Hosted method and system for automated proxy creation of device resident services

• US 20040136027A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Zehler, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A system and method provides automated creation of device resident services. A host computer includes an advertisement listener that receives device service advertisements. One or more service generator processes receive information about the advertised device services and create hosted services acting as proxies for the device services. One or more peripheral devices are linked to the host computer, with each device including a device service. The device advertises the device service to the host computer and provides a device service description describing capabilities of the device and device service to the service generator. A directory service maintains service entries for the hosted services published by the service generators. Clients may search for and select a required service in the directory service table, and the service entries serve as links to the corresponding hosted services which may then be used by the client. A selected hosted service may enhance the corresponding device service and provide augmented services to the client.

Claims

1. A method for automated proxy creation of device resident services on a computer system, the method comprising:

listening for device service advertisements, wherein the listening is performed by an advertisement listener;

informing a service generator of a device service located by the advertisement listener;

retrieving by the service generator of a device service description for the device service from an associated device;

creating by the service generator of a hosted service, wherein the hosted service acts as a proxy for the device service;

publishing by the service generator of a service entry, wherein the service entry describes the capabilities of the hosted service;

searching for a required service by a client or other user, wherein the service entry provides a link to the hosted service;

requesting services from the hosted service, wherein the requesting is performed by a client or other user of the service; and

,

processing service requests, wherein the service is performed by one of the hosted service acting alone, the device service acting alone or the hosted service and device service acing jointly.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of transforming by the service generator of the device service description to an environment specific format.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the listening is performed in an environment specific manner.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service generator comprises a plurality of service generators, and wherein each of the plurality of service generators is service type specific.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the creating includes creating objects and/or queues associated with the hosted service.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the creating includes creating a composite service by augmenting the hosted service with capabilities not available from the device service.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the augmenting includes associating other known services with the hosted service.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the publishing is performed in an environment specific manner.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the requesting is performed in an environment specific manner.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the processing is further performed by one or more associated services.

11. A system providing automated creation of device resident services, the system comprising:

a host computer including;

an advertisement listener process for receiving device service advertisements; and

,

one or more service generator processes linked to the advertisement listener for receiving information about advertised device services and creating hosted services acting as proxies for the device services; and

,

one or more peripheral devices operatively linked to the host computer, each device including;

a device service capable of offering services to a use, wherein the device advertises the device service to the host computer; and

,

a device service description means describing capabilities of the device and device service, wherein the device service description means is retrieved by the service generator.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 further including:

a directory service, wherein the directory service maintains a directory service table having a service entry for each hosted service published by the service generator;

one or more clients wherein each client may search for and select a required service in the directory service table, and wherein the selected service entry serves as a link to the corresponding hosted service which may be used by the client.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 further including:

transformed service descriptions, wherein the service generator stores each retrieved device service description after transforming it to a format usable in the host computer.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the service generator creates a service queue and/or a service object for each created hosted service.

15. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the selected hosted service provides augmented services to the client.

16. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the selected hosted service provides all services to the client.

17. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the selected device service provides all services to the client.

18. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the selected hosted service and the selected device service jointly provide services to the client.

19. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the selected hosted service utilizes other hosted services to augment services to the client.

20. The system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the one or more peripheral devices include one or more electrophotographic machines.