Object-oriented I/O device interface framework mechanism

• US 6,449,660 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1995
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berg, William Frederick, Rowlance, Edward John, Dietel, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/509,619
• Time in Patent Office: 2,598 Days
• Field of Search: 395/681, 395/683, 395/680, 710/1, 717/100, 709/321
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

At the most general level, the I/O framework mechanism of the present invention is made up of three interdependent controllers. These controllers are referred to herein as the hardware resource administrator, the information controller, and the device controller. The hardware resource administrator is responsible for organizing information about I/O devices and for making the organized information available to the other controllers. The information controller is responsible for gathering information about I/O devices and for changing and/or updating certain I/O device information. Accordingly, the information controller is made up of individual objects that each represent the characteristics of a particular I/O device. The device controller is responsible for controlling the actual operation of the individual devices, and for performing statistical and diagnostic analysis on the individual I/O devices.

Claims

1. A computer system, said computer system comprising:

a bus;

a central processing unit;

main memory connected to said central processing unit via said bus;

at least one I/O device;

at least one application program, said application program residing in said main memory for execution on said central processing unit, said application program using facilities provided by said I/O device; and

an I/O framework mechanism, said I/O framework mechanism residing in said main memory for execution on said central processing unit, said I/O framework mechanism being used to manage and control said I/O device, said I/O framework mechanism further comprising core function and extensible function, said core function being designed such that said core function is not to be subject to modification by a consumer of said framework mechanism, said extensible function being designed such that said extensible function can be customized and extended by said consumer.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said core function comprises a hardware resource administrator and first portions of a device controller and first portions of an information controller and wherein said extensible function comprises second portions of said device controller and second portions of said information controller.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein said resource administrator is further comprised of:

at least one container object, said container object being used to contain at least one information object, said information object being used to represent information about said I/O device; and

at least one finder/filter object, said finder/filter object being used to find said information object.

4. The computer system of claim 2 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one hardware object, said hardware object being used to represent said I/O device.

5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one service object, said service object being used to perform service on said I/O device.

6. The computer system of claim 4 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one statistics object, said statistics object being used to collect statistical information about said I/O device.

7. A I/O device controller mechanism, said I/O device controller mechanism comprising:

an I/O framework mechanism, said I/O framework mechanism being used to manage and control at least one I/O device, said I/O framework mechanism comprising core function and extensible function, said core function being designed such that said core function is not to be subject to modification by a consumer of said framework mechanism, said extensible function being designed such that said extensible function can be customized and extended by said consumer.

8. The I/O device controller mechanism of claim 7 wherein said core function comprises a hardware resource administrator and first portions of a device controller and first portions of an information controller and wherein said extensible function comprises second portions of said device controller and second portions of said information controller.

9. The I/O device controller mechanism of claim 8 wherein said resource administrator is further comprised of:

at least one container object, said container object being used to contain at least one information object, said information object being used to represent information about said I/O device; and

at least one finder/filter object, said finder/filter object being used to find said information object.

10. The I/O device controller mechanism of claim 8 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one hardware object, said hardware object being used to represent said I/O device.

11. The I/O device controller mechanism of claim 10 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one service object, said service object being used to perform service on said I/O device.

12. The I/O device controller mechanism of claim 10 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one statistics object, said statistics object being used to collect statistical information about said I/O device.

13. A program product, said program product comprising:

a recordable media; and

an I/O framework mechanism recorded on said recordable media, said I/O framework mechanism being used to manage and control at least one I/O device, said I/O framework mechanism comprising core function and extensible function, said core function being designed such that said core function is not to be subject to modification by a consumer of said framework mechanism, said extensible function being designed such that said extensible function can be customized and extended by said consumer.

14. The program product of claim 13 wherein said core function comprises a hardware resource administrator and first portions of a device controller and first portions of an information controller and wherein said extensible function comprises second portions of said device controller and second portions of said information controller.

15. The program product of claim 14 wherein said resource administrator is further comprised of:

at least one container object, said container object being used to contain at least one information object, said information object being used to represent information about said I/O device; and

at least one finder/filter object, said finder/filter object being used to find said information object.

16. The program product of claim 14 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one hardware object, said hardware object being used to represent said I/O device.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one service object, said service object being used to perform service on said I/O device.

18. The program product of claim 16 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one statistics object, said statistics object being used to collect statistical information about said I/O device.

19. A method for distributing a program product, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a connection between a first computer system and a second computer system;

transmitting a program product from said first computer system to said second computer system, said program product being an I/O framework mechanism, said I/O framework mechanism being used to manage and control at least one I/O device, said I/O framework mechanism comprising core function and extensible function, said core function being designed such that said core function is not to be subject to modification by a consumer of said framework mechanism, said extensible function being designed such that said extensible function can be customized and extended by said consumer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said core function comprises a hardware resource administrator and first portions of a device controller and first portions of an information controller and wherein said extensible function comprises second portions of said device controller and second portions of said information controller.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said resource administrator is further comprised of:

at least one container object, said container object being used to contain at least one information object, said information object being used to represent information about said I/O device; and

at least one finder/filter object, said finder/filter object being used to find said information object.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one hardware object, said hardware object being used to represent said I/O device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one service object, said service object being used to perform service on said I/O device.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one statistics object, said statistics object being used to collect statistical information about said I/O device.

25. A method for operating an I/O device, said method comprising the steps of:

requesting that data be sent to said I/O device for handling; and

receiving said request, said request being received by an I/O framework mechanism, said I/O framework mechanism being used to manage and control said I/O device, said I/O framework mechanism comprising core function and extensible function, said core function being designed such that said core function is not to be subject to modification by a consumer of said framework mechanism, said extensible function being designed such that said extensible function can be customized and extended by said consumer.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said core function comprises a hardware resource administrator and first portions of a device controller and first portions of an information controller and wherein said extensible function comprises second portions of said device controller and second portions of said information controller.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said resource administrator is further comprised of:

at least one container object, said container object being used to contain at least one information object, said information object being used to represent information about said I/O device; and

at least one finder/filter object, said finder/filter object being used to find said information object.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one hardware object, said hardware object being used to represent said I/O device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one service object, said service object being used to perform service on said I/O device.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said device controller is further comprised of at least one statistics object, said statistics object being used to collect statistical information about said I/O device.