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:
Feb. 15, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1993
John M Hauck, Bridgman, MI (US);
Paul H McCann, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
J Richard Terrell, II, Berrien Springs, MI (US);
Bradley J Staff, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
S Christopher Gladwin, Buffalo Grove, IL (US);
Alan J Soucy, Long Grove, IL (US);
Jeffrey Schindler, Lindenhurst, IL (US);
Packard Bell NEC, Inc., Sacramento, CA (US);
Abstract
A dedicated network expansion unit includes a processor and a dedicated hard disk drive, and has two bays which each can receive one of a further hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, and a tape drive. The unit has no manual input mechanism, and no display for text or graphics. The unit can be connected to one or more communications link through Ethernet connectors, a PCMCIA modem card, a PCMCIA token ring card, or a parallel connector. Following power-up or a reset, the unit automatically detects the types of devices present and the types of communications link connected to it, and automatically configures its software to operate properly with these devices and links, without user interaction. Special software routines are provided for the unit and a remote computer to permit a conventional backup program in the remote computer to effect a backup operation within the expansion unit using ASPI commands. A further program effects a software interface between at least two communications link and a conventional network driver program designed to communicate with a single network.