Automated configuration of computer accessories
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorDavid M. Siefert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for automated configuration of computer peripherals. Peripherals are equipped with identification codes, which can be read by a computer, and which identify the type of peripheral. The computer stores a look-up table of configuration modes required for each peripheral type. When the computer polls a peripheral, and learns, from the identification code, that a peripheral type has changed, the computer orders a re-configuration of necessary equipment, to accommodate the change.
Claims6
In a computer system, the improvement comprising:
- a) a first peripheral, connected to a data bus, comprising
- i) an identification code;
- and
- ii) means for allowing the computer to periodically read said identification code when the computer transmits a predetermined sequence of one or more data words onto the data bus;
- and
- b) a plurality of other peripherals, connected to said data bus, which do not respond to said sequence of data words.
In a system which includes at least one computer and several cash registers which communicates with said computer, the improvement comprising the following steps, undertaken without human intervention:
- a) at intervals, causing each cash register to transmit an ID code to the computer;
- b) determining whether the ID code has changed between intervals and, if so,
- i) ascertaining configuration parameters, based on the ID code, and
- ii) implementing said configuration parameters
- and, if not, making no change in existing configuration parameters.
In the operation of a computer network, the improvement comprising the following steps, undertaken without human intervention:
- a) at intervals, searching for new components connected to the network;
- b) when new components are detected,
- i) reading identity codes from the new components;
- ii) ascertaining configuration parameters required to accommodate the new components by a process which includes the step of using the identity codes to find said configuration parameters in a table of such parameters;
- and
- iii) implementing said configuration parameters.
A method of configuring devices which are connected to a network, comprising the following steps:
- a) periodically reading a code from each device;
- b) after reading a code from a device, ascertaining whether that device has been newly connected to the network and,
- i) if so, deriving configuration parameters for that device, based on the code read from the device, and running a process which establishes said configuration parameters for the newly connected device;
- and
- ii) if not, deriving no parameters for the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.