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:
Aug. 05, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 13, 1994
Darryl Steven Richman, Bellevue, WA (US);
Moshe Lichtman, Bellevue, WA (US);
Mark R Enstrom, Redmond, WA (US);
Thomas E Lennon, Seattle, WA (US);
Ralph A Lipe, Woodinville, WA (US);
Pierre-Yves Santerre, Bellevue, WA (US);
Robert T Short, Kirkland, WA (US);
David W Voth, Redmond, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A system for configuring a network adapter of a computer without user intervention. Device information for the devices of the computer, including each network adapter, is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon this device information. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices. A device driver, which enables communications between a corresponding device and the computer, is also identified and loaded for each of the devices in response to the allocation of computer resources. In response to loading the driver for each network adapter, each network configuration routine or layer for a particular interface of the corresponding network adapter is identified. In response to the identification of these layers, each identified layer for the particular interface is loaded. In turn, layers are identified and loaded for each of the remaining interfaces of the corresponding network adapter.