Patent ID: 7864702

Claim:
A client-server system comprising: a server device; a first client device provided in communication with the server device, the first client device comprising a first port server configured to convert data between an internet-protocol (â€œIPâ€) format and a first peripheral bus communication protocol; a second client device provided in communication with the server device, the second client device comprising a second port server configured to convert data between the internet-protocol (â€œIPâ€) format and a second peripheral bus communication protocol; a first peripheral device provided in communication with the first client device via the first peripheral bus communication protocol; a second peripheral device provided in communication with the second client device via the second peripheral bus communication protocol; and a configuration file maintained on the server, wherein: the first peripheral device is configured to exchange data with the first port server in non-IP formats; the second peripheral device is configured to exchange data with the second port server in non-IP formats; a first IP address is assigned to the first client device; a second IP address is assigned to the second client device; a first port is assigned to the first peripheral device; a second port is assigned to the second peripheral device; the server device comprises a computational device configured to exchange data with the first and second port servers in the IP format; and the configuration file links the first IP address of the first client device and the first port number, such that the server device can recruit the first peripheral device; the configuration file links the second IP address of the second client device and the second port number, such that the server device can recruit the second peripheral device; the configuration file permits the first and second peripheral devices to function architecturally as components of the server device such that a server-side software provides functionality for both the first and second peripheral devices.