Dynamic machine synthesis for wireless device access and management

• US 20030177159A1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Wei, Shen, Jun, Liu, Xiao Xi, Song, Song, Fu, Rong Yao
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Disclosed is a dynamic machine synthesis method for effective wireless device access and management via device capability integration. Simple devices can be assembled into dynamic machines (DM) through the method to provide integrated access and management methods to end-users and thus bring true convenience and flexibility. Thus comprehensive applications or service requirements can be addressed with a group of simple devices. Devices themselves are no longer treated as individual ones but integral parts of a DM. The method also provides a new means to solve complex problems by using dynamic machines instead of designing and manufacturing new real machines, so that we can just build a DM in time of need and disassemble it when it is no longer needed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

constructing a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in said group has short-range wireless communication ability, comprising the steps of;

starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user;

analyzing the template to determine the capabilities required for the machine;

searching in the group for devices at least one of said capabilities; and

integrating the devices searched-out in the searching step into the machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said template defines the machine formed with one or more components each having required capabilities, and said integrating step comprises:

linking devices from the group with at lease one of the required capabilities so as to build each of said component using the linked devices; and

integrating said component into said machine.

3. The method of claim 1, characterized by further comprising the steps of determining whether a pool processing device capable of performing a pool processing for said template application exists in said group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that a pool processing device exists in said group, the pool processing device carries out the searching step and device management.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that no pool processing device exists in said group, said searching step:

broadcasting an inquiry message over the group; and

allowing each device in the group to respond the inquiry message with its self-describing information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said self-describing information comprises at least one built-in page, which describes at least its own capabilities, properties, and events.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one built-in page includes a detailed profile of the device written in one or more languages common to all the devices in the group and in a readable format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said profile includes information selected from an information group consisting of

device capability description;

device property description;

device method description; and

event description.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprises the step of generating information regarding the machine for higher-level management.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprises selecting devices to be used for building the machine based on the self-describing information.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing construction of a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

13. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for construction of a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

11. An apparatus comprising means for constructing a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in said group has short-range wireless communication ability, said means for constructing comprising:

means for starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user;

means for analyzing the template to determine the capabilities required for the machine;

means for searching in the group for devices at least one of said capabilities; and

means for integrating the devices searched-out in the searching step into the machine.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing means for construction of a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 11.