Method of using an object-oriented communication system with support for multiple remote machine types

• US 5,732,261 A
• Filed: 07/19/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Savitzky, Stephen R., Hart, Peter E., Golding, Richard, Roth, Rithy K., Jeng, Tina L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/504,120
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/200.01, 395/683, 395/712, 395/614, 395/604, 395/500, 395/200.1, 395/529, 395/200.12, 395/603, 395/610, 395/346, 395/333, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 340/825.31, 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, includes the steps of constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines, establishing communications with the one remote machine, and invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine; and

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects;

d. constructing within the memory a second plurality of software objects, the second plurality of software objects describing application items for the one remote machine, wherein the application items for the one remote machine include pointers to the first plurality of software objects and current values corresponding to values of data items within the one remote machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote machines include machines of different machine types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current values include a number of copies made by an office machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking operations comprises invoking an operation requesting information from the one remote machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the services for the one remote machine include items of data to be transferred to the one remote machine, including data types, data sizes, and data locations.

6. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine;

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects;

d. constructing within the memory a second plurality of software objects, the second plurality of software objects describing application items for the one remote machine; and

e. using the second plurality of software objects to record requests for data to be transferred to the one remote machine;

wherein the application items for the one remote machine include pointers to the first plurality of software objects and current values corresponding to values of data items within the one remote machine and read request flags and new values for describing pending requests for values to be transferred to the one remote machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote machines include an office machine.

8. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine; and

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects; and

d. constructing a second plurality of software objects within the memory, each of the second plurality of software objects identifying and describing an item in a database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one remote machine is an office machine.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of querying the database to select a group of machines with which to establish communications.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of querying the database to select a group of machines with which to establish communications.

12. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine; and

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects;

d. constructing a second plurality of software objects within the memory, each of the second plurality of software objects identifying and describing an item in a database; and

e. requesting an update to the database in response to an item of data being transferred to the one remote machine.

13. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine;

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects;

d. making requests for services on the plurality of remote machines, in response to user input with a graphical user interface; and

e. updating the graphical user interface when the services requested on the plurality of remote machines have been completed;

wherein the services for the plurality of remote machines includes items of data to be transferred to the plurality of remote machines, including data types, data sizes, and data locations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote machines include machines having different communication protocols.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of invoking operations comprises invoking an operation requesting retrieval of information from the one remote machine.

16. A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a. constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines;

b. establishing communications with the one remote machine; and

c. invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects; and

d. constructing within the memory a second plurality of software objects, the second plurality of software objects describing services for another of the plurality of remote machines, the step of constructing the second plurality of software objects including reading a data file including a representation of the second plurality of software objects to be constructed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote machines the services of which are described by the first and second pluralities of software objects have different communication protocols.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote machines include an office machine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the data file includes textual representations of the second plurality of software objects to be constructed.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

making requests for services on the plurality of remote machines, in response;

to user input with a graphical user interface.