OSGi PROGRAM, OSGi SYSTEM

• US 20130346964A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Solutions Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Solutions Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nobuoka, Shinya, Nakamura, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The invention automatically installs an OSGi bundle needed to use an external device connected to an electronic device having an OSGi framework mounted. The OSGi bundle is installed into the electronic device without imposing a load on a distribution system. The OSGi program related to the invention detects the external device connected to the electronic device having the OSGi framework mounted, downloads an OSGi bundle corresponding to said external device from a distribution server, and installs the OSGi bundle in the electronic device.

Claims

1. An OSGi program that causes a computing device to execute a process in compliance with OSGi framework specification, the OSGi program comprising:

a software module that implements an OSGi framework; and

an OSGi bundle that describes a process that operates under the OSGi framework;

wherein

the OSGi program causes the computing device to execute;

a device detection step of detecting an external device that is connected to an electronic device equipped with the computing device;

a step of acquiring device identification information for identifying the external device;

a step of requesting a distribution server to distribute an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the device identification information; and

a step of receiving an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the device identification information from the distribution server and installing the received OSGi bundle on the OSGi framework.

2. The OSGi program according to claim 1, wherein

in the device detection step, the OSGi bundle causes the computing device to execute:

at least one of a step of detecting a USB device that is connected to a USB port included in the electronic device as the external device and a step of detecting a UPnP device that is connected to a network to which the electronic device belongs as the external device.

3. The OSGi program according to claim 1, wherein

the OSGi bundle causes the computing device to execute:

an instruction detection step of detecting an instruction issued by a user to an electronic device equipped with the computing device;

a step of requesting a distribution server to distribute an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the instruction; and

a step of receiving an OSGi bundle corresponding to the instruction from the distribution server and installing the received OSGi bundle on the OSGi framework.

4. The OSGi program according to claim 1, wherein

the OSGi bundle causes the computing device to execute:

a data detection step of detecting a type of data stored in an electronic device equipped with the computing device;

a step of requesting a distribution server to distribute an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the type; and

a step of receiving an OSGi bundle corresponding to the type from the distribution server and installing the received OSGi bundle on the OSGi framework.

5. An electronic device comprising:

an OSGi program according to claim 1; and

a computing device that executes the OSGi program.

6. An OSGi system comprising:

an electronic device according to claim 5; and

a distribution server that distributes an OSGi bundle to the electronic device;

wherein

the distribution server comprises a bundle table describing a relation between the device identification information and an OSGi bundle that is to be distributed to the electronic device; and

if the distribution server receives a request, from the electronic device, to distribute an OSGi bundle corresponding to the device identification information, the distribution server specifies an OSGi bundle corresponding to the device identification information with reference to the bundle table, and distributes the specified OSGi bundle to the electronic device.

7. The OSGi system according to claim 6, wherein:

if the distribution server receives the device identification information from the electronic device, the distribution server specifies an OSGi bundle corresponding to the device identification information with reference to the bundle table and distributes bundle identification information for identifying the specified OSGi bundle to the electronic device;

if the electronic device receives the bundle identification information from the distribution server, the electronic device checks whether an OSGi bundle corresponding to the bundle identification information is installed on the OSGi framework; and

if no corresponding OSGi bundle is installed on the OSGi framework, the electronic device requests the distribution server to distribute the OSGi bundle.

8. The OSGi system according to claim 6, wherein:

the OSGi bundle causes the computing device to execute;

an instruction detection step of detecting an instruction issued by a user to an electronic device equipped with the computing device;

a step of requesting a distribution server to distribute an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the instruction; and

a step of receiving an OSGi bundle corresponding to the instruction from the distribution server and installing the received OSGi bundle on the OSGi framework;

the bundle table describes a relation between the instruction and an OSGi bundle that is to be distributed to the electronic device; and

if the distribution server receives a request, from the electronic device, to distribute an OSGi bundle corresponding to the instruction, the distribution server specifies an OSGi bundle corresponding to the instruction with reference to the bundle table and distributes the specified OSGi bundle to the electronic device.

9. The OSGi system according to claim 6, wherein:

the OSGi bundle causes the computing device to execute;

a data detection step of detecting a type of data stored in an electronic device equipped with the computing device;

a step of requesting a distribution server to distribute an OSGi bundle that corresponds to the type; and

a step of receiving an OSGi bundle corresponding to the type from the distribution server and installing the received OSGi bundle on the OSGi framework;

the bundle table describes a relation between the type and an OSGi bundle that is to be distributed to the electronic device; and

if the distribution server receives a request, from the electronic device, to distribute an OSGi bundle corresponding to the type, the distribution server specifies an OSGi bundle corresponding to the type with reference to the bundle table and distributes the specified OSGi bundle to the electronic device.

10. The OSGi system according to claim 6 further comprising a portal server that publishes a list of OSGi bundles that are installed on the OSGi framework, wherein:

the electronic device sends, to the portal server, installed bundle information for identifying OSGi bundles installed on the OSGi framework and user identification information for identifying the electronic device; and

the portal server publishes to the electronic device, on the basis of the installed bundle information and the user identification information received from the electronic device, a list of OSGi bundles installed on the OSGi framework.