SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXCHANGING COMPUTER DATA PROCESSING CAPABILITIES

摘要

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXCHANGING COMPUTER DATA PROCESSING CAPABILITIES A system and method for exchanging data processing capabilities between computers. The computers exchange capabilities so that data transfer between the computers may be made in the most efficient data format possible for the two computers. A first computer, which will receive a data file, sends a list of data processing capabilities to a second computer, which will transmit the data file to the first computer. The transmittting computer examines the capabilities list of thereceiving computer as well as its own capabilities list and determines the most efficient data format for the transfer. The transmitting computer may process the data file into an intermediate format for efficient data transfer so that the receiving computer will process the intermediate data file into the desired data format. The capabilities list can be cached for future communication between the computers. The system can update the capabilities list and inform other computers whether theircached capabilities list is current. Capabilities can also be forwarded from onecomputer to another so that a third computer can determine the capabilities of the first computer from the second computer or the capabilities of the second computer from the first computer. The system is readily applicable to facsimile machines wherecustom and application data processing capabilities can be exchanged.