System and method for interoperability application driven error management and recovery among intermittently coupled interoperable electronic devices

• US 20050289383A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David E. Kahn
• Original Assignee: Covia Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Bruce, Mirabella, Richard, Pieb, Wolfgang, Illowsky, Daniel, Wenocur, Michael, Tiberi, Richard, Sidney, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/2
• 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. Interoperability application driven error recovery system, method, and model. System and method keeps track of shared state and provides mechanism for communications errors to be relayed to an application and for application to relay recovery information directly to communications processing units. Thus applications running across devices can seamlessly recover from intermittent complete losses of communications between cooperating devices and recovery of shared state of devices when connection is restored even where previously lost device has itself lost all its application state.

Claims

1. A method for gracefully continuing an operation in an environment of lost or intermittent communications, wherein an event driven interoperability application package running cooperatively across multiple teamed devices gracefully continues its operations and/or partially recovers from temporarily loosing communications with devices that are part of the team, the method comprising:

(1) generating a communications session lost type event instance on a team member device when communication from the team member device to a teamed device is lost or interrupted and cannot be reestablished within a predetermined or dynamically determined time period and wherein each team member and teamed device is carrying out part of the intent of an application package;

(2) sending the communications session lost type event is directly or via a queue of events which drives synchronous operations of the application package to the application event processing unit which handles communications session lost events;

(3) the event processing unit of the application package modifying the behavior of the application package where possible to continue its operations without the teamed device with which communications has been lost or interrupted;

(4) generating a communications session recovered type event instance on the team member device when the communication is restored between the team member and teamed devices;

(5) the communications session recovered type event being sent directly or via a queue of events which drives the synchronous operations of the application to the application event processing unit which handles recovered communications sessions;

(6) the event processing unit of the application then causing the team member device to send whatever code, data, and/or content is needed to bring the teamed device into synchronization with the rest of the event driven interoperability application; and

(7) the event processing unit of the application then modifying the behavior of the application package to include the now recovered teamed device in the process of carrying out the intent of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the following are true in any combination:

(1) the event driven interoperability application package conforms to the interoperability format or is the DartFormat;

(2) the interoperability application is any interoperability application or the interoperability package is a Dart;

(3) the recruitment method is used to establish the running cooperatively across multiple teamed devices;

(4) the events are or include DART Events;

(5) the event processing unit is a Dart Gizmo class instance, or an instance of any class which inherits directly or indirectly from the Dart Gizmo class;

(6) the coordination and synchronization of events is carried out on each device by an interoperability engine or is carried out by the DartEngine; and

(7) the coordination and synchronization of events on and between devices is carried out according to an interoperability runtime or the DartRuntime.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified behavior of the application to continue its operations without the teamed device is optionally selected from the set of modifications consisting of one or more of the following in any combination:

(1) the device which is lost is simply displaying status allowing the application to continue without the display;

(2) the functions being done by the lost device are redundant and are therefore not required to carry out the intent of the application;

(3) the functions being done by the lost device can be performed instead by any remaining member or members of the team;

(4) the functions being done by the lost device can be performed instead by another device reachable by the team, and which can then be recruited into the team;

(5) the functionality of the remaining teamed devices can proceed in a reduced mode of operation; and

(6) any combination of the above.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection is lost due to any one or more of these factors alone or in any combination:

(1) battery power gets low or runs out and the device shuts down its communications, or the entire device is shut down, and or the device stops functioning;

(2) a user or other automated or non-automated process causes the device to stop functioning as part of the team without smoothly shutting down the application;

(3) the device or communications protocol stops functioning correctly for any reason other than an orderly shutdown of the part of the application running on the device;

(4) the device is reset;

(5) the device goes out of range of the wireless protocol being used;

(6) the device looses line of sight needed to maintain communication over a directional protocol;

(7) interference by signals or objects which block the communications; and

(8) any combination of the above.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a hierarchy of event processing units comprise a hierarchy of processing units that include at least one Dart Gizmo processing unit or many Dart Gizmo processing units arranged in a graph with processing sequenced and coordinated using linear tasking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein continuing or recovering is performed over a team of cooperating devices when connections are lost is carried out through the use of the DartFramework, the DartRuntime, and/or the DartEngine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein Darts built using the DartFramework and run on a Dart Player do not need any application specific special programming to support robust multi-device application, data, and communications session recovery.

