System and method using a palm sized computer to control network devices

• US 6,216,158 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Luo, Wenjun, Lusher, Elaine P.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/237,609
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/230, 709/250, 709/313, 709/319, 709/328, 709/329
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Controlling network services using palm sized computers is described. A program on the palm sized computer is used to access a registry of network services that may be available. The registry includes descriptions for various services. Each description includes at least a reference to program code that can be downloaded to the palm sized computer. Executing this program causes the palm sized computer to issue commands directly to the specific network services needed. In some cases, these network services include application services for running desktop applications that the palm sized computer could not execute.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a service on a network using a palm sized computer, the palm sized computer being coupled in communications with the network, the method comprising:

accessing a description of the service from a directory of services, the description of the service including at least a reference to program code for controlling the service;

downloading the program code to the palm sized computer;

the palm sized computer executing at least a portion of the program code; and

sending control commands to the service from the palm sized computer in response to the executing, wherein the service controls an application that cannot be executed on the palm sized computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the service in the directory of services by storing the description of the service in the directory of services.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory of services includes a Jini Lookup directory, wherein the accessing the description includes executing a Jini discovery protocol to locate the Jini Lookup directory and executing a Jini Lookup protocol to retrieve the description of the service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the description of the service includes an object reference corresponding to an object representing the service and a set of service attributes including the name of the service and the physical location of the service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the program code includes Java code and wherein the palm sized computer is executing a Java Virtual Machine to execute at least a portion of the program code.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the program code includes code to implement a graphical user interface on the palm sized computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the application includes a desktop program.

8. A method of controlling a program on a network device from a palm sized computer, the computer is not capable of executing the program by itself, the network device and computer being coupled in communications via a network, the method comprising:

accessing a directory of services, a service in the directory of services corresponding to the program, the description of the service including at least a reference to program code for controlling the service;

loading the program code;

issuing control commands to the network device using the program code, the control commands causing the network device to control the program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein loading the program code includes loading the program code onto the palm sized computer and the issuing the control commands includes the palm sized computer issuing the control commands.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a proxy device is coupled to the network and wherein accessing the directory of services includes the palm sized computer accessing the proxy device, and the proxy device accessing the directory of services, and wherein the loading the program code includes loading the program code onto the proxy device, and wherein the issuing the control commands includes the palm sized computer issuing a set of first set of commands to the proxy device and the proxy device issuing the control commands.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the program code includes a user interface program and wherein the proxy device receives the user interface program and generates a second user interface for the palm sized computer.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein loading the program code includes loading the program code onto the palm sized computer from the directory of services.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the palm sized computer includes a Palm OS compatible computer, wherein the program code includes Java code and wherein the directory of services includes a Jini directory of services.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the network device registering the description of the service with the directory of services.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the program includes a desktop program.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the program includes a desktop program and wherein the services controlled include a CPU service for executing the program, a storage service for providing data to the CPU service and a display service for displaying information generated from the CPU service.

17. A system for controlling a network service comprising:

a network based computer service for controlling an application that cannot exectuted by a control device;

a directory of services including a registry of services, each service in the registry of services corresponding to a service on the network;

the control device having a program for sending control commands to the network based computer service, the program being loaded onto the control device as a result of locating a reference to the network based computer service in the directory of services;

a network coupled in communications with the network based computer service, the directory of services and the control device;

wherein the control device includes a palm sized computer having an operating system, a network communications program, a protocol program for communicating with the directory of services and wherein the program includes a graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the network based computer service includes a computer having an operating system, a network communications program, a protocol program for communicating with the directory of services and the application.

19. A method for controlling a service in a network using a palm sized computer, the method comprising:

accessing a description of a service, the description of the service including at least a reference to program code for controlling the service;

downloading the program code;

executing at least a portion of the program code; and

sending control commands to the service in response to the executing, wherein the service includes a CPU service.

20. A system comprising:

means for accessing a description of a service, the description of the service including at least a reference to program code for controlling a service;

means for downloading the program code;

means for executing at least a portion of the program code; and

means for sending control commands to the service in response to the means for executing, wherein the service controls an application that cannot be executed on the means for executing.