Device management using virtual interfaces

• US 10,049,075 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Caballero, Aldo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elisa
• Application Number:
  US15/079,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20160203090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4286 using a handshaking protocol, e.g. RS232C link
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Methods managing data communication between a peripheral device and host computer system are provided. A physical interface for communicating data between a peripheral device and the plurality of applications executing on the host computer system is opened and controlled by a software module. A first virtual interface and a second virtual interface of the software module are exposed to an operating system of the host computer system, and the operating system exposes the first virtual interface and the second virtual interface to the first application and the second application. The first virtual interface is used for communicating data between the peripheral device and the first application through the physical interface, and the second virtual interface is used for communicating data between the peripheral device and the second application through the physical interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

opening and controlling, with a processor, a physical interface communicating with at least one device and applications, the applications comprising a first application and a second application;

exposing, with the processor, a first virtual interface to an operating system and the first application, wherein the first virtual interface handles communication between the at least one device and the first application via the physical interface;

exposing, with the processor, a second virtual interface, separate from the first virtual interface, to the operating system and the second application, wherein the second virtual interface handles communication between the at least one device and the second application via the physical interface; and

managing, with the processor, communication (i) between the at least one device and the first application and (ii) between the at least one device and the second application, the managing of communication comprising;

receiving data from the at least one device through the physical interface,

identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided,

identifying one or more virtual interfaces through which the received data should be provided, and

providing the received data through the identified one or more virtual interfaces to the identified one or more applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one device outputs a decoded message;

the first application comprises a line of business application for receiving the decoded message from the at least one device; and

the second application comprises a management application for managing the at least one device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided comprises identifying one or more applications based on one or more filter logic rules.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first application comprises a line of business application;

the second application comprises a management application;

a filter logic rule of the one or more filter logic rules defines how a device reboot event is to be handled to shield the line of business application from the reboot event in order to facilitate preservation of a connection handle of the line of business application to the at least one device; and

another filter logic rule of the one or more filter logic rules identifies how to freeze communication to or from the line of business application during performance of device management by the management application.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein;

the received data comprises simultaneous requests for the first application and for the second application; and

at least one filter logic rule of the one or more filter logic rules identifies how a host computer system is to handle the simultaneous requests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein managing, with the processor, data communication comprises:

receiving data from the at least one device through the physical interface;

identifying, with a filter driver on the operating system, one or more applications to which the received data should be provided;

identifying, with the filter driver, one or more virtual interfaces through which the received data should be provided; and

providing, with the filter driver, the received data through the identified one or more virtual interfaces to the identified one or more applications;

wherein one or more filter logic rules applied by the filter drive are stored external to the filter drive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a driver of the operating system opens and owns the physical interface and exposes the first virtual interface and the second virtual interface to the operating system;

the first application is configured to utilize the first virtual interface for data communication with the at least one device; and

the second application is configured to utilize the second virtual interface for data communication with the at least one device.

8. A method, comprising:

opening and controlling, with a processor, a physical interface communicating with at least one peripheral device and applications, the applications comprising a first application and a second application;

exposing, with the processor, a first virtual interface to an operating system and the first application, wherein the first virtual interface handles communication between the at least one peripheral device and the first application via the physical interface;

exposing, with the processor, a second virtual interface, separate from the first virtual interface, to the operating system and the second application, wherein the second virtual interface handles communication between the at least one peripheral device and the second application via the physical interface; and

managing, with the processor, communication (i) between the at least one peripheral device and the first application and (ii) between the at least one peripheral device and the second application, the managing of communication comprising;

receiving data from the at least one device through the physical interface,

identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided,

identifying one or more virtual interfaces through which the received data should be provided, and

providing the received data through the identified one or more virtual interfaces to the identified one or more applications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one peripheral device comprises an encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message;

the first application comprises a line of business application for receiving the decoded message from the encoded information reading device; and

the second application comprises a management application for managing the encoded information reading device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided comprises identifying one or more applications based on one or more filter logic rules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more filter logic rules describe a format of incoming data from the at least one peripheral device to distinguish between data intended for different applications of the first application and the second application.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein managing, with the processor, data communication comprises:

receiving data from the at least one peripheral device through the physical interface;

identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided;

identifying one or more virtual interfaces through which the received data should be provided; and

providing the received data through the identified one or more virtual interfaces to the identified one or more applications.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein;

the at least one peripheral device comprises an encoded information reading device configured to output a decoded message;

data communicated between the at least one peripheral device and a host computer system comprises the decoded message; and

the decoded message is communicated to a line of business application of the applications executing on the host computer system.

14. A system, comprising:

an operating system;

a first application;

a second application;

a physical interface communicating with at least one device, the device configured to read encoded information;

a first virtual interface to handle communication between the at least one device and the first application via the physical interface; and

a second virtual interface, separate from the first virtual interface, to handle communication between the at least one device and the second application via the physical interface; and

a processor for;

opening and controlling the physical interface;

exposing the first virtual interface to the operating system and the first application;

exposing the second virtual interface to the operating system and the second application;

managing the communication between the at least one device and the first application; and

managing the communication between the at least one device and the second application, the managing of communication comprising;

receiving data from the at least one device through the physical interface,

identifying one or more applications to which the received data should be provided,

identifying one or more virtual interfaces through which the received data should be provided, and

providing the received data through the identified one or more virtual interfaces to the identified one or more applications.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one device outputs a decoded message;

the first application comprises a line of business application for receiving the decoded message from the at least one device; and

the second application comprises a management application for managing the at least one device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor identifies one or more applications to which the received data should be provided based on one or more filter logic rules.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more filter logic rules describe a format of incoming data from the at least one device to distinguish between data intended for different applications of the first application and the second application.