8. 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 gracefully continuing an operation in a processing environment of lost or intermittent communications, wherein an event driven interoperability application package running cooperatively across multiple teamed devices gracefully continues its operations and/or partially recovers from temporarily loosing communications with devices that are part of the team, the program module including instructions for;

(1) generating a communications session lost type event instance on a team member device when communication from the team member device to a teamed device is lost or interrupted and cannot be reestablished within a predetermined or dynamically determined time period and wherein each team member and teamed device is carrying out part of the intent of an application package;

(2) sending the communications session lost type event is directly or via a queue of events which drives synchronous operations of the application package to the application event processing unit which handles communications session lost events;

(3) the event processing unit of the application package modifying the behavior of the application package where possible to continue its operations without the teamed device with which communications has been lost or interrupted;

(4) generating a communications session recovered type event instance on the team member device when the communication is restored between the team member and teamed devices;

(5) the communications session recovered type event being sent directly or via a queue of events which drives the synchronous operations of the application to the application event processing unit which handles recovered communications sessions;

(6) the event processing unit of the application then causing the team member device to send whatever code, data, and/or content is needed to bring the teamed device into synchronization with the rest of the event driven interoperability application; and

(7) the event processing unit of the application then modifying the behavior of the application package to include the now recovered teamed device in the process of carrying out the intent of the application.

9. An apparatus capable of gracefully continuing an operation in an environment of lost or intermittent communications with another teamed device, wherein an event driven interoperability application package running cooperatively across multiple teamed devices gracefully continues its operations and/or partially recovers from temporarily loosing communications with other teamed devices that are part of the team, the apparatus comprising:

a processor or processing logic and a memory coupled with the processor or processing logic;

logic means generating a communications session lost type event instance on a team member device when communication from the team member device to a teamed device is lost or interrupted and cannot be reestablished within a predetermined or dynamically determined time period and wherein each team member and teamed device is carrying out part of the intent of an application package;

first communications means sending the communications session lost type event is directly or via a queue of events which drives synchronous operations of the application package to the application event processing unit which handles communications session lost events;

an event processing unit of the application package for modifying the behavior of the application package where possible to continue its operations without the teamed device with which communications has been lost or interrupted;

second communications means generating a communications session recovered type event instance on the team member device when the communication is restored between the team member and teamed devices;

the communications session recovered type event being sent directly or via a queue of events which drives the synchronous operations of the application to the application event processing unit which handles recovered communications sessions;

the event processing unit of the application causing the team member device to send whatever code, data, and/or content is needed to bring the teamed device into synchronization with the rest of the event driven interoperability application; and

the event processing unit of the application then modifying the behavior of the application package to include the now recovered teamed device in the process of carrying out the intent of the application.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a computer, a music player, a media player, a personal data appliance (PDA), an information appliance, a printer, a recorder, a mobile or cellular telephone, a camera, an electrical appliance, or any combination of these.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one or more of the following are true in any combination:

(1) the event driven interoperability application package conforms to the interoperability format or is the DartFormat;

(2) the interoperability application is a Dart;

(3) the recruitment method is used to establish the running cooperatively across multiple teamed devices;

(4) the events are or include DARTEvents;

(5) the event processing unit is a Dart Gizmo class instance, or an instance of any class which inherits directly or indirectly from the Dart Gizmo class;

(6) the coordination and synchronization of events is carried out on each device by an interoperability engine or is carried out by the DartEngine; and

(7) the coordination and synchronization of events on and between devices is carried out according to an interoperability runtime or the DartRuntime.