Adaptive network protocol independent interface

A method of delivering a data packet received from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a protocol independent data packet from the first application program, together with data identifying the first application program and a destination ID identifying the second application program;
• determining which protocols are available for use on the LAN;
• selecting one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet;
• determining protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data based on the data identifying the first application program and the protocol selected in said selecting step;
• forming a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the determined protocol specific information;
• and
• transmitting the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.

A method of receiving data which is transmitted from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said method comprising the steps of:

• initializing a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns a unique access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• receiving a transmission packet which includes data and a block of protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• retrieving from the mapping information the access ID/access line pair which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the received transmission packet;
• and
• sending the data contained in the received transmission packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping information.

A network device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) and which transmits data from a first application program executing on said network device to a second application executing on another device interfaced to the LAN, said network device comprising:

• a LAN interface for sending data to and receiving data from the LAN;
• a storage device which stores an application program and a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available, (ii) assigns an access line to each available protocol, (iii) assigns an access ID to the first application program, and (iv) creates mapping information having a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• and
• a processor which (i) executes the first application program, (ii) initializes the protocol independent interface program, (iii) processes a data packet which is generated by the first application program by selecting a protocol to transmit the data packet, retrieving a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access line corresponding to the selected protocol and the access ID of the first application program, and forming a transmission packet including a destination ID for the second application, the data packet, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information, and (iv) transmits the transmission packet via said LAN interface.

A network device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) and which receives data that is transmitted from a first application program executing on another device interfaced to the LAN to a second application executing on said network device, said network device comprising:

• a LAN interface for sending data to and receiving data from the LAN;
• a storage device which stores the second application program and a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available, (ii) assigns an access line to each available protocol, (iii) assigns an access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information having a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• and
• a processor which (i) executes the second application program, (ii) initializes the protocol independent interface program, (iii) receives via said LAN interface a data packet which is transmitted by the first application program and which includes a block of protocol specific information, (iv) retrieves an access ID/access line pair from the mapping information which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the data packet, and (v) sends the data packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping table.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to transmit a data packet from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to initialize a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns an access ID to the first application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• code to send a data packet to the protocol independent interface program together with the access ID of the first application program and a destination ID for the second application program;
• code to select one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet;
• code to retrieve a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access ID of the first application program and the access line corresponding to the protocol selected in said selecting step;
• code to form a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information;
• and
• code to transmit the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to deliver a data packet received from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to receive a protocol independent data packet from the first application program, together with data identifying the first application program and a destination ID identifying the second application program;
• code to determine which protocols are available for use on the LAN;
• code to select one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet;
• code to determine protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data based on the data identifying the first application program and the protocol selected by said code to select;
• code to form a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the determined protocol specific information;
• and
• code to transmit the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to receive data which is transmitted from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, said computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to initialize a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns a unique access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• code to receive a transmission packet which includes data and a block of protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• code to retrieve from the mapping information the access ID/access line pair which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the received transmission packet;
• and
• code to send the data contained in the received transmission packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping information.

A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to transmit a data packet from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• an initializing step to initialize a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns an access ID to the first application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• a sending step to send a data packet to the protocol independent interface program together with the access ID of the first application program and a destination ID for the second application program;
• a selecting step to select one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet;
• a retrieving step to retrieve a block of protocol specific information from the mapping information based on the access ID of the first application program and the access line corresponding to the protocol selected in said selecting step;
• a forming step to form a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the retrieved block of protocol specific information;
• and
• a transmitting step to transmit the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.

A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to deliver a data packet received from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• a receiving step to receive a protocol independent data packet from the first application program, together with data identifying the first application program and a destination ID identifying the second application program;
• a determining step to determine which protocols are available for use on the LAN;
• a selecting step to select one of the available protocols to transmit the data packet;
• a determining step to determine protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data based on the data identifying the first application program and the protocol selected by said selecting step;
• a forming step to form a transmission packet including the data packet, the destination ID, and the determined protocol specific information;
• and
• a transmitting step to transmit the transmission packet to the second application program via the LAN.

A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to receive data which is transmitted from a first application program executing on a first device which is interfaced to a local area network (LAN) to a second application program executing on a second device which is interfaced to the LAN, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• an initializing step to initialize a protocol independent interface program which (i) determines which protocols are available for use, (ii) assigns an access line to each protocol available for use, (iii) assigns a unique access ID to the second application program, and (iv) creates mapping information that indicates a one-to-one correspondence between an access ID/access line pair and a block of protocol specific information which includes a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• a receiving step to receive a transmission packet which includes data and a block of protocol specific information including a protocol header having predetermined address data;
• a retrieving step to retrieve from the mapping information the access ID/access line pair which corresponds to the block of protocol specific information contained in the received transmission packet;
• and
• a sending step to send the data contained in the received transmission packet to the second application program based on the access ID retrieved from the mapping information.