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:
Jun. 03, 1997
Filed:
May. 03, 1996
Peter S Davidson, Jr, Lexington, KY (US);
David P Schramm, Lexington, KY (US);
David H Whitehead, Lexington, KY (US);
Paul J Wingert, Nicholasville, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
Multiple host computers utilizing multiple network protocols on a network are connected through an interface, or network adapter, to a printer having a printer controller capable of bi-directional communication with the computers on the network. The interface processes print job information and priority information for the printer separately for each network protocol supported. There is a common interface to the network and a common interface to the printer in the network adapter, but each supported protocol processes priority and print job information in a particular protocol separately. Each protocol processing section separately processes the priority information, and the interface to the printer communicates this priority information to the printer in preference to communicating print job information. In this way, no matter which protocol has priority information to be communicated to the printer, and whether this protocol or another protocol is currently sending print job information to the printer, any protocol can communicate priority information to the printer and receive a priority reply.