System and method for providing an interface for scripting programs to communicate with embedded systems
First Claim
1. A system for providing communication between a host computer and an embedded computer, the system comprising:
- an embedded computer executing a plurality of threads that provide a communication interface, each communication interface having a plurality of data fields;
a script engine for executing script instructions;
a communication database identifying each of the communication interfaces, wherein the communication database is automatically generated, at least in part, from information comprising;
an interface description file that defines the communications interfaces;
machine characteristics of the embedded device; and
machine characteristics of a platform that is executing the script engine;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based upon information from information from the communication database; and
wherein the script instructions identify at least one of the communication interfaces in the communication database and invoke a function with respect to at least one field in the identified communication interface via the application programming interface, wherein the function is selected from the group comprising;
storing data in one of the data fields, reading data from one of the data fields, and testing a data field.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing seamless communication with threads executing on an embedded computer. Using a DAT system, a programmer can test the communication interfaces of a thread via either a scripting program, any COM-compliant program, or a graphical test utility. The DAT system automatically formats a block of data that is transmitted between the embedded computer and a host computer and accounts for machine specific enumeration sizes, machine specific pointer sizes, machine specific structure alignment boundaries, machine specific integer sizes, and machine specific byte ordering.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for providing communication between a host computer and an embedded computer, the system comprising:
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an embedded computer executing a plurality of threads that provide a communication interface, each communication interface having a plurality of data fields;
a script engine for executing script instructions;
a communication database identifying each of the communication interfaces, wherein the communication database is automatically generated, at least in part, from information comprising;
an interface description file that defines the communications interfaces;
machine characteristics of the embedded device; and
machine characteristics of a platform that is executing the script engine;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based upon information from information from the communication database; and
wherein the script instructions identify at least one of the communication interfaces in the communication database and invoke a function with respect to at least one field in the identified communication interface via the application programming interface, wherein the function is selected from the group comprising;
storing data in one of the data fields, reading data from one of the data fields, and testing a data field.
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2. A system for providing communication with a thread, the system comprising:
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a plurality of threads that each provide a communication interface;
a communication database identifying each of the communication interfaces;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interfaces, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based, at least in part, upon information from the communication database; and
wherein the script instructions communicate with a thread using at least one of the communication interfaces in the communication database via the application programming interface.
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3. A system for providing communication with a thread, the system comprising:
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a plurality of threads that each provide a communication interface;
an interface description file identifying each of the communication interfaces;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interfaces, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based, at least in part, upon information from the interface description file; and
wherein the script instructions communicate with a thread using at least one of the communication interfaces via the application programming interface.
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4. A system for providing communication with a thread, the system comprising:
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a plurality of threads that each provide a communication interface, each communication interface having a plurality of data fields;
a communication database identifying each of the communication interfaces;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interfaces, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based, at least in part, upon information from the communication database; and
wherein the script instructions identify at least one of the communication interfaces in the communication database and invoke a function with respect to at least one field in the identified communication interfaces via the application programming interface. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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7. A system for providing communication between a host computer and an embedded computer, the system comprising:
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an embedded computer executing a plurality of threads that provide a communication interface, each communication interface having a plurality of fields;
a communication database identifying each of the communication interfaces;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface, wherein the communication module is automatically generated based in part from information that is maintained in the communication database; and
wherein the script instructions identify at least one of the communication interfaces in the communication database and invoke a function with respect to at least one field in the identified communication interfaces via the application programming interface. - View Dependent Claims (6, 8)
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9. A system for providing communication with a thread, the system comprising:
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a plurality of threads that communicate via a communication interface;
a communication module for providing an application programming interface for the script instructions to access the communication interface; and
wherein the script instructions communicate with a thread via the application programming interface. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising:
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retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides an application programming interface for a scripting program to access a communication interface that is provided by a thread that is executing on an embedded computer;
storing data in at least one data field via the application programming interface; and
transmitting the stored data to the thread via application programming interface and the communication interface.
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12. A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising:
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retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides a read method for a scripting program to access a communication interface; and
invoking a read method of the communication object thereby receiving stored data that is provided via the communication interface by a thread that is executing on an embedded computer.
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13. A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising:
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generating a communication database that describes at least one communication characteristic of a communication interface that is defined in an interface description file;
retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides an application programming interface for a scripting program to access a communication interface that is provided by a thread that is executing on an embedded computer; and
storing data in at least one data field in the communication via the use of the application programming interface.
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14. A method of providing communication with a thread, the method comprising:
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retrieving a reference to a communication object, wherein the communication object provides a application programming interface for a scripting program to access a communication interface that is provided by a thread that is executing on an embedded computer; and
storing data in at least one data field in the communication via the use of the application programming interface.
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15. A method of providing access to a communication, the method comprising:
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providing a communication object that comprises at least one function for communicating with a thread that is executing on an embedded computer, wherein the function is invoked from a scripting program; and
accessing the communication object via the scripting program.
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16. A system for providing access to a communication, the method comprising:
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a communication object that comprises at least one function for communicating with an thread that is executing on an embedded computer, wherein the function is invoked from a scripting program; and
means for accessing the communication object via the scripting program.
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17. An executable communication object, the communication object comprising:
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a plurality of interfaces for accessing a communication from a scripting program, wherein at least one of the interfaces is selected from the group comprising;
a broadcasting interface for broadcasting the communication, a sending interface for sending the communication, an interface for reading the communication, an interface for retrieving persistent data from a communication database, a registration interface for registering the communication as available for use, and a subscription interface for subscribing to the communication; and
wherein each of the plurality of interfaces are automatically generated based, at least in part, from information that is stored in an interface description file that describes a communication interface.
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18. An executable communication object, the communication object comprising:
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a database storing test data; and
an application programming interface for communicating via a communication interface from a scripting program, wherein when the communication interface is invoked, the test data from a database is transmitted via the communication interface.
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19. A system for providing a communication interface that is accessible by a plurality of components, the system comprising:
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a scripting program in a first programming language;
a scripting program in a second programming language; and
at least one communication module which is configured to provide an application programming interface for the first scripting program to communicate with the second scripting program.
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Specification