System for distributing, installing and running web applications (agents)

• US 20060064457A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wolff, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A networked information appliance for use on a network, comprising a plurality of agency base units, wherein each base unit is configured on the network with an address and a plurality of agent cards, wherein each agent card includes state for at least one functionality that is provided to a user of the network at an address dependent on the address of the agency base unit into which the agent card is mounted.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method of processing information for use on a network, comprising:

configuring a plurality of agency base units such that each agency base unit is addressable at an address on the network;

storing, on an agent card of a plurality of agent cards, at least one response functionality for implementing one or more document request response functions;

storing, on the agent card, state for the at least one response functionality that is provided to a user of the network at an address dependent on the address of the agency base unit into which the agent card is mounted, wherein the state included on the agent card is a state of the at least one response functionality.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

mounting the agent card to the agency base unit; and

triggering the at least one response functionality by a document request issued to the agency base unit over the network.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling the plurality of agency base units are coupled to an agency device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling the plurality of agency base units are coupled to an HTTP server.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the state as an XML file in a file system on the agent card.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing transformations of documents, as described by a tagset, as a tagset file in a file system on the agent card.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising adapting the agent card with program instructions for applying transforms specified in a tagset to a document.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing state, tagsets and data for the agent card in a file structure.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing state, tagsets and data for the agent card in a static file structure.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising adapting the agent card to perform on-card processing for processing messages received from an agency through a message passing interface.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising processing, on the agent card, messages received from an agency through a message passing interface.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring for an ejection request indicating a desire to eject the agent card; and

in response to receipt of an ejection request, writing a state of the agent card to the agent card prior to the agent card being removed from the agency base unit.

24. A method of processing information for use on a network, comprising:

configuring a plurality of agency base units such that each agency base unit is addressable at an address on the network;

coupling each of the plurality of agency base units to an HTTP server;

storing, on an agent card of a plurality of agent cards, at least one response functionality for implementing one or more document request response functions;

storing, in an XML file in a file system on the agent card, state for the at least one response functionality that is provided to a user of the network at an address dependent on the address of the agency base unit into which the agent card is mounted, wherein the state included on the agent card is a state of the at least one response functionality.