Synchronizing property changes to enable multiple control options

• US 6,499,062 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shteyn, Yevgeniy Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Application Number:
  US09/213,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/310-320, 709/328-330, 700/12, 700/19, 700/20, 710/15-19
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

Components in an information processing system are represented by software objects whose properties can be changed through function calls. Setting a property of an object controls the associated component. Properties are connected through routes that propagate state changes throughout the system without the need for a running client application. Two-way property routes are used to keep consistence among a controlled object and multiple controlling objects without the risk of endless loops. To achieve this, the two-way route is executed to change a state of a specific one of the properties upon a change of state of another one of the properties if the change of state of the other property was caused by an effect other than the route itself.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

first and second functionalities, represented by first and second software objects, respectively, that have first and second settable properties, respectively;

a route manager for enabling invoking a property route between the first and second properties for enabling keeping states of the properties consistent with each other;

wherein;

the route is executed to change the state of the first property upon a change of the state of the second property if the change of the state of the second property was caused by an effect other than the route itself; and

the route is executed to change the state of the second property upon a change of the state of the first property if the change of the state of the first property was caused by an effect other than the route itself.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a third functionality represented by a third software object that has a third settable property; and

wherein;

the route manager is capable of invoking a second property route between the second and third properties for enabling keeping states of the second and third properties consistent with each other;

the second route is executed to change the state of the second property upon a change of the state of the third property if the change of state of the third property was caused by an effect other than the second route itself; and

the second route is executed to change the state of the third property upon a change of the state of the second property if the change of state of the second property was caused by an effect other than the second route itself.

3. A method of enabling controlling an information processing system that comprises first and second functionalities, represented by first and second software objects, respectively, that have first and second settable properties, respectively, wherein the method comprises:

enabling invoking a property route between the first and second properties for enabling keeping states of the properties consistent with each other;

enabling executing the route to change the state of the first property upon a change of the state of the second property if the change of the state of the second property was caused by an effect other than the route itself; and

enabling executing the route to change the state of the second property upon a change of the state of the first property if the change of the state of the first property was caused by an effect other than the route itself.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the system has a third functionality represented by a third software object that has a third settable property; and

wherein the method comprises;

enabling invoking a second property route between the second and third properties for enabling keeping states of the second and third properties consistent with each other;

enabling executing the second route to change the state of the second property upon a change of the state of the third property if the change of state of the third property was caused by an effect other than the second route itself; and

enabling executing the second route to change the state of the third property upon a change of the state of the second property if the change of state of the second property was caused by an effect other than the second route itself.

5. An information system comprising:

first and second functionalities, represented by first and second software objects, respectively, that have first and second settable properties, respectively, the first and second functionalities for controlling a state of a same device;

a route manager for enabling invoking a property route between the first and second properties for enabling keeping states of the properties consistent with each other,

wherein the route is executed to change the state of the first property upon a change of the state of the second property if the change of the state of the second property was caused by an effect other than the route itself, and

the route is executed to change the state of the second property upon a change of the state of the first property if the change of the state of the first property was caused by an effect other than the route itself.