Device service provider interface

• US 20060053234A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Agarwal, Abhishek, Sriram, Balasubramanian, Ahmed, Mohamed Fakrudeen Ali, Goteti, Janaki Ram, Kumar, Anush, Anantharaman, Vinod, Reddy, Vamshidhar G.R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,701,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The subject invention provides a system and/or a method that facilitates interacting with a device component to provide uniform communication, discovery, and management. A device service provider interface (DSPI) component can provide a uniform manner to communicate and/or manage a radio frequency identification (RFID) device. The DSPI component can include a receiver component that receives one or more RFID server data and RFID device data. The DSPI component can define an interface that facilitates communication of the one or more of RFID server data and RFID device data between an RFID device and an RFID server in a uniform manner. The interface(s) can be defined to handle discovery, configuration, communication, and connection management.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates interacting with a device, comprising:

a component that receives a protocol translation that relates to a device; and

a device service provider interface (DSPI) component that defines an interface to uniformly communicate to the device and expose functionality of the device regardless of a device vendor and the protocol standard.

2. The system of claim 1, the device can have at least one of the following:

an associated provider that implements the interface to expose functionality, the device vendor as a third-party vendor to utilize the DSPI component.

3. The system of claim 2, the associated provider utilizes a device command, which abstracts a device specific detail and is a processor independent platform assembly.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a request response component that defines a message exchange that is a command and a response object, wherein the command and the response are asynchronous and matched utilizing a message ID.

5. The system of claim 4, the message exchange is a request response pair being at least one of the following:

a command;

a property; and

a notification.

6. The system of claim 1, the device is at last one of the following:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, a real-time sensor, a sensor, a device extensible to a web service, and a real-time event generation system.

7. The system of claim 1, the DSPI component separates a logical event source and a physical event source, wherein there is one instantiation and such instantiation is utilized to work with the device regardless of at least one of the following:

a location, a type, the device vender, the protocol standard.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device interface component that defines a layer, wherein the layer is one of:

a message layer; and

a transport layer.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device discovery interface component that defines an device discovery mechanism utilizing a markup language defined string encapsulating device connection data, wherein the device discovery mechanism instantiates one DSPI component per provider.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an SPI container component that loads a DSPI provider, wherein the SPI container component provides one of the following:

a compatible SPI version;

a digital authentication of a driver; and

a driver registration.

11. The system of claim 1, the DSPI component utilizes a security component that provides one of the following:

a secure connection;

an authentication of a provider; and

a verification of the device.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 1.

13. A computer-implemented method that facilitates interacting with a device, comprising:

receiving a protocol translation that relates to a device; and

defining an interface to uniformly communicate to the device and expose functionality of the device regardless of a device vendor and the protocol Standard.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

loading a provider into an RED server;

defining a message layer and a transport layer; and

discovering and configuring the device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising a message exchange pair that is asynchronous.

16. The method of claim 13, the message exchange pair is one of the following:

a request and a response;

a request and a reply;

a request and a notification; and

a request and a property.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising separating a logical event source and a physical event source.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising extending the interface to at least one of a third party device vendor, a web service, and a real-time sensor device.

19. A data packet that communicates between a receiver component and the interface, the data packet facilitates the method of claim 13.

20. A computer implemented system that facilitates interacting with a radio frequency identification (RFED) device, comprising:

means for receiving a protocol translation that relates to a device; and

means for defining an interface to uniformly communicate to the device and expose functionality of the device regardless of a device vendor and the protocol standard.