Publish-subscribe architecture using information objects in a computer network
First Claim
1. A method for transferring an information object across a network, wherein a plurality of processors and storage devices are coupled to the network, wherein the information object resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein the information object is identified by a name that also identifies the first storage device, wherein a consumer process executes on a second processor accessing a second storage device, the method comprising the steps of using the consumer process to generate a request for the information object by using its name;
- transferring the request over the network to the provider process;
transferring the information object across the network to the consumer process;
storing the information object in the second storage device as a second instance of the information object;
subsequent to the step of transferring the information object, performing the following steps;
using the provider process to modify the information object;
using the network to transfer information about the modification; and
synchronizing the second instance of the information object by using the transferred information about the modification.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various aspects of the invention provide for the creation, modification, transfer, manipulation, requesting and destruction of information objects in a computer network. Although some aspects of the invention are based on publish-subscribe techniques, many modifications and additional features are provided.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for transferring an information object across a network, wherein a plurality of processors and storage devices are coupled to the network, wherein the information object resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein the information object is identified by a name that also identifies the first storage device, wherein a consumer process executes on a second processor accessing a second storage device, the method comprising the steps of
using the consumer process to generate a request for the information object by using its name; -
transferring the request over the network to the provider process;
transferring the information object across the network to the consumer process;
storing the information object in the second storage device as a second instance of the information object;
subsequent to the step of transferring the information object, performing the following steps;
using the provider process to modify the information object;
using the network to transfer information about the modification; and
synchronizing the second instance of the information object by using the transferred information about the modification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for updating an information object in a first computer system, wherein the first computer system is coupled to a computer network including multiple other computer systems, wherein a server computer in the network includes a class definition for creating information object instances of a specific type, wherein the class definition includes a specification for attribute names and values that are to exist in each information object instance of the class, the method comprising the following steps:
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creating an information object instance from the class definition in the first computer system;
identifying the existence of the information object instance in the first computer system to one or more other computers in the network;
using the first computer system to define a relational condition based on one or more of the attribute names and values;
communicating the relational condition to one or more computer systems in the network;
using a computer in the network to detect when the relational condition is satisfied; and
in response to the satisfaction of the relational condition, transferring at least a portion of an instance of an information object that has attribute names and values satisfying the relational condition to the first computer system. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for synchronizing a data definition across a network, wherein a plurality of processors and storage devices are coupled to the network, wherein the data definition resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein a data object associated with the data definition resides in a second storage device accessed by a consumer process executing on a second processor, the method comprising the steps of
using the provider process to change the data definition; -
propagating the changed data definition across the network; and
using the consumer process to access the data object according to the changed data definition. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for providing a data browser user interface, the data browser user interface executing on a first computer system, the first computer system including a processor coupled to a memory, a display device and a user input device, the computer system further coupled to a computer network including a plurality of interconnected computer systems, wherein a plurality of information objects that are instances of class definitions resides in the computer systems, and wherein the class definitions include attribute/value pairs, the method comprising the following steps:
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displaying one or more information objects;
accepting signals from the user input device to select an information object, the information object being associated with at least one provider process executing on a computer system in the network;
showing one or more of the attribute/value pairs of the selected information object;
accepting signals from the user input device to make a relational condition based on the attribute/value pairs of the selected information object;
transferring the relational condition, an identifier for the selected information object and an identifier for the first computer system to one or more computers in the network; and
when the relational condition is satisfied by one or more information objects in the network, receiving and displaying at least a portion of an information object that satisfies the relational condition. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for distributing information objects over the Internet, the system using a computer coupled to the Internet, wherein the computer includes a user input device and a processor, wherein the Internet includes an information object having attributes, the system comprising
accepting signals from the user input device to specify a relational condition using one or more of the attributes; -
using the processor to transfer an indication to the Internet of the specified relational condition; and
using the processor to receive one or more information objects satisfying the specified condition. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A system for processing information objects as disclosed by the text herein.
Specification