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.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 28, 2001

Filed:

Sep. 15, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:

David A. Ellis, Wallingford, CT (US);

Tom Liu, Trumbull, CT (US);

Assignee:

Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B06F 1/300 ; G06F 1/700 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B06F 1/300 ; G06F 1/700 ;
Abstract

The invention is a method and system for providing a standard interface between a client and a plurality of peripheral devices. The interface is established through creating an interface object and/or a peripheral object in an object oriented development environment of a data processing system. The method and system includes both the object creation environment and the method of object utilization. In one embodiment, the client requests and stores an interface object from a server and establishes an interface object by storing object methods and object properties within the interface object by utilizing a programming interface. The user selects a peripheral device from a collection of devices; the client then request; the server to create a peripheral object corresponding to the selected peripheral device. The peripheral object is created and stored within the client. Communication between the client and the peripheral device is established by implementing the created object's methods and properties. The system establishes and utilizes the interface and/or peripheral objects by employing data processing means for manipulation of data; peripheral module means for storing a plurality of data tables for use by the data processing means; input means for inputting data to the system; and, output means for outputting data from the system.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…