Automated Tool Management in a Multi-Protocol Environment

• US 20080034376A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PEER Intellectual Property Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Asyst Technologies Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baylis, Charles, Ellis, Raymond, Pendleton, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A system, computer program product and method for automated tool management in a multi-protocol environment. A user may issue a message in accordance with an object-oriented interapplication communication protocol to a corresponding application interface unit. The message may be a request to perform a particular action on a selected tool. The content of the message may be extracted by the corresponding application interface unit which may comprise data required by the requested action and a pointer to the object representing the tool. The application interface unit may invoke a method of the object pointed to by the pointers in the message. A value may then be procured by an equipment model where the value may be associated with particular information requested in the message about a tool or a notification informing the user that an event occurred. The equipment model may transfer the value to the appropriate user.

Claims

1. A process for automated tool management comprising the steps of:

issuing a message in a selected protocol by a user, wherein said message comprises a request to perform a selected action on said tool, wherein said message comprises one or more of data and a pointer pointing to an object in an equipment model of said tool, wherein said equipment model comprises a logical representation of said tool;

receiving said message via an object-oriented interprocess;

invoking a method of said object in response to said pointer and said selected action, wherein if said message includes data, then passing said data to said method; and

transferring a value to said user, wherein said value is associated with said requested action and said data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

extracting one or more of said data and said pointer of said received message.

3. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein if said tool is an asynchronous source and if said value associated with said requested action is current, then the method further comprises the steps of:

transferring said value to an application interface unit by said equipment model, wherein said application interface unit interfaces said user with said equipment model;

incorporating said value into a return message to said user; and

transferring said return message via said object-oriented interprocess communication to said user in response to an address provided by said user.

4. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein if said tool is a synchronous source, then the method further comprises the steps of:

retrieving said value from said tool by a tool interface unit, wherein said tool interface unit interfaces said tool with said equipment model; and

transferring said value to said equipment model.

5. The process as recited in claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

incorporating said value into a return message to said user; and

transferring said return message to said user in response to an address provided by said user.

6. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein if said tool is not one of an asynchronous source and a synchronous source or if said tool is an asynchronous source that does not supply a current value associated with said requested action then the method further comprises the step of:

retrieving said value from a database of said equipment model.

7. The process as recited in claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

incorporating said value into a return message to said user; and

transferring said return message to said user in response to an address provided by said user.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said interprocess communication comprises a protocol selected from the following:

Component Object Model (COM), Remote Method Invocation (RMI), CORBA, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), SECS, GEM, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML).

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method of said object is invoked to remotely access and electronically diagnose said tool.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said data in said message is notification data.