Method and system for interoperable content player device engine

• US 20050289266A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covia Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Covia Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Bruce, Mirabella, Richard, Pieb, Wolfgang, Illowsky, Daniel, Wenocur, Michael, Tiberi, Richard, Sidney, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US11/149,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 : the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 : considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 : Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 : Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 : via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 : Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 : In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 : Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 : Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 : Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 : in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

System, device, method, and computer program and computer program products for providing communicating between devices having similar or dissimilar characteristics and facilitating seamless interoperability between them. Computer program software and methods of and systems and devices for sharing of content, applications, resources and control across similar and dissimilar permanently or intermittently connected electronic devices. Devices, systems, appliances, and the like communicating and/or interoperating within the framework provided. An interoperability engine or DartEngine provides software or procedures and/or hardware used to execute the instructions of Darts on a device and carry out their intended purpose. The interoperability engine or DartEngine and the device specific player or DartPlayer, in which it is encapsulated, provides a common execution and runtime environment which allows recruitment and renditioning to establish efficient teams of devices and spread their code, data and content as best to carry out the intended purpose of applications or Darts.

Claims

1. An interoperability engine which enables or assists devices to interoperate with each other, the engine comprising:

(1) means for loading, running, and carrying-out at least part of the intent of an interoperability software package having code and wherein at least part of the code is embedded in a sequence of instructions conforming to an interoperability instruction set;

(2) means for discovering other interoperability devices; and

(3) means for direct or indirect two-way communications with other interoperability devices.

2. An interoperability engine as in claim 1, wherein one or more of the following are true in any combination:

(1) the engine comprises a DartEngine;

(2) the interoperability software package comprises an interoperability software package or comprises a Dart conforming to the DartFormat; and

(3) the means to discover other interoperability devices is at least partially carried out using a recruitment procedure or a Dart recruitment procedure.

3. An interoperability engine as in claim 1, wherein the engine includes an event queue and carries out instructions to support the use of the event queue by interoperability application packages.

4. An interoperability engine as in claim 1, wherein the engine includes a computer program product for execution in a processor or logic circuit of the a device containing the engine.

5. An interoperability engine as in claim 1, wherein the engine includes a hardware processor implementing the engine within a device containing the engine.

6. An interoperability engine as in claim 1, wherein the engine includes a hardware processor implementing a portion of the engine within a device containing the engine and a computer program product for execution in the hardware processor of the a device containing the engine.

7. An interoperability engine as in claim 6, wherein a source code for the computer program and computer program product portion of the engine are segmented into a portable section which can be used without modification on all interoperable devices and a hardware abstraction layer which may need to differ for each different type of device.

8. An interoperability engine as in claim 7, wherein the hardware abstraction layer includes code providing access to one or more of the following device functions in any combination:

(a) memory allocation functions;

(b) sound rendering functions;

(c) power management functions;

(d) printing functions;

(e) display functions;

(f) media rendering and or playback and or transcoding functions;

(g) computation functions;

(h) storage functions;

(i) communications functions;

(j) device and or service discovery functions;

(k) profile information gathering functions about the capabilities, resources, content and or environment of the device;

(l) device configuration functions;

(m) device status functions; and

(n) any other functions or operations that can be performed by the native device hardware and software that can be exposed.

9. A method for operating an interoperability engine which enables or assists a plurality of devices to interoperate with each other, the method comprising:

loading, running, and carrying-out at least part of the intent of an interoperability software package

having code and wherein at least part of the code is embedded in a sequence of instructions

conforming to an interoperability instruction set;

discovering other interoperability devices; and

directly or indirectly communicating with other interoperability devices.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein one or more of the following are true in any combination:

(1) the engine comprises a DartEngine;

(2) the interoperability software package comprises an interoperability software package or comprises a Dart conforming to the DartFormat; and

(3) discovering of other interoperability devices is at least partially carried out using a recruitment procedure or a Dart recruitment procedure.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an event queue within the engine and executing computer code instructions to support the use of the event queue by the interoperability application package.

12. A method as in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

segmenting a source code into a portable section which can be used without modification on all interoperable devices and a hardware abstraction layer which may need to differ for each different type of device.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the hardware abstraction layer includes code providing access to and optionally executing one or more of the following device functions and/or procedures alone or in any combination:

(a) memory allocation functions and procedures;

(b) sound rendering functions and procedures;

(c) power management functions and procedures;

(d) printing functions and procedures;

(e) display functions and procedures;

(f) media rendering and or playback and or transcoding functions and procedures;

(g) computation functions and procedures;

(h) storage functions and procedures;

(i) communications functions and procedures;

(j) device and or service discovery functions and procedures;

(k) profile information gathering functions and procedures about the capabilities, resources, content and or environment of the device;

(l) device configuration functions and procedures;

(m) device status functions and procedures; and

(n) any other functions and procedures or operations that can be performed by a native device hardware and software that can be exposed.

14. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system or information appliance, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a program module that directs the computer system or information appliance to function in a specified manner for operating an interoperability engine which enables or assists a plurality of devices to interoperate with each other, the program module including instructions for;

loading, running, and carrying-out at least part of the intent of an interoperability software package having code and wherein at least part of the code is embedded in a sequence of instructions conforming to an interoperability instruction set;

discovering other interoperability devices; and

directly or indirectly communicating with other interoperability devices.