Network communications subsystem and method for digital computer system employing protocol stack having diverse lower-level network driver components optimized for each of base and enhance operating systems
US5802307A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 24, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/326
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A communication subsystem for a digital computer system, which processes application programs under a base operating system (such as the MS-DOS operating system) in a first processor operational mode (such as the V86 mode), and also under an enhanced operating system (such as Microsoft Windows) during a session under a second processor operational mode (such as a privileged or user mode). During an enhanced operating system session, the enhanced operating system makes use of at least some selected elements of the base operating system, in particular relation to the current invention some of the communications drivers. The communication subsystem enables the digital computer system to transfer messages, each comprising a series of characters, over a communications network. The communication subsystem comprises an upper level communication driver and a base lower level communications driver both forming part of the base operating system and a enhanced lower level communications driver forming part of the enhanced operating system. The upper level communications driver and the base lower level communications driver form part of a protocol stack by which the digital computer system, wh…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.