Dynamic communication stack

• US 20090150549A1
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Spieth, Christopher, Markisohn, David Bradley, Young, Morris J., Cummings, Allen B., Scroggin, Adam R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A method of facilitating communication between a resource and a computer is described. The computer employs a software application that allows the computer to communicate with the resource. The resource may comprise a medical device such as a blood glucose meter or an insulin pump. In order to facilitate communication between the computer and the resource, the software constructs a communication protocol particular to the type of resource connected to the computer. The stack comprising the communication protocol allows the computer to communicate with the resource. Once the resource and computer cease communication, the stack may be removed from the memory of the computer.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating communication between a resource and a computer running a software program comprising the steps of:

establishing a link between the resource and the computer;

ascertaining the type of resource linked with the computer;

assembling a communication protocol based upon the type of resource; and

transferring data from the resource to the computer based upon the assembled communication protocol.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the resource is a medical device.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the medical device is a blood glucose meter.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the medical device is an insulin pump.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the resource is an information management device.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a communication protocol includes the steps of:

locating the type of resource in a configuration information; and

assembling the communication protocol based upon instructions contained in the configuration information.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising the step of downloading a new set of instructions into the configuration information if the type of resource is not included in the configuration information.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the computer is connected to the Internet and the download of the new set of instructions occurs over the Internet.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the download step occurs automatically.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the new set of instructions are downloaded from a transportable media.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a link occurs automatically.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of breaking the link between the resource and the computer after downloading data from the resource to the computer.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of transferring data from the computer to the resource.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication protocol is defined by a protocol stack including a plurality of blocks representative of communication blocks associated with an Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model.

15. The method as set forth in 1 wherein the communication protocol includes a plurality of blocks representative of a plurality of communication layers needed for communication with the device.

16. A method of transferring data between a computer and a resource comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between the computer and the resource;

determining the type of resource;

selecting a communication protocol from a file stored on the computer that is based upon the type of resource connected to the computer;

assembling a communication stack based upon the communication protocol; and

transferring the data from the resource to the computer based upon the communication stack.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of transferring data from the computer to the resource.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of transmitting a set of identification information from the resource to the computer.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the set of identification information includes a model number.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the computer determines the type of resource based upon the set identification information.

21. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the resource is a medical device.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the device is a blood glucose meter.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the device is an insulin pump.

24. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the connection between the computer and the resource is a wireless connection.

25. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the communication stack is based upon an Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25 further comprising the step of downloading a new communication protocol if the type of resource is unknown.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the downloading step occurs automatically and over the Internet.

29. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the resource is an information management device.

28. The method as set forth in 16 wherein the communication protocol includes a plurality of blocks representative of a plurality of communication layers needed for communication with the device.