Philip C Garner

US Patent:

61612014, Dec 12, 2000

Filed:

Feb 26, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/031102

Inventors:

Craig Payne - Park City UT
Jennifer Baker - Park City UT
Philip C. Garner - Farmington UT
Carl Ketcham - Taylorsville UT
John Major - Salt Lake City UT

Assignee:

3COM Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 11273

US Classification:

714 43

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for a connection monitor to concurrently interact with a concurrent diagnostic-capable modem during an open connection controlled by a communication application without terminating the open connection between a host system and the modem. The connection monitor and a communication application operate concurrently to enable a user to interrogate a modem for status information while a connection with the modem remains open and functional with other communication applications. A serial device driver presents two types of entry to the operating system, one for normal communications and one for a collateral or side-door entrance from a connection monitor. The serial device driver multiplexes a packaged diagnostic command into the open channel with the data process by the serial driver and dispatched to a local modem. The local modem performs a demultiplexing function by routing traditional communication data to a traditional COM process and diagnostic information is routed to a diagnostic process. Diagnostic status information is likewise packaged and multiplexed into a data stream with traditional COM data information for dispatch to the serial device driver and demultiplexed therein.