US 5,657,452 AGranted

Transparent support of protocol and data compression features for data communication

AssigneeU.S. Robotics, Inc.

InventorsJoseph D. Kralowetz, Douglas F. Ortega

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Abstract

A method for efficiently setting up a data transmission session over a communication channel between a local endpoint application and a network endpoint application with a proxy engine in a manner that is transparent to the user. The proxy engine is placed in simultaneous communication sessions with the local endpoint application and the network endpoint application. The proxy engine determines the network control protocols that are supported by both the network endpoint application and the local endpoint application. The proxy engine enables the network control protocols that are supported by both the network endpoint application and the local endpoint application. Optionally, the proxy engine enables data compression techniques that are supported by both the network endpoint application and the proxy engine. After the network control protocols and data compression techniques (if desired) are enabled, the proxy engine transmits data between the local endpoint application and the network endpoint application over the communication channel.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a system comprising a source of data, a receiver of data and a communication channel linking the source and the receiver, a method for setting up a data transmission session between an local endpoint application at said source and a network endpoint application at said receiver with a proxy engine in a transparent manner, comprising the steps of:

conducting simultaneous communication sessions with the proxy engine with the local endpoint application and the network endpoint application, said proxy engine:
(1) determining at least one of the following:
(a) security protocols, (b) multiple channel capabilities, (c) data compression techniques, or (d) network control protocols, that are supported by the network endpoint application,
(2) determining at least one of the following:
(a) security protocols or (b) network control protocols, that are supported by the local endpoint application;
and
(3) enabling at least one of the following:
(a) the security protocols, (b) multiple channel capabilities, (c) data compression techniques, or (4) network protocols that are supported by both
(i) the network endpoint application, and
(ii) the combination of the proxy engine and the local endpoint application, and thereafter
transmitting data between the local endpoint application and the network endpoint application, whereby data may be transmitted from the source of the data to the receiver of the data over the communication channel.

8 more elements

In a system comprising a source of digital data, a receiver of said data and a communication line connecting the source with the receiver, a method for setting up a data transmission session between a local endpoint application and a network endpoint application with a proxy engine, the proxy engine conducting a communication session with the local endpoint application and network endpoint application simultaneously in a manner transparent to a user of the system, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a call between the source and the receiver over the communication line;
(b) enabling the link-control-protocol (LCP) layer of the network endpoint application;
(c) enabling the LCP layer of the local endpoint application;
(d) determining which network control protocols are supported by the local endpoint application;
(e) for each network control protocol determined in step (d), enabling the respective network control protocol in said network endpoint application;
(f) enabling the respective local endpoint application network control protocols supported by the local endpoint application;
and
(g) transferring data between said local endpoint application and said network endpoint application.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.