc., known to those skilled in the art. Once the host device has received this
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`data, it assumes that the interface device 10 according to a preferred embodiment of
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`the present invention is a hard disk drive. In reply to an instruction from the host
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`device to display the directory of the "virtual" hard disk drive simulated by the
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`interface device 10 with respect to the host device, the digital signal processor can
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`respond to the host device in exactly the same way as a conventional hard disk would,
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`namely by reading on request the file allocation table or FAT on a sector specified in
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`i
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`the boot sequence, normally the first writable sector, and transferring it to the host
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`device, and subsequently by transferring the directory structure of the virtual hard
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`ZTE (USA) 1002, Page 17
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`disk. Further, it is possible that the FAT is not read until immediately prior to reading
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`or storing the data of the "virtual" hard disk and not already at initialization.
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`In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the digital signal processor 13,
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`which need not necessarily be implemented as a digital signal processor but may be
`any other
`of microprocessor, comprises a first and a second command
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`interpreter. The first command interpreter carries out the steps described above whilst
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`the second command interpreter carries out the read/write assignment to specific
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`functions. If the user now wishes to read data from the data transmit/receive device
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`via the line 16, the host device sends a command, for example "read file xy", to the
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`interface device. As described above, the interface device appears to the host device
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`as a hard disk. The second command interpreter of the digital signal processor now
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`interprets the read command of the host processor as a data transfer command, by
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`decoding whether
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`"xy"
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`denotes,
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`for
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`example,
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`a
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`"real—time
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`input"
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`file,
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`a
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`"configuration" "file or an executable file, whereby the same begins to transfer data
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`from the data transmit/receive device via the second connecting device to the first
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`connecting device and via the line 11 to the host device.
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`Preferably, the volume of data to be acquired by a data transmi