Patent ID: 6457056
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network interface card (hereinafter, referring to NIC) controller, which is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) in which a network interface function and a protocol process function are connected to a network, comprising:plurality of protocol process means of respectively providing a several types of protocol for offering any service required from the CPU through a system bus; plurality of network interface means of performing a desired network interface by switching a digital highway according to service types required from the CPU through the system bus, and of performing a digital relay which occupies an empty trunk line, in which the plurality of network interface means are connected to several trunk lines of a physical layer; call control means of controlling the plurality of protocol means and the plurality of network interface means regardless of protocol types, by exchanging information with an upper application layer, by using a standard interface indicating whether the process succeeds or not about a protocol process request and the requested protocol process result; and system interface means of interfacing a NIC initialization command interface which is from the upper application layer in a main process card (MPC) and a command which is from the upper application layer of the MPC to the NIC according to a NIC preparing state between the upper application layer and the call control means.