Service provider application program communicating with service provider application process

• US 6,421,705 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1998
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cappelle Networking DE LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Northrup
• Inventors: Northrup, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/211,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/229, 709/203, 710/9, 710/10, 710/13, 710/129
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44552 Conflict resolution, i.e. enabling coexistence of conflicting executables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual network, sitting “above” the physical connectivity and thereby providing the administrative controls necessary to link various communication devices via an Access-Method-Independent Exchange. In this sense, the Access-Method-Independent Exchange can be viewed as providing the logical connectivity required. In accordance with the present invention, connectivity is provided by a series of communication primitives designed to work with each of the specific communication devices in use. As new communication devices are developed, primitives can be added to the Access-Method-Independent Exchange to support these new devices without changing the application source code. A Thread Communication Service is provided, along with a Binding Service to link Communication Points. A Thread Directory Service is available, as well as a Broker Service and a Thread Communication Switching Service. Intraprocess, as well as Interprocess, services are available. Dynamic Configuration Management and a Configurable Application Program Service provide software which can be commoditized, as well as upgraded while in operation.

Claims

1. A method for a service provider application program installed on a user computer system to interact with said service provider'"'"'s application process executing on a remote computer system wherein:

a. said service provider application program begins execution as a process, said process being a user application process, the process performing initializations;

b. said user application process connects to a communication point accessible to said user application process, said communication point being said service provider application process, the communication point being accessible through communication primitives;

c. said user application process communicates data to said service provider application process;

d. said service provider application process responsive to receiving the data, interacts with the communicated data;

e. said service provider application process communicates data to said user application process;

f. said user application process receives said communications, said communications including initialization specifications for said user application process; and

g. said user application process disconnects from said service provider application process, wherein said communicated data includes specifications for using a minor service accessible to said user application process, thereby permitting the application process to selectively access said minor service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a user of said user computer system selects a graphical representation displayed on said user computer system causing said service provider application program to be executed as said user application process.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response includes specifications for using one or more of:

a. a minor service accessible to the user application process

b. a component of software accessible to the user application process

c. a thread of execution accessible to the user application process

d. a function accessible to the user application process

e. data accessible to the user application process.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the response includes prerequisite specifications for using one or more of:

a. minor services accessible to the user application process

b. a component of software accessible to the user application process

c. a thread of execution accessible to the user application process

d. a function accessible to the user application process

e. data accessible to the user application process.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicated data includes specifications for using protocols accessible to said user application process.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicated data includes specifications for communicating data to a user of said application process.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicated data includes prerequisite specifications for using one or more of

a. said minor service accessible to said user application process

b. a feature accessible to said user application process

c. a component of software accessible to said user application process

d. a process accessible to said user application process

e. a thread accessible to said user application process

f. a function accessible to said user application process

g. data accessible to said user application process

h. a communication point accessible to said user application process

i. an application program accessible to said user application process

j. a communication primitive accessible to said user application process

k. a file accessible to said user application process.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said user application process uses a protocol to communicate with said service provider application process.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said protocol is one of:

a. an industry standard protocol, or

b. an Internet protocol, or

c. an application protocol, or

d. a computer mail protocol.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the user application process interacting with a directory service process to determine the connectivity requirements to connect to said service provider application process.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the service provider process interacting with a directory service process to determine one or more accessible services satisfying criteria.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said user application process communicates the criteria to the service provider application process.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the minor service is a process executing on a computer and wherein said user application process communicates with said minor service.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said communication is communicated using a protocol.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the minor service is a dynamically loaded.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user application process uses one or more operating system interfaces to dynamically load the minor service.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the dynamically loaded service is executed as a separate thread of execution.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said thread is one of:

a. a user level thread of execution, or

b. a kernel level thread of execution, or

c. a heavy weight thread of execution, or

d. a medium weight thread of execution, or

e. a light weight thread of execution.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the user application process communicates one or more identifiers assigned to a user during a subscription process.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the user application process comprises a multiplicity of threads, and wherein at least one thread performs the method of claim 1.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the minor service is one of:

a. a directory service, or

b. a communication service provding means to connect the user application process with an accessible communication point using operating system interfaces for communication connectivity and synchronization.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicated data includes input types understood by the service provider application process.

23. Computer readable medium containing computer instructions implementing the method of claim 1.