Parallel port

Abstract: A handheld computer which contains an LCD display having a digitizing surface to allow pen input. Internal storage takes several forms, such as a large flash ROM area, battery-backed up RAM and an optional hard disk drive. Several alternative communication paths are available, such as the previously mentioned modem, a parallel printer port, a conventional serial port, a cradle assembly connected to the host computer, and various wireless short distance techniques such as radio frequency or infrared transmission. The computer can readily communicate with other sources, particularly to a host desktop computer, to allow automated synchronization of information between the host and the handheld system. Preferably the remote synchronization is performed at several user selectable levels. When the handheld computer is in a cradle and actively connected to the host computer, automatic capture of updated data in the host computer is performed. Several synchronization techniques are utilized to keep track of different types of files. In addition, while communication is established the handheld computer can enter a remote control mode, allowing the user access to files and applications not included in the handheld computer.

Abstract: Dataset storage, exchange, and access play a critical role in scientific applications. For such purposes netCDF serves as a portable, efficient file format and programming interface, which is popular in numerous scientific application domains. However, the original interface does not provide an efficient mechanism for parallel data storage and access. In this work, we present a new parallel interface for writing and reading netCDF datasets. This interface is derived with minimal changes from the serial netCDF interface but defines semantics for parallel access and is tailored for high performance. The underlying parallel I/O is achieved through MPI-IO, allowing for substantial performance gains through the use of collective I/O optimizations. We compare the implementation strategies and performance with HDF5. Our tests indicate programming convenience and significant I/O performance improvement with this parallel netCDF (PnetCDF) interface.

Abstract: An image processing device for controlling data transfer includes an image scanner, an image printer, a facsimile control unit, bus lines for data transfer, a bidirectional parallel interface unit, and a main CPU in a housing. The device is connected to an external data processing device through the parallel interface unit. In addition to the functions which are obtained independent from the external data processing device, the image processing device realizes various kinds of functions by controlling the image scanner, the image printer facsimile control unit and the interface unit by the main CPU in response to commands from the data processing device. As a result, various kinds of image processing functions are carried out.

Abstract: An improved printing system is provided having at least one host computer and a printer in which the printer acquires print job accounting information and communicates it to the host computer via NPAP messages. A host computer downloads print job data to the printer through a communications port on the printer (i.e., either a parallel port, serial port, or network port), and as the printer prints the print job that it received from the host computer, the printer temporarily stores job accounting information. At the end of the print job, the printer communicates that job accounting information back to armed host computers via a bi-directional communications port, including typical information such as: the job identifier number, job processing time, number of sheets of paper from each paper source, number of impressions from each paper source (either one-sided or two-sided impressions), the port identifier, the network user name, the name of the print job (as specified), and the printer's serial number. Since the data is being accumulated at the printer, rather than at the host computer, there is no estimating by a host-resident program to acquire these statistics, and no data base merging (from several host computers) is required to categorize all of the data for one particular printer. Furthermore, the print jobs need not pass through a network queue in order to be detected and accounted for.