The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 11, 1995
Dan Gavish, Haifa, IL;
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and system which allows multiple parallel port devices to share a single parallel port of a personal computer. The invention uses the parallel port signal called Select.sub.-- In which is activated/de-activated by a program running in the personal computer. When a controller within an attached printer senses that this signal is active, it switches the printer to what is referred to as the on-line state. When the printer controller senses that this signal is inactive, it switches the printer to what is referred to as the off-line state. The present invention uses the Select.sub.-- In signal to distinguish between personal computer accesses to the printer and to other devices which may be attached to the parallel port. When the Select.sub.-- In signal is not active, the present invention uses a command decoder which first determines by a sequence of characters received that a command is being sent over the parallel port, and once that determination is made, decodes the command so that subsequent signals from the parallel port are directed to one of the non-printer devices, the particular one selected depending on the command received.