Object-oriented communication system with support for multiple remote machine types

• US 6,438,617 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Savitzky, Stephen R., Hart, Peter E., Golding, Richard, Roth, Rithy K., Jeng, Tina L.
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/234,595
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 709/31-320, 709/330
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

An apparatus for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types includes a computer system including a processor and memory a data communication means, coupled to the computer system and to the plurality of remote machines, for communicating with each of the plurality of remote machines, a first plurality of software objects within the memory for describing services for the plurality of remote machines, and a plurality of operations within the memory associated with the first plurality of software objects, the plurality of operations for satisfying requests described by the services of the first plurality of software objects.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, the apparatus comprising:

a computer system including a processor and memory;

a data communication interface, coupled to the computer system and to the plurality of remote machines, for communicating with each of the plurality of remote machines;

a first plurality of software objects within the memory for describing services for the plurality of remote machines;

a plurality of operations within the memory associated with the first plurality of software objects, the plurality of operations for satisfying requests described by the services of the first plurality of software objects; and

a second plurality of software objects wherein an object of the second plurality of software objects describes at least one application item for a remote machine of the plurality of remote machines, and wherein the object of the second plurality of software objects is associated with at least one object of the first plurality of software objects.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operations includes operations on the plurality of remote machines.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operations includes items of data to be transferred to the plurality of remote machines, including data types, data sizes, and data locations.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application item for the remote machine includes a pointer to the object of, the first plurality of software objects and a current value corresponding to a value of a data item within the remote machine.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the application item for the remote machine also includes a read request flag and a new value for describing a pending request for a value to be transferred to at least one of the plurality of remote machines.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of software objects comprises an object describing an item in a database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein requests for updates to the database are created when an item of data is transferred to at least one of the plurality of remote machines.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of software objects is within a queue in the memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mass storage device for containing a plurality of data files, the plurality of data files including representations of pluralities of software objects; and

processing means, coupled to the mass storage device, for transforming one of the plurality of data files into the first plurality of software objects.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of data files includes textual data.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

processing means for transforming the first plurality of software object into a data file; and

a mass storage device, coupled to the processing means, for containing the data file.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data file includes textual data.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a display;

a keyboard;

a pointing device;

a user interface;

requesting device, coupled to the user interface, for making requests for services on the plurality of remote machines, in response to user input with the user interface; and

updating device, coupled to the user interface, for updating the user interface when a service has been performed on one of the plurality remote machines.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the services for the plurality of remote machines includes operations on the plurality of remote machines.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, 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.

16. A system for communicating with a plurality of remote machines of a plurality of machine types, the system comprising:

a computer system including a memory and a mass storage device;

a plurality of machine description files within the mass storage device, the plurality of machine description files for describing the plurality of remote machines; and

a plurality of application programs within the memory, at least one of the plurality of application programs for reading representations of at least one object of a plurality of software objects, and for making a request described by at least one service of the plurality of software objects.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the service includes an operation on at least one of the plurality of remote machines.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the service of the objects includes an item of data to be transferred to at least one of the plurality of remote machines.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a local database for accessing a remote database, the remote database containing the plurality of machine types and access information for the plurality of remote machines; and

a program for querying the remote database and for constructing a data file including a representation of a plurality of software objects specifying a machine type and access information for one of the plurality of remote machines.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of application programs further comprises:

a program for operating on the plurality of remote machines using a queue in the memory, the queue including a plurality of software objects including requests for operations to be performed on the plurality of remote machines.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of application programs further comprises a program for operating on the plurality of remote machines using a queue in the memory, the queue including a plurality of software objects including requests for items of data to be transferred to the plurality of remote machines.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of application programs further comprises a program for receiving communications from the plurality of remote machines, and for outputting files containing the data communicated by the plurality of remote machines.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of application programs further comprises a program for allowing a user to interactively specify one of the plurality of remote machines and services for the one remote machine.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the services for the one remote machine includes operations for the one remote machine.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the services for the one remote machine includes items of data to be transferred with the one remote machine.