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:
May. 07, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 14, 1999
Philip K. Jansen, Portland, OR (US);
Erik J. Johnson, Beaverton, OR (US);
Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US);
Abstract
A probe or accessory incorporating the features of the subject invention includes a communications arrangement for communicating topology-related data to a host instrument connected to the probe or accessory. The topology-related data describes the probe or accessory as a network comprising multiple paths from the probe tip to host instrument input connector. Each path is associated with a feature of the probe or accessory, and only one path may be active at any given time. Each feature is described by a unique number, called a “tag”. New tags may be assigned when necessary so long as existing tags are not disturbed. A probe or accessory in accordance with the subject invention transmits a list of “Required Tags” to the host instrument. Each required tag is associated with a pathway within the probe or accessory. The host instrument may only exercise those paths for which all required tags are understood, or those for which no required tag is designated. Tags which are not understood by the host instrument, but which also do not appear in the required tags list, are to be ignored by the host instrument.