System and method for negotiating functions and features

An interface controller for connecting a legacy client to a server capable of supporting new features and standard features, comprising:

• means for prompting said client for values to use in negotiating said new features;
• means for connecting to said server;
• means responsive to said values for negotiating said features with said server on behalf of said client and for passing through without modification negotiations for said standard features;
• and
• means for establishing a session with said server and exchanging data streams between said client and said server.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for negotiating new features and standard features characterizing a client connection with a server, said method steps comprising:

• operating an interface controller to prompt said client for values to use in negotiating said new features;
• operating said interface controller to connect to said server;
• in virtual negotiation mode, operating said interface controller responsive to said values to negotiate said new features with said server on behalf of said client;
• in standard negotiation mode, operating said interface controller to pass through client feature negotiations without modification to said server;
• and
• operating said interface controller to establish a session with said server and exchange data streams between said client and said server.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for negotiating new features and standard features characterizing a client connection with a server, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising:

• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect prompting said client for values to use in negotiating said new features;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect connecting said controller to said server;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer responsive to said values to effect negotiating said new features with said server on behalf of said client and to pass through without modification client/server negotiations of said standard features;
• and
• computer readable program means for causing a computer to effect establishing a session with said server and exchanging data streams between said client and said server.

Method for negotiating new features and standard features characterizing a client connection with a server, comprising the steps of:

• operating said client to establish a control stream for negotiating said standard features with said server;
• operating an interface controller to prompt said client for values to use in negotiating said new features;
• operating said interface controller responsive to said values to merge into said control stream said values for negotiating said new features with said server on behalf of said client while passing through without modification in said control stream negotiations of said standard features;
• and thereafter
• operating said interface controller to exchange data streams between said client and said server.

Controller for negotiating a virtual device name for a nursing data input device connected over a wide-area network with a server for maintaining at said server a database of medical information regarding a patient, comprising:

• means for operating said nursing data input device to establish a pass-through control stream for enabling said server and said device to negotiate standard features;
• an interface controller for prompting said nursing data input device for values to use in negotiating new features, said new features including said virtual device name;
• said interface controller being responsive to said values for merging into said pass-through control stream said values for negotiating said second features with said server on behalf of said nursing data input device;
• and
• thereafter for exchanging data streams between said nursing data input device and said server.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for negotiating new features and standard features characterizing a legacy client connection with a server capable of supporting said new features, said method steps comprising:

• operating said client to establish a control stream for negotiating said standard features with said server;
• operating an interface controller to prompt said client for values to use in negotiating said new features;
• operating said interface controller responsive to said values to merge into said control stream said values for negotiating said new features with said server on behalf of said client while enabling said client and server to directly negotiate said standard features;
• and thereafter operating said interface controller to exchange data streams between said client and said server.