Patent ID: 7552216
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of sharing a printer between a plurality of users on a computer network, said method comprising the steps of: attaching host-based networking hardware to the printer; providing a network communication protocol defining a command channel and a data channel; allowing only one of the users to own the data channel at any single point in time on a fair-sharing first come first serve basis; and instructing the host-based networking hardware to accept information on the data channel only from the user that owns the data channel, wherein the network communication protocol defines a communication frame having at least one of a destination address field, a source address field, a frame identifier field, a command/data definition field, and a payload field; sending the communication frame from the user that owns the data channel to the host-based networking hardware; wherein the communication frame has a frame number and a sequence number, the host-based networking hardware discarding any said communication frame that does not have an expected said sequence number, and wherein, in response to receiving said communication frame that does not have said expected sequence number, the host-based networking hardware sends an acknowledgement including the frame number of a last successfully received communication frame to the user that owns the data channel.