Patent ID: 7464133

Claim:
A server/client system comprising: a server; at least one client which is connected to said server via a communication line, and which is provided with at least one I/O port, wherein said server includes an existing application used in a conventional server/client system, a device driver and a virtual I/O port configured to provide said device driver with an interface having the same function as said I/O port, and said at least one client includes a device handler; wherein said device driver is configured to generate an input/output control signal to control the at least one I/O port in said client upon reception of an input/output processing request generated by said application and to transmit said input/output control signal to said virtual I/O port; wherein said device driver is also configured to receive an event generated by said I/O port from said virtual I/O port and to notice said event to said application; and wherein the device handler in said client is configured to receive said input/output control signal from said virtual I/O port, to transmit said input/output control signal to said I/O port, to receive said event from said I/O port and to transmit said event to said virtual I/O port via said communication line.