Systems and methods for cloud-based application access to resources

• US 10,574,587 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stafford, Tobias J., Wier, Byron J., Henry, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Hee Soo
• Application Number:
  US16/143,395
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 709225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Systems and methods which facilitate access to computing resources by cloud-based applications are described. Embodiments enable cloud-based applications to provide output to and/or obtain input from computing resources, such as printers, scales, scanners, and storage devices, for performing various functions. In operation according to embodiments, a user agent client application is executed by computing equipment in communication with a computing resource to which access is to be provided to one or more cloud-based applications. Although embodiments implement a user interface client application which is separate from a user agent client application, tight integration between a user interface client application and user agent client application may be provided. Embodiments not only facilitate operation whereby a cloud-based application is enabled to provide output to and/or obtain input from computing resources, but also facilitate remote and/or shared client interaction with such computing resources.

Claims

1. A method for providing cloud-based application access to one or more computing resources disposed in association with a client terminal, the method comprising:

establishing an open channel communication link between a cloud-based application and a user agent client application associated with the client terminal, wherein the user agent client application is adapted to provide control of at least one computing resource of the one or more computing resources; and

in response to invocation of functionality of the cloud-based application by a cloud client application hosted on a user client interface application of the client terminal, arbitrating access to a selected computing resource of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application via the user agent client application based at least in part on information transmitted via the open channel communication link, wherein the cloud client application is configured to inhibit interaction with and control of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application, and wherein the arbitrating bypasses the user client interface application by;

receiving, from the cloud client application, information associated with the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application, and

transmitting, by the cloud-based application, one or more commands to the user agent client application, the one or more commands configured to control access to the selected computing resource via the open channel communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the open channel communication link comprises a socket pair channel providing secure communication between the user agent client application and the cloud-based application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the open channel communication link is part of a channel group, wherein the channel group comprises a plurality of associated open channel communication links between different nodes to the cloud-based application, and wherein intercommunication between the different nodes is provided by the plurality of associated open channel communication links of the channel group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the different nodes comprise the cloud client application, wherein the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application includes initiating a task which employs the access to the selected computing resource, and wherein the arbitrating access to the selected computing resource by the cloud-based application via the user agent client application is in response to the cloud client application having initiated the task which employs the access to the selected computing resource.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the different nodes further comprise a first and second instance of the user agent client application, wherein the first instance of the user agent client application is the user agent client application executing on the client terminal, wherein the second instance of the user agent client application has a different computing resource associated therewith, and wherein the method comprises:

selecting the selected computing resource from a group of computing resources for which cloud-based application access is provided, wherein the group of computing resources includes at least the selected computing resource and the different computing resource.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving presence information that identifies the at least one computing resource of the one or more computing resources for which control by the cloud-based application is provided via the user agent client application.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting changes with respect to the at least one computing resource of the one or more computing resources based on the presence information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application comprises functionality to generate postage indicia with respect to mail items, and wherein the information associated with the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application comprises mail item information associated with a mail item, the method further comprising:

generating, by the cloud-based application, postage indicium data for the mail item based on the mail item information, wherein the selected computing resource comprises a printer, and wherein the one or more commands transmitted to the user agent client application are configured to control access to the printer with respect to printing a postage indicium based on the postage indicium data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected computing resource comprises a scale, and wherein the method comprises obtaining, by the cloud-based application, a weight of an item from the scale via the arbitrated access provided via the user agent client application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected computing resource comprises a scanner, and wherein the method comprises obtaining, by the cloud-based application, information scanned from an item via the arbitrated access provided via the user agent client application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud-based application comprises a shipping management system, and wherein the arbitrated access to the selected computing resource provided via the user agent client application comprises functionality for management of shipment of an item by the shipping management system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected computing resource comprises a printer, and wherein the method comprises printing a shipping label to the computing resource by the shipping management system via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application, the shipping label comprising a value bearing indicium generated by the shipping management system in response to an electronic commerce transaction performed using the user agent client application.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the shipping management system provides shipping management functionality with respect to multiple shipping service providers, wherein the method comprises obtaining input from the selected computing resource via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application and providing the input obtained from the selected computing resource to a respective system of any shipping service provider of the multiple shipping service providers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the shipping management system provides shipping management functionality with respect to multiple shipping service providers, wherein the method comprises outputting data to the selected computing resource via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application, and wherein the shipping management functionality facilitates providing the output to the selected computing resource by a respective system of any shipping service provider of the multiple shipping service providers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the shipping management system provides shipping management functionality with respect to multiple commerce channels, wherein the method comprises obtaining input from the selected computing resource via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application, wherein the shipping management functionality facilitates providing the input obtained from the selected computing resource to a respective system of any commerce channel of the multiple commerce channels.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the shipping management system provides shipping management functionality with respect to multiple commerce channels, wherein the method comprises obtaining input from the selected computing resource via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application, wherein the shipping management functionality facilitates providing the input obtained from the selected computing resource to a respective system of any commerce channel of the multiple commerce channels.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for providing cloud-based application access to one or more computing resources disposed in association with a client terminal, the operations comprising:

establishing an open channel communication link between a cloud-based application and a user agent client application associated with the client terminal, wherein the user agent client application is adapted to provide control of at least one computing resource of the one or more computing resources; and

in response to invocation of functionality of the cloud-based application by a cloud client application hosted on a user client interface application of the client terminal, arbitrating access to a selected computing resource of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application via the user agent client application based at least in part on information transmitted via the open channel communication link, wherein the cloud client application is configured to inhibit interaction with and control of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application, and wherein the arbitrating bypasses the user client interface application by;

receiving, from the cloud client application, information associated with the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application, and

transmitting, by the cloud-based application, one or more commands to the user agent client application, the one or more commands configured to control access to the selected computing resource via the open channel communication link.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the cloud-based application comprises a shipping management system providing functionality for management of shipments of items, wherein the selected computing resource comprises a printer, and wherein the operations comprise printing a shipping label to the selected computing resource by the shipping management system via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application, the shipping label comprising a value bearing indicium generated by the shipping management system in response to an electronic commerce transaction performed using the user agent client application.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the cloud-based application comprises a shipping management system that provides shipping management functionality with respect to multiple shipping service providers, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

obtain information from the selected computing resource via the arbitrated access provided by the user agent client application; and

provide the information obtained from the selected computing resource to a respective system of any shipping service provider of the multiple shipping service providers.

20. A system for providing cloud-based application access to one or more computing resources disposed in association with a client terminal, the system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to;

establish an open channel communication link between a cloud-based application and a user agent client application associated with the client terminal, wherein the user agent client application is adapted to provide control of at least one computing resource of the one or more computing resources; and

in response to invocation of functionality of the cloud-based application by a cloud client application hosted on a user client interface application of the client terminal, arbitrate access to a selected computing resource of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application via the user agent client application based at least in part on information transmitted via the open channel communication link, wherein the cloud client application is configured to inhibit interaction with and control of the at least one computing resource by the cloud-based application, and wherein the arbitrated access bypasses the user client interface application through reception, by the cloud-based application, of information associated with the invoked functionality of the cloud-based application from the cloud client application and transmission, by the cloud-based application, of one or more commands to the user agent client application, the one or more commands configured to control access to the selected computing resource via the open channel communication link.