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`Practitioner's Docket No. 2055/101,
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`In re application of:
`Application No.:
`Filed:
`'For:
`
`Tasler, Michael
`Applied For
`Herewith
`FLEXIBLE INTERFACE
`
`.
`
`Attention: EOfUS ,
`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 .
`
`I hereby state that the following attached papers or fee:
`
`Check No. 5994 in the amount of $420.00
`Transmittal Letter tothe United States Elected Office (EO/US) (Entry into U.S. National Phase
`, Under Chapter II (3 pages)
`.
`Copy of German Application filed with the .PCT (36 pages)
`Translation ofPCT Application PCT/EP98/01187 as originally filed (26 pages)
`Copy of the IPER (6 pages)
`.
`FirstPreliminary Amendment and Remarks (2 pages)
`- Final version ofPCT/EP98/01 187 for theprosecution at the.USPTO to he filed as firstpreliminary
`amendment (28 pages)
`8.
`Declaration and Power ofAttorney For Patent Application (28 pages)
`,
`9.
`Verified Statement (Declaration) Claiming Small Entity Status - Independent Inventor (1 page)
`10.
`Copy of International Search Report (7 pages)
`. ll.
`IDS Transmittal (1 page)
`‘ 12.
`IDS Form PTO/SB/08A and 08B (2 pages)
`_
`-13.
`“jr‘fi'. Concise explanation ofdocuments cited in examinationproceedings ofcorresponding foreign and
`international applications (4 pages)
`14.
`IDS References (7 for a total of 92 pages)
`' arebeing depositedwiththeUnited States Postal Service "ExpressMail Post Officeto Addressee'f service}
`under 37 CFR 1.10, on the date indicated above and is addressedto Attention: EO/US, Box PCT, Assistant
`Commissioner for Patents, Washington, DC 20231.
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`_
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`c.%;
`Signature of person maili g papers or fee
`
`
`
`
`
`(Express Mail Certificate-page 1 of 1)‘
`
`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 7/317
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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 7/317
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`

`
`
`assets.
`
`Ij/Pro, 14 JUN 1999,
`CHAPTERII
`'
`09/3 31. 0-02
`msmmm '
`To THE UNITED STATES ELECTED OFFICE (EC/US)
`
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`(ENTRY INTO U.S. NATIONAL PHASE UNDER CHAPTER II)
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`TITLE OF INVENTION:
`APPLICANTGS):
`‘
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`FLEXIBLE lNTERFACE
`Tasler, Michael
`
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`Attention: EO/US
`Box PCT '
`Assistant Commissioner for Patents
`
`Washington DC 20231
`
`1.,
`-'
`
`Applicant herewith submits to the United States Elected Office (EO/US) the following items under
`35 U.S.C. §371:-
`-_
`-
`'
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`'
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`a.
`
`b.
`
`This express request to immediately begin national examination procedures (35 U.S.C.
`§3 71 (It)).
`*
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`
`The U.S. National Fee (35 U.S‘.C. §3 71(c)(1)) and other fees (37 C.F.R. § 1.492) its-indicated
`below:
`
`CERTIFICATION UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.10*
`(Express Mail labelnumber is mandatory.)
`(Express Mail certification is option/ll.)
`
`I hereby certify that this correspondence and the documents referred to as. attached therein are being deposited with the United
`States Postal Service on-this date % (2 (999
`', in an envelope as “Express Mail Post Ofiice to
`Addressee,” Mailing Label Number'EL 4928607US, addressed to Attention: BOfUS, Box PCT, Assistant Commissionfirfor ,
`Patents, Washington, DC. 20231’.
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`(type or print name ofperson mailingpaper)
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`WARNING:
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`*WARNING:
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`
`(Transmittal Letter to the United States EleCted'Office (BO/US)—page 1 oi'I3)
`
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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 8/317
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`2.
`
`'
`
`Fees
`
`""’
`
`'
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`“‘“ ‘4
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`
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`(1) FOR
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`(2)NUMBNUMBER
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`$840.00
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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 US. PTO, and
`payment of an international search fee as set forth in
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`where a search report on the international
`
`I application has been prepared by the European
`
`Patent Office or the Japanese P'atent‘Office (37
`C.F.R. §1 4.92(a)(5)) .................. $840.00
`
`
`T
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`otal of above Calculations
`Reduction by V2 for filing by small entity, if applicable. Affidavit
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`TOTAL
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`
`- $420.00
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`Total National Fee
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`$420.00
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`Fee for recording the enclosed assignment document $40.00 (37
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`Total Fees enclosed
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`
`3. A copy of the International application as filed~(35 U.S.C. §371(c)(2)) is transmitted herewith.
`
`,
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`4. A translation of the International application into the English language (35 U.S.C. §37l(c)(2)) is-
`transmitted herewith.
`
`5. A copy of the international examination report (PCT/IPEA/409) is transmitted herewith.
`
`6. There were no annex(es) to the international preliminary examination report.
`
`7. A translation of the annexes to-the international preliminary examination report is not required as there .
`' were no annexes.
`
`(Transmittal Letter to the United States Bléct'ed Office (BO/Usy—page 2 of'3)'
`
`'
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`*
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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 9/317
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`8. An‘oath or ideclaratiowflruie inventor (SS-U.S.C. §371(c)(4)) corfipzying with 35 U.S.C. §.l-'1-5 is
`submitted herewith, and’ such oath or declaration is attached to the application.
`
`1
`
`' II. Other document(s).or information included:
`
`9. AnInternational SearchReport (PCT/ISA/Z10) orDeclaiation underPCTArticle 17(2)(a)'istransmitted
`herewith.
`L
`
`10. An Information Disclosure Statement under 37 CPR. §§l.97 and 1.98 is transmitted herewith. ‘ Also
`transmitted herewith are Forms PTO- 1449 PTO/SB/O8A and 08B, Explanation of documents cited'in .
`the examination proceedings of corresponding foreign and international applications, and copies of
`citations listed.
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`.
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`11. Additional doCumentsi.
`
`a. Preliminary amendment (37 CPR. §1.121)
`b. Verified- Statement (Declaration) Claiming Small Entity Status
`c; Express Mail Certificate
`d. Return Postcard
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`I (Transmittal Letter to the United States Elected Office (BO/US)—page 3 of 3)
`
`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 10I317
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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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`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 data‘are 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 mesh 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
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`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/Slz (registered trademark). The interface devices are
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`connected by means of a plug~in card, approximately the size of a credit card, to the
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`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
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`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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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 12/317
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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 12/317
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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 spedi‘fically 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 A1 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
`V comprises. a data manager, cycle control, user logic and a buffer. This known interface
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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/outputdevices 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 other'storage 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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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 14/317
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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 14/317
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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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`OLYMPUS et al. EX. 1002 - 15/317
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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
`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 embodiments-of 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 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 interrace 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—directional 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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`V 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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`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
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`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.'0ptionally, 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 datatransmit/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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`' 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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`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 kind 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