Personal computer upgrade

• US 6,578,198 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Foppema, Roel, Freeman, Lawrence Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Application Number:
  US09/970,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310-320, 709/220, 717/168-178
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• 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 networking processing sub-systems is provided in the present disclosure. The method enables sharing of a resource between a plurality of information processing sub-systems wherein at least one sub-system is a PC and at least one sub-system is an upgrade. The method enables the PC to be informed about access to an upgrade. The method enables the upgrade to broadcast a message with an IP address and a port number. The method enables the PC to set up, in response to the message, a proxy client for communicating with a port of the upgrade indicated by the port number. The method enables the upgrade to set up a proxy server to handle a request from the proxy client for access to a second resource. The method further enables registering with the PC of a second interface to the second resource for access to the second resource from the PC.

Claims

1. An information processing system having a personal computer (PC) coupled to an upgrade, wherein:

the PC comprises;

a first proxy client registered with a first registry; and

the upgrade comprises;

a second registry for registering a second resource local to the upgrade; and

a second proxy server for communicating with the first proxy client and for accessing the second resource to provide an upgrade to components of the PC.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PC further comprises a broadcast listener for receiving messages sent by a second broadcaster and for creating the first proxy client, the first proxy client establishes a connection with a second port listener on the upgrade on a second established channel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the upgrade further comprises:

a second broadcaster for communicating a network address for the upgrade and a port number on a second established channel; and

a second port listener for creating the second proxy server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the PC further comprises;

the first registry for registering a first resource local to the PC;

a first proxy server for communicating with a second proxy client and accessing the first resource; and

the upgrade further comprises;

the second proxy client, registered with the second registry, for communicating with the first proxy server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second resource is one of a software component, a hardware component and a software component embodied in a hardware component.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the PC further comprises:

a broadcast module for broadcasting a message; and

a broadcast listener for receiving a response from the upgrade issued upon receipt of the message, and for creating the first proxy client to access the second resource local to the upgrade.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the PC further comprises a port listener for, in response to receiving a further message from the upgrade, creating a first proxy server for enabling the upgrade to access a first resource local to the PC.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the upgrade further comprises:

a broadcast module for broadcasting a message; and

a broadcast listener for receiving a response from the PC issues upon receipt of the message, and for creating a second proxy client to access a first resource local to the PC.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the upgrade further comprises a port listener for, in response to receiving a further message from the PC, creating the second proxy server for enabling the PC to access the second resource local to the upgrade.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the upgrade is external to the PC.

11. A method for modifying a PC comprising the steps of:

providing an upgrade capable of broadcasting a message with an internal protocol (IP) address and a port number representing the upgrade;

creating a proxy client on the PC to set up, in response to the message, communications with a port of the upgrade indicated by the port number;

creating a proxy server on the upgrade, to handle a request from the proxy client for access to a second resource; and

registering a second interface to the second resource, with the PC, for access to the second resource from the PC.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing the PC capable of broadcasting a further message with a further IP address and a further port number representing the PC;

creating a further proxy client on the upgrade to set up, in response to the further message, communications with a further port of the PC indicated by the further port number;

creating a second proxy server on the PC, to handle a second request from the second proxy client for access to a first resource; and

registering a first interface to the first resource, with the upgrade, for access to the first resource from the upgrade.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the upgrade is external to the PC.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second resource is one of a software component, a hardware component and a software component embodied in a hardware component.

15. A method for enabling a personal computer (PC) to address a resource registered with an upgrade, comprising the steps of:

creating a first proxy client at the PC for communication with the upgrade, the first proxy client being representative of the resource registered with the upgrade;

registering the first proxy client as a first local resource with a registry of the PC; and

creating a second proxy server at the upgrade for handling a request from the first proxy client.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the upgrade is enabled to address a resource registered with the PC, comprising the steps of:

creating a second proxy client at the upgrade for communication with the PC, the second proxy client being representative of the resource registered with the PC;

registering the second proxy client as a second local resource with a registry of the upgrade; and

creating a first proxy server at the PC for handling a request from the second proxy client.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the upgrade is external to the PC.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second resource is one of a software component, a hardware component and a software component embodied in a hardware component.