Method in an embedded environment for arranging functionality of a remote device

• US 20030110238A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ahonen, Petri
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

The invention concerns a method in an embedded environment for arranging functionality of a remote device (13.1). Parties in the method are at least one remote device (13.1) and at least one server machine (11). A connection is arranged for both parties (13.1, 11) with a data network (10), in connection with which a possible gateway (17) is arranged between the server machine (11) and the data network (10). The parties (13.1, 11) and the possible gateway (17) operate in an environment based on an ORB (Object Request Broker) core. In order to arrange functionality of the remote device (13.1) in steps

one of the said parties (13.1, 11) takes the measures required in order to form a functionality request,

the functionality request is supplied to the server machine (11),

the functionality request is interpreted at the server machine (11),

the server machine (11) takes the measures required to achieve functionality, and

the server machine (11) processes the results obtained in consequence of the measures in accordance with an established criterion. The functionality request is formed as a method call, in accordance with which the server machine (11) collects from its storage media (12) as the said result a code defined in the method call and corresponding with the functionality, which code is transmitted, relayed and received at the terminal equipment (16.1) of the remote device (13.1) and in each step processed by the said ORB core. Then in steps

the code received by the remote device (13.1) is stored in the storage media,

the virtual processor (27) is activated at the remote device (13.1),

the said code is executed by the virtual processor (27),

the result obtained from the execution is processed in accordance with the established criterion, and

the virtual processor (27) is made passive from the storage media of the remote device (13.1).

Claims

1. Method in an embedded environment for arranging functionality of a remote device (13.1), wherein parties are

at least one remote device (13.1) and at least one server machine (11), in connection with which at least a processor (27, 24), storage media (26, 12) and terminal equipment (16.1) are arranged for communication in a data network (10), and

wherein a connection is arranged for both parties (13.1, 11) with the data network (10), in connection with which a possible gateway (17) is arranged between the server machine (11) and the data network (10) and wherein the parties (13.1, 11) and the possible gateway (17) function in an environment based on an ORB (Object Request Broker) core and wherein in order to arrange functionality of the remote device (13.1) in steps

one of the said parties (13.1, 11) takes the measures required for forming a functionality request,

the functionality request is supplied to the server machine (11),

the functionality request is interpreted at the server machine (11),

the server machine (11) takes the measures required for bringing about functionality and

the server machine (11) processes the result obtained in consequence of the measures taken in accordance with an established criterion,

characterised in that the functionality request is formed as a method call, in accordance with which the server machine (11) collects from its storage media (12) as the said result the code defined in the method call and corresponding to the functionality, which code is transmitted, relayed and received at the terminal equipment (16.1) of the remote device (13.1)

and in each step processed by the said ORB core, whereupon in steps

the code received by the remote device (13.1) is stored in its storage media,

a virtual processor (27) is activated at the remote device (13.1),

the said code is executed at the virtual processor (27),

the result obtained from the execution is processed in accordance with the established criterion, and

the virtual processor (27) is made passive from the storage media of the remote device (13.1).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the data network (10) is a wireless mobile station network, such as, for example, a GSM network or a network based on 3G technology.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the code containing the functionality is removed from the storage media of the remote device (13.1) after its execution.

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the code containing the functionality is preserved at the remote device (13.1) as a network cache memory.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterised in that the code is a native processor code, which is in a form that can be directly interpreted by the virtual processor (27).

6. Method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that the code is in some high level language, such as e.g. Java, which is interpreted during the processing.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the code is arranged in the J2ME format (Java 2, Micro Edition).

8. Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the virtual processor (27) is in accordance with the J2ME specification.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterised in that the virtual processor (27) is a Java virtual processor intended for limited environments, such as e.g. a KVM (K Virtual Machine).

10. Method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterised in that in connection with the method call a routing map is arranged, in accordance with which the method call is processed in at least two remote devices (13.1, 13.2) and wherein finally the result obtained in consequence of routing is relayed to the party who initiated the method call.