US 7477410

US Patent 7,477,410 (US7477410B1), titled "Distributed computer architecture and process for virtual copying," was invented by Laurence C. Klein. The patent's application was filed on June 24, 2004, and it was issued on January 13, 2009. The current assignee is MPHJ Tech Investments LLC.

Abstract:
The patent describes a distributed computer architecture and process for "virtual copying," focusing on uniform data management in both standalone and distributed computing environments like client-server, intranet, and internet. The invention centers on a "component factory" designed to automate or expedite the migration of program-specific C-level Application Programmer Interfaces (APIs) into a generic interface across multiple architectural layers, thereby creating standardized software components more efficiently. It also highlights the ability of object manager and engine object component layers to operate independently, facilitating distributed computing, and details an efficient engine object component layer implementation using pre-populated tables/files, with an engine management layer structured for loading/unloading engines, dynamic linking, and initialization. The system aims to seamlessly "copy" electronic and physical paper between various devices and business applications, locally or over networks, often with a single "GO" operation, and without necessitating modifications to destination applications.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:
Based on the comprehensive "Definitions" section of the patent, which outlines various inventive aspects as systems and methods, the following are interpreted as distinct independent claims:

1. Computer Implemented Process for API Migration: This claim describes a computer-implemented process that transforms a program-specific Application Programmer Interface (API) into a generic interface. It achieves this by building an object for each "engine" (independent core technology), ensuring a consistent way to access the engine and its settings. This process involves an engine management function that interfaces with the program-specific API, providing error trapping, management, and administration. Optionally, it includes an engine configuration function for standardizing API calls and safely loading/unloading engines, and an engine function to manage these standardized calls for uniform access.
2. Computer Implemented Method for API Migration: This claim outlines a computer-implemented method for migrating one or more program-specific APIs into a generic interface by creating an object for each engine, thus providing uniform access to the engine and its settings. The method defines a consistent interface for individual object components representing diverse technologies and then migrates multiple engines to conform to this consistent interface. It further includes automatically or uniformly managing these object components using a predefined object manager and the consistent interface.
3. Computer Architecture for API Migration: This claim details a computer architecture designed to migrate at least one program-specific API into a generic interface by creating an object for each engine, enabling uniform access to the engine and its settings. The architecture comprises three layers: an engine management layer that interfaces with the program-specific API for administration, an engine configuration layer that converts API calls into standardized calls, and an engine layer that manages these standardized calls for each engine. The engine management layer is configured for operations such as loading/unloading dynamic link libraries, mapping functions to objects, providing error detection/correction, and managing error feedback.
4. Distributed Computer System for API Migration: This claim describes a distributed computer system that migrates a program-specific API into a generic interface by building an object for each engine, providing uniform access to the engine and its settings. The system includes a server containing at least one engine with an interface and features to be executed, and at least one engine component configured to execute these features by mapping a consistent interface to the engine's interface. Additionally, it includes at least one client connectable to the server (and optionally another server), which contains an object manager layer that communicates with and manages the engine components on the server via the consistent interface.
5. Image Viewer Process: This claim describes an image viewer process for displaying at least one document image, including electronic document images. The process involves a user selecting from multiple predefined image viewing perspectives, choosing the document image to be viewed, retrieving that image, and then displaying it according to the user's selected perspective.
6. Computer Data Management System (Virtual Copier Core): This is a comprehensive claim for a computer data management system, which acts as an electronic image, graphics, and document management system capable of transmitting digital media to various external destinations (devices and applications, locally or via the Internet). The system stores and implements a plurality of interface protocols as a software application. Key capabilities include seamlessly replicating images to other devices/applications/Internet, integrating electronic images into existing applications without modification, and providing an interface with a single "GO" operation for copying images between physical devices, applications, and the Internet. It also features the optional ability to add electronic document and paper processing with a single programming step. The software application within this system includes specific modules: an input module, an output module, a process module (applying processing like OCR/ICR and workflow, and supporting multiple processes for a single virtual copy), a client module for presentation, and a server module. The server module includes means for enabling virtual copy operations, maintaining a registry of available modules, managing currently active modules, and maintaining document information, all typically with COM-based interfaces.
   • Note: Analogous claims exist for "computer data administration system," "computer information management system," and "workstation data management system" with largely similar structural and functional descriptions.
7. Computer Readable Tangible Medium (Storing Universal Protocol): This claim covers a computer-readable tangible medium that stores instructions for a process implemented on an electronic image, graphics, or document management system. These instructions control the computer to store a common and universal interface protocol for interfacing and communicating in memory, and to implement this protocol as a software application via a processor for interfacing and communicating with various external destinations.
   • Note: Analogous claims exist for "workstation readable tangible medium" and for administration and information management systems.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for US patent 7477410 in CAFC 2026 dockets did not yield specific results for this patent number. The search results provided general information about CAFC intellectual property cases in 2026 but no direct hits for patent 7477410. Therefore, there is no authoritative information available through the performed search to indicate active litigation specifically involving US7477410B1 in the CAFC dockets for 2026 as of the current date (April 26, 2026). However, this does not definitively mean there is no litigation, only that it was not found in the search results.