Devices as services in a decentralized operating system

• US 20050114868A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chrysanthakopoulos, Georgios, Conroy, David G., Nielsen, Henrik F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention transform devices into Web services or special-purpose servers that are capable of communicating with personal computers. Various embodiments of the present invention allow various low-level aspects of device drivers to reside in the devices, eliminating the need for the devices to be compatible with legacy specification. Various embodiments of the present invention allow various devices to be shipped from the factory with low-level software already built in so that users are liberated from having to deal with the experience of installing and upgrading device drivers. In various embodiments of the present invention, each device is preferably a network node identifiable by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

Claims

1. In a networked system, a device that is a computer subsystem, comprising:

one or more services executing in the device, each service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the service.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more services comprise an information service, the information service being capable of producing a customizable, tag-based document for describing the capabilities of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more services comprise a data service, the data service being capable of storing input/output events generated by the device and further being capable of responding to queries regarding the input/output events.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a network device driver.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a decentralized operating system on which the one or more services are executed.

6. In a networked computer system, a terminal service, comprising:

a display service with a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the display service.

7. The terminal service of claim 6, wherein the display service includes a cursor shape service for describing the shape on an on-screen cursor, the cursor shape service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the cursor shape service.

8. The terminal service of claim 6, wherein the display service includes a cursor position service for describing the position of an on-screen cursor, the cursor position service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the cursor position service.

9. The terminal service of claim 6, wherein the display service includes a window service for describing a window, the window service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the window service.

10. The terminal service of claim 9, wherein the display service includes a window list service for containing a list of window services appearing on a display, the window list service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the window list service.

11. The terminal service of claim 10, wherein the display service includes a window update service for refreshing a window represented by a window service, the window update service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the window update service.

12. The terminal service of claim 6, further comprising a keyboard service with a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the keyboard service.

13. The terminal service of claim 12, wherein the keyboard service includes an data service for containing keyboard events generated by a keyboard, the data service being capable of responding to queries to remove keyboard events for processing.

14. The terminal service of claim 6, further comprising a mouse service, the mouse service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the mouse service.

15. The terminal service of claim 14, wherein the mouse service includes a data service for containing mouse events generated by a mouse, the data service being capable of responding to queries to remove mouse events for processing.

16. A computer-implemented method for processing input/output events by devices as services, the method comprising:

requesting a service representing a device for an input/output event, the service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the service;

receiving a customizable, tag-based message that contains the input/output event; and

requesting the service to remove the input/output event.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising requesting the service for creating a window, the act of creating a window creating a window service with a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the window service.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting the service for refreshing the window, the act of requesting invoking a window update service, which repaints the window.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising requesting the service to change a cursor shape, the act of requesting invoking a cursor shape service, which changes the shape of the cursor.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising requesting the service to change a position of a cursor, the act of requesting invoking a cursor position service, which changes the position of the cursor.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing a computer-implemented method for processing input/output events by devices as services, the method comprising:

requesting a service representing a device for an input/output event, the service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the service;

receiving a customizable, tag-based message that contains the input/output event; and

requesting the service to remove the input/output event.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising requesting the service for creating a window, the act of creating a window creating a window service with a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier and a contract for describing one or more behaviors of the window service.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising requesting the service for refreshing the window, the act of requesting invoking a window update service, which repaints the window.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising requesting the service to change a cursor shape, the act of requesting invoking a cursor shape service, which changes the shape of the cursor.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising requesting the service to change a position of a cursor, the act of requesting invoking a cursor position service, which changes the position of the cursor.

26. In a networked system, a device that is a computer subsystem, comprising:

one or more services executing in the device, each service including a port identifiable by an identifer that includes a uniform resource identifier, the device being capable of coupling to the networked system to exchange customizable, tag-based messages.