MODULAR PLATFORM ENABLING HETEROGENEOUS DEVICES, SENSORS AND ACTUATORS TO INTEGRATE AUTOMATICALLY INTO HETEROGENOUS NETWORKS
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a hardware platform, wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to an active object, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator;
a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; and
at least one software service generated by the middleware module, wherein each of the at least one software service represents the active object.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes a hardware platform, at least one driver, a plurality of devices connected to the hardware platform, a middleware interface, and a plurality of software services. Each of the plurality of devices is selected from the group consisting of sensors and actuators. The plurality of software services is generated by the at least one driver, wherein a software service associates with a device, and wherein each of the software services complies with the middleware interface. A method for interfacing a plurality of devices to a hardware platform includes communicably connecting each of the plurality of devices to the hardware platform, converting each of the plurality of devices into a programmable software service using a driver, and programming each of the software services to comply with a middleware interface.
26 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a hardware platform, wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to an active object, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; and at least one software service generated by the middleware module, wherein each of the at least one software service represents the active object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for providing a software service to represent an active object, comprising:
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receiving a driver, wherein the driver comprises information and behavioral components required to interact with an active object communicably connected to a hardware platform, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; and generating based on the driver a software service to represent the active object, wherein when raw data from the active object is received by the hardware platform the raw data is converted into usable data and passed to the software service, wherein the useable data can be used by an application written in a higher level language, wherein the application is configured to receive the useable data from the software service. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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36. The method of 35, wherein the resource location information comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for locating the driver via the Internet.
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42. A media storage device having machine-readable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for providing a software service interface to an active object, the method comprising:
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receiving a driver, wherein the driver comprises information and behavioral components required to interact with an active object communicably connected to a hardware platform, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; generating based on the driver a software service to represent the active object; receiving via the software service one or more commands from an application written in a higher level language; converting the one or more commands into one or more low-level commands capable of controlling the operation of the active object; and transmitting the low-level commands to the active object via the hardware platform. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification