Manager level device/service arbitrator

• US 20030182233A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Decristo, Dianna L., Barr, Terrence, Razavi, Behfar, Kelly, Lisa M., McWalter, William F., Mocek, Darryl J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,313,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0045 using databus protocols
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network

Abstract

A method for managing access to service entities (e.g., such as a devices, resources, and services, which are limited resources) is provided. The method includes requesting a priority level. In response, a priority object with an assigned priority level is returned. A service is then requested from a service manager, and the request includes data for carrying out the requested service and the priority object. The service manager is configured to identify at least one service entity that is required to carry out the requested service. Access is then requested to at least one service entity. A determination is made as to whether the at least one service entity is in-use. If at least one service entity is in-use, a further determination is made as to whether at least one service entity that is in-use has an assigned priority level that is higher than the assigned priority level, which is associated with a current request. The requester, such as a carlet, which has the higher assigned priority will gain control of the requested entity.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to service entities, comprising:

requesting a priority level;

returning a priority object with an assigned priority level;

requesting a service from a service manager, the request including data for carrying out the requested service and the priority object, the service manager identifying at least one service entity as required to carry out the requested service;

requesting access to the at least one service entity;

determining if the at least one service entity is in-use;

if at least one service entity is in-use,

determining whether at least one service entity that is in-use has an assigned priority level that is higher than the assigned priority level, which is associated with a current request.

2. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

if the assigned priority level of the current request is higher, then the at least one in-use service entity is made available to the current request.

3. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

wherein making available the in-use service entity includes stopping a current service provided by the at least one service entity.

4. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

granting access if the assigned priority level is higher than current assigned priority levels for the requested service entity.

5. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

denying access if the assigned priority level is lower than current assigned priority levels for the requested service entity.

6. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

notifying when a previously denied access is allowed, due to current use by higher assigned priorities ending.

7. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein service entities include one of a device, a service, and a resource.

8. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein a service manager is one of a communications manager, a speech manager, a media manager, a user interface manager, and a telephony manager.

9. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein the requested priority level may be different than the assigned priority level embodied in the priority object.

10. A method for managing access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein requests for service entity use access uses the returned priority object with the assigned priority level to enable arbitration of priorities.

13. A method for arbitrating access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein use is requested from one of a communications manager, a speech manager, a media manager, a user interface manager, and a telephony manager.

14. A method for arbitrating access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein the requested priority level may be different than the assigned priority level embodied in the priority object.

15. A method for arbitrating access to service entities as recited in claim 1, wherein the returned priority object with the assigned priority level is used to enable arbitration of access to the service entities.

11. A method for arbitrating access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource, comprising:

requesting a priority level to use a service entity;

returning a priority object with an assigned priority level for using the service entity;

requesting use of the service entity, the request including data for carrying out the request and the priority object;

determining if the requested service entity is in-use,

if the service entity is not in-use, granting access to the service entity;

if the service entity is in-use,

arbitrating between the assigned priority level and a prior assigned priority level for the service entity that is in-use; and

granting access to the service entity if the assigned priority level is higher than the prior assigned priority level.

12. A method for arbitrating access to service entities as recited in claim 11, wherein service entities include one of a device, a service, and a resource.

16. A service arbitration system for granting access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource, comprising:

a calling application;

a service manager of a particular type;

a priority factory interface being implemented by the service manager, the priority factory being specific to the particular type of the service manager, the priority factory being configured to assign a priority level to the calling application in a priority object;

a service arbitrator, the service arbitrator being configured to grant and deny access to the calling application requesting use of a service entity, granting and denying being arbitrated using the assigned priority level provided by the priority object.

17. A service arbitration system for granting access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource as recited in claim 16, wherein the calling application is a carlet.

18. A service arbitration system for granting access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource as recited in claim 16, wherein the service manager receives calls from the calling application.

19. A service arbitration system for granting access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the priority factory interface and the service arbitrator include a policy.

20. A service arbitration system for granting access to service entities, the service entities being a limited resource as recited in claim 16, wherein the service arbitrator system ins integrated into a client side telematics system.