Shared data views for large-scale multimode environments

• US 6,442,596 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris-Exigent, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dyer, Douglas M., Boley, David A., Galluscio, Anthony P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/376,621
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for distributing data for one or more controlled devices having defined subsystems which generate data. The method includes the steps of partitioning and labeling the data to establish a set of defined data views, so that each data view contains data for a predetermined set of the subsystems. The data is stored on a server node of a computer network and is subsequently broadcast over the network using multicast techniques. The broadcasted data contains a plurality of the data views from the server which are received by at least one client node via the network. The client node selectively processes a predetermined set of the data in accordance with the data views assigned to the client node and rejects all other data views.

Claims

1. A method for distributing data for a controlled device having a plurality of defined subsystems comprising the steps of:

partitioning and labeling the data in accordance with a set of defined data views, each data view containing data for a predetermined set of said subsystems;

storing said data on a server node of a computer network;

broadcasting said data containing a plurality of said data views from said server to at least one client node via said network using a multicast transmission method; and

selectively processing in said client node only a predetermined set of said data views assigned to said client node and rejecting all other data views.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

upon a new client node connecting to said network, providing said server node with a directory of available information contained on said client node corresponding only to a set of server data views that said server can process.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

upon a new client node connecting to said network, providing said client with a directory of available information contained on said server node corresponding only to a set of new client data views that said new client node can process.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said broadcast data view information contains data updates only after each connected nodes has received a directory of available information.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said server receives data from a plurality of controlled devices and subsystems of the same type from different controlled devices are partitioned and labeled in accordance with the same data view.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said processing performed by said client node includes re-transmitting selected data views received from said server over a wide area network to a remote site for further processing of said data.

7. A computer network system for distributing data for a controlled device having a plurality of defined subsystems comprising:

means for partitioning and labeling said data to establish a set of defined data views, each data view containing data for a predetermined set of said subsystems;

means for storing said data on a server node of a computer network;

means for broadcasting said data containing a plurality of said data views from said server to at least one client node via said network using a multicast transmission method; and

means for selectively processing in said client node only a predetermined set of said data views assigned to said client node and rejecting all other data views.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising:

means responsive to a new client node connecting to said network for providing said server node with a directory of available information contained on said client node corresponding only to a set of server data views that said server can process.

9. The system according to claim 7 further comprising:

means responsive to a new client node connecting to said network for providing said client with a directory of available information contained on said server node corresponding only to a set of new client data views that said new client node can process.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said broadcast data view information contains data updates only after each connected nodes has received a directory of available information.

11. The system according to claim 7 wherein said server receives data from a plurality of controlled devices and subsystems of the same type from different controlled devices are partitioned and labeled in accordance with the same data view.

12. The system according to claim 7 wherein said processing performed by said client node includes re-transmitting selected data views received from said server over a wide area network to a remote site for further processing of said data.

13. A method for distributing data for a plurality of controlled devices forming a constellation in which each device has a plurality of defined subsystems, comprising the steps of:

partitioning and labeling said data to establish a set of defined data views, each data view exclusively containing data for a predetermined set of said subsystems of the same type from different controlled devices;

storing said data on a server node of a computer network;

broadcasting data updates for a plurality of said data views from said server to each of a plurality of client nodes via said network using a multicast transmission method;

selectively processing in each of said client nodes only a predetermined set of said data in accordance with data views assignments established for each said client node, and rejecting all other data received at said node; and

reconfiguring said data view assignments for said nodes by a user as necessary for selectively controlling which nodes receive selected data in accordance with said data views.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said data view assignments for said nodes are contained in a network configuration file.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein data view assignments for each node are source node sensitive whereby identical data views from different nodes are processed differently from one another.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein reconfiguring said data view assignments is performed by a user without modifying any programming of any application of said computer network.