Dynamically extensible communications gateway

• US 20020191574A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lubec Campobello LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Taylor, Rebecca S., Sartin, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

This invention discloses a generalized software gateway function which can be housed within small devices and is scalable up to the largest server or other hardware environment which eliminates the differences between devices at the application format, communications protocol and device characteristics layers.

Claims

1. A protocol and data format communications gateway apparatus, comprising:

one or more state machines describing the sequence of instructions which the gateway must execute in order that two or more devices successfully exchange data;

one or more application adapters providing the interface form to and from the gateway and the application which must exchange data with another application; and

one or more media adapters providing the control of the actual communications link, which frees the application from providing this control directly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gateway is capable of residing on only one of two or more devices which need to exchange information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein new instructions may be loaded into the communications gateway providing for dynamic update of the gateway'"'"'s support of devices requiring data exchange, without modification to the gateway itself, nor restart of the gateway required.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein state machines may be removed from the gateway without modification to nor restart of the gateway required.

5. A method to make a protocol and data format communications gateway apparatus, comprising:

providing one or more state machines describing the sequence of instructions which the gateway must execute in order that two or more devices successfully exchange data;

providing one or more application adapters providing the interface form to and from the gateway and the application which must exchange data with another application; and

providing one or more media adapters providing the control of the actual communications link, which frees the application from providing this control directly.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the gateway is capable of residing on only one of two or more devices which need to exchange information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein new instructions may be loaded into the communications gateway providing for dynamic update of the gateway'"'"'s support of devices requiring data exchange, without modification to the gateway itself, nor restart of the gateway required.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein state machines may be removed from the gateway without modification to nor restart of the gateway required.

9. A method to use a protocol and data format communications gateway apparatus, comprising:

describing the sequence of instructions from one or more state machines which the gateway must execute in order that two or more devices successfully exchange data;

providing the interface form to and from the gateway for one or more application adapters and the application which must exchange data with another application; and

providing the control of the actual communications link for one or more media adapters, which frees the application from providing this control directly.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the gateway is capable of residing on only one of two or more devices which need to exchange information.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein new instructions may be loaded into the communications gateway providing for dynamic update of the gateway'"'"'s support of devices requiring data exchange, without modification to the gateway itself, nor restart of the gateway required.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein state machines may be removed from the gateway without modification to nor restart of the gateway required.