Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Patrick W Fulghum

James G Wendt

Theresa A Burkes

Todd A Fischer

Russell Campbell

Kevin N Smith

Paul R Sorenson

Thomas Stanley Gale

Steven J Jahr

In a method, a first available server is determined among one or more servers in response to a request packet. The network time from the first available server is applied to a client to synchronize its system clock.

Available server determination

An apparatus is disclosed for extending functionality to a peripheral. The apparatus included a peripheral device having a processor, a dedicated storage device containing an enabling algorithm comprising a program code, and a receiver adapted to receive a removable storage device. An embedded operating system of the apparatus is associated with the peripheral device. The apparatus includes a removable storage device containing code. The code is indicative of extended functionality comprising extended features enabled via the embedded operating system. The receiver is configured to receive the code from the removable storage device which is operatively associated with extending functionality to the peripheral device. A method according to the apparatus is also disclosed.

System for upgrading functionality of a peripheral device utilizing a

A peripheral system includes (a) a peripheral device having peripheral memory located thereon, (b) at least one input/output (I/O) card communicating with the peripheral device, and (c) a means for managing the peripheral memory between the peripheral device and the at least one I/O card. In a preferred embodiment, the means for managing the peripheral memory includes (a) a means for determining, during normal operation, an optimum amount of peripheral memory for allocating to each I/O card, and (b) a means for allocating, during normal operation, the optimum amount of peripheral memory to each I/O card. A preferred method for managing memory, between a peripheral device, having peripheral memory thereon, and at least one input/output (I/O) card, includes (a) determining, during normal operation, an optimum amount of peripheral memory for allocating to each I/O card, and (b) allocating, during normal operation, the optimum amount of peripheral memory to each I/O card.

Dynamic peripheral control of I/O buffers in peripherals with modular I/O

A packet-based communication system is described for linking a peripheral unit (PU) to the outside world via a communications link. The system includes a modular interface unit (MIU) which has a memory shared by processors in both the PU and MIU. The system employs control packets, read packets and write packets and performs a method for allocating the shared memory that optimizes memory utilization. The system determines a ratio of read to write packets required in the operation of the PU, and it ignores that ratio if the communications link will not transmit write packets. If the communication link will transmit write packets, it allocates read and write packet space within the shared memory in accordance with the ratio. The system also includes apparatus for enabling MIU configuration via user/keyboard inputs through the PU with the MIU providing the question and answer messages. This feature allows the PU to adapt to many different communication links, simply by replacement and user configuration of the MIU. The system further includes apparatus for rapidly handling network protocol headers. Those headers are stored along with the data packets and when the packet is accessed by the PU from shared memory, pointers are employed to enable access of only the data portions of such packets while ignoring the network protocol header portions.

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

Patrick W Fulghum