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:
Jan. 06, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1999
Donald J. Kadyk, Bothell, WA (US);
Neil S. Fishman, Bothell, WA (US);
Leif Pederson, Woodinville, WA (US);
Marc E. Seinfeld, Kenmore, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A flexible gateway accommodates data transfer from a data origination device over a wide variety of networks to a wide variety of destination devices, even if those networks use different protocols, and even if the devices recognize different data formats. Thus, the gateway can perform work previously requiring numerous gateways. After the gateway receives information from a data source, the gateway identifies the specific device type and the specific network type to which the information is to be routed. The gateway then calls device and network drivers associated with the specific device and network identified with the destination device. These drivers then manipulate the data using the device driver into the format recognized by the destination device, and then provide the manipulated data to the destination device over the identified network using the compatible protocol. Thus, the destination device properly receives and interprets the information provided by the data source. If, in the very next moment, data arrives at the gateway that is to be routed over a different network using a different protocol to a different device recognizing a different device, the gateway will call different device and network drivers to enable the communication.