Smart control points

• US 20040221007A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Saint-Hilaire, Ylian, Edwards, James W., Kidd, Nelson F., Roe, Bryan Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/427,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

According to some embodiments, provided are reception of a filter from a client application, the filter describing a requested object, discover of the requested object on a network, and instantiation of a local object corresponding to the requested object.

Claims

1. A method for a network control point comprising:

receiving a filter from a client application, the filter describing a requested object;

discovering the requested object on a network; and

instantiating a local object corresponding to the requested object.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

interfacing with the local object to control the requested object.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested object is a device, and further comprising:

receiving a first heart beat notification associated with the device;

determining an address associated with the device based on the first heart beat notification;

providing the first address to the client application;

receiving a second heart beat notification associated with the device;

determining a changed address associated with the device based on the second heart beat notification; and

providing the changed address to the client application.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining a first network interface associated with the device based on the first heartbeat notification;

providing the first network interface to the client application;

determining a second network interface associated with the device based on the second heartbeat notification; and

providing the second network interface to the client application.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

subscribing to heart beat notifications issued by the device.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested object is a device, and further comprising:

obtaining subscriptions to advertisements issued by the device;

determining a renewal period associated with the device;

transmitting a request to renew the subscriptions based on the renewal period;

determining whether the request was accepted; and

providing an event to the client application to reset the control point if the request was not accepted.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested object is a device, and further comprising:

receiving a description from the device;

generating a device specification based on the description; and

providing the specification to the client application.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the description is an extensible markup language document.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the object is a first content directory service, further comprising:

discovering a second content directory service on the network;

instantiating a second local object corresponding to the second content directory service;

enumerating the content directory services; and

synchronizing media objects associated with the content directory services.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the synchronizing step comprises:

determining first media objects associated with the second content directory service that are not associated with the content directory service; and

creating the first media objects on the content directory service.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the synchronizing step further comprises:

determining second media objects associated with the content directory service that are not associated with the second content directory service; and

removing the second media objects from the content directory service.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the synchronizing step further comprises:

determining third media objects associated with the content directory service that differ from corresponding objects associated with the second content directory service; and

updating the third media objects based on the corresponding objects.

13. A processor-readable medium storing processor-executable process steps, the process steps comprising:

a step to receive a filter from a client application, the filter describing a requested object;

a step to discover the requested object on a network; and

a step to instantiate a local object corresponding to the requested object.

14. A medium according to claim 13, the process steps further comprising:

a step to interface with the local object to control the requested object.

15. A medium according to claim 13, the process steps further comprising:

a step to receive a first heart beat notification associated with the object;

a step to determine an address associated with the object based on the first heart beat notification;

a step to provide the first address to the client application;

a step to receive a second heart beat notification associated with the object;

a step to determine a changed address associated with the object based on the second heart beat notification; and

a step to provide the changed address to the client application.

16. A medium according to claim 13, the process steps further comprising:

a step to obtain subscriptions to advertisements issued by the object;

a step to determine a renewal period associated with the object;

a step to transmit a request to renew the subscriptions based on the renewal period;

a step to determine whether the request was accepted; and

providing an event to the client application to reset the control point if the request was not accepted.

17. A medium according to claim 13, wherein the object is a first content directory service, the process steps further comprising:

a step to discover a second content directory service on the network;

a step to instantiate a second local object corresponding to the second content directory service;

a step to enumerate the content directory services; and

a step to synchronize media objects associated with the content directory services.

18. A medium according to claim 17, wherein the step to synchronize comprises:

a step to determine first media objects associated with the second content directory service that are not associated with the content directory service;

a step to create the first media objects on the content directory service;

a step to determine second media objects associated with the content directory service that are not associated with the second content directory service;

a step to remove the second media objects from the content directory service;

a step to determine third media objects associated with the content directory service that differ from corresponding objects associated with the second content directory service; and

a step to update the third media objects based on the corresponding objects.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a fixed disk drive storing processor-executable process steps; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operative in conjunction with the stored process steps to;

receive a filter from a client application, the filter describing a requested object;

discover the requested object on a network; and

instantiate a local object corresponding to the requested object.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the requested object is a device, and the processor further operative in conjunction with the stored process steps to:

receive a first heart beat notification associated with the device;

determine an address associated with the device based on the first heart beat notification;

provide the first address to the client application;

receive a second heart beat notification associated with the device;

determine a changed address associated with the device based on the second heart beat notification; and

provide the changed address to the client application.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, the processor further operative in conjunction with the stored process steps to:

determine a first network interface associated with the device based on the first heartbeat notification;

provide the first network interface to the client application;

determine a second network interface associated with the device based on the second heartbeat notification; and

provide the second network interface to the client application.

22. A medium storing process steps to provide a memory service, the process steps comprising steps to provide:

an allocate memory action to send a memory allocation request to the memory service;

a set memory action to store data in allocated memory;

a get memory action to retrieve the data from the allocated memory; and

a deallocate memory action to request release of allocated memory.

23. A medium according to claim 22, the allocate memory action to transmit a token value corresponding to the allocated memory, and the set memory action, the get memory action and the deallocate memory action to receive the token value.

24. A medium according to claim 22, the process steps further comprising steps to provide:

an enumerate allocations memory action to list allocated memory segments and token values corresponding to each allocated memory segment.

25. A medium according to claim 22, the allocate memory action to allocate the memory so as to indicate whether the allocated memory is included in the list of allocated memory segments.

26. A medium according to claim 22, the allocate memory action to allocate the memory so as to allow multiple control points to access the allocated memory.

27. A system comprising:

a personal computer comprising;

a fixed disk drive storing processor-executable process steps; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operative in conjunction with the stored process steps to provide a memory service, the memory service comprising;

an allocate memory action to send a memory allocation request to the memory service;

a set memory action to store data in allocated memory;

a get memory action to retrieve the data from the allocated memory; and

a deallocate memory action to request release of allocated memory.

28. A system according to claim 27, further comprising:

a device in communication with the personal computer, the device comprising a control point to invoke the memory service.