Method and system for establishing a standard peripheral interface server between a client and a plurality of peripherals

US6615298B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Pitney Bowes Inc. · US

Inventors

• David Ellis · Wallingford, US
• Tom Liu · Milpitas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 18, 2001
• Grant date: Sep 2, 2003
• Expiry date: Jun 24, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/00322
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention is a method and system for providing a standard interface between a client and a plurality of peripheral devices. The interface is established through creating an interface object and/or a peripheral object in an object oriented development environment of a data processing system. The method and system includes both the object creation environment and the method of object utilization. In one embodiment, the client requests and stores an interface object from a server and establishes an interface object by storing object methods and object properties within the interface object by utilizing a programming interface. The user selects a peripheral device from a collection of devices; the client then request; the server to create a peripheral object corresponding to the selected peripheral device. The peripheral object is created and stored within the client. Communication between the client and the peripheral device is established by implementing the created object's methods and properties. The system establishes and utilizes the interface and/or peripheral objects by employing data processing means for manipulation of data; peripheral module means for storing a plurality…