Unified Application Programming Interface for Communicating with Devices and Their Clouds

• US 20150172237A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Krishna, Vikas, Bailloeul, Timothee
• Granted Patent: US 9,954,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A system and method for translating requests and responses between different types of devices are described. An enterprise service bus generates a first list of one or more devices, receives a selection from a user associated with a first device of a second device in the first list, generates a second list that includes functions associated with the selection from the first user, receives a request from the first device to perform one of the functions in the second list, translates a first communication protocol of the request received from the first device into a second communication protocol used by the second device to create a translated request, translates a first message format of the request into a second message format and transmits the translated request to the second device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, using one or more computing devices, a first list of one or more devices;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a selection of a second device in the first list from a user associated with a first;

generating, using the one or more computing devices, a second list that includes functions associated with the selection from the user;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a request from the first device to perform one of the functions in the second list;

translating, using the one or more computing devices, a first communication protocol of the request received from the first device into a second communication protocol used by the second device to create a translated request;

translating, using the one or more computing devices, a first message format of the request into a second message format; and

transmitting, using the one or more computing devices, the translated request to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first list of the one or more devices comprises:

identifying a location of the first device in a network; and

identifying the first list of one or more devices within a set distance of the location of the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging a device usage entry associated with the translated request that includes a type of request, an internet protocol address for the first device, a user identifier for the user associated with the first device, a unique device identifier for the second device and a type of media that is included in the translated request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving device usage entries associated with at least one transaction performed by the second device;

determining a cost associated with the at least one transaction; and

generating a bill based on the cost associated with each transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing media associated with the translated request, the media including at least one of a presentation document, a text document, a spreadsheet document, a video recording, an audio recording and an image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which of the devices in the first list of one or more devices are idle for a set amount of time; and

generating a notification indicating which of the devices in the first list of one or more devices are idle for the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the second communication protocols is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second list of functions comprise at least one from a group of power on, power off, projection, zoom, enhance, automatic focus, print, two-way video transmission, two-way audio transmission, language translation, text to speech translation and speech to text translation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first list of one or more devices includes identifying at least one of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a Media Access Control (MAC) address and Geolocation of the one or more devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the first device for use in the network by assigning an internet protocol (IP) address and a name to the first device and adding the IP address to a list; and

registering the second device for use in the network by assigning a device identifier and a name to the second device and adding the device identifier to a list.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

an enterprise service bus stored on a memory and executable by the one or more processors, the enterprise service bus configured to generate a first list of one or more devices, receive a selection of a second device in the first list from a user associated with a first device, generate a second list that includes functions associated with the selection from the user, receive a request from the first device to perform one of the functions in the second list, translate a first communication protocol of the request received from the first device into a second communication protocol used by the second device to create a translated request, translate a first message format of the request into a second message format and transmit the translated request to the second device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

application services executable by the one or more processors, the application services configured to identify a location of the first device in a network and providing the enterprise service bus with the first list of one or more devices within a set distance of the location of the first device.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

application services executable by the one or more processors, the application services configured to log a device usage entry associated with the translated request that includes a type of request, an internet protocol address for the first device, a user identifier for a user associated with the first device, a unique device identifier for the second device and a type of media that is included in the translated request.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

application services executable by the one or more processors, the application services configured to retrieve device usage entries associated with at least one transaction performed by the second device, determine a cost associated with the at least one transaction and generate a bill based on the cost associated with each transaction.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

application services executable by the one or more processors, the application services configured to store media associated with the translated request, the media including at least one of a presentation document, a text document, a spreadsheet document, a video recording, an audio recording and an image.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

generate a first list of one or more devices;

receive a selection of a second device in the first list from a user associated with a first device;

generate a second list that includes functions associated with the selection from the user;

receive a request from the first device to perform one of the functions in the second list;

translate a first communication protocol of the request received from the first device into a second communication protocol used by the second device to create a translated request;

translate a first message format of the request into a second message format; and

transmit the translated request to the second device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein identifying the first list of the one or more devices comprises:

identifying a location of the first device in a network; and

identifying the first list of one or more devices within a set distance of the location of the first device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to:

log a device usage entry associated with the translated request that includes a type of request, an internet protocol address for the first device, a user identifier for the user associated with the first device, a unique device identifier for the second device and a type of media that is included in the translated request.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to:

retrieve device usage entries associated with at least one transaction performed by the second device;

determine a cost associated with the at least one transaction; and

generate a bill based on the cost associated with each transaction.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to store media associated with the translated request, the media including at least one of a presentation document, a text document, a spreadsheet document, a video recording, an audio recording and an image.