Access method with process interactive service

• US 6,779,000 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1998
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cappelle Networking DE LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Northrup
• Inventors: Northrup, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JUNG, DAVID YIUK
• Application Number:
  US09/211,254
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-206, 709/100-332
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44552 Conflict resolution, i.e. enabling coexistence of conflicting executables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual network, sitting “above” the physical connectivity and thereby providing the administrative controls necessary to link various communication devices via an Access-Method-Independent Exchange. In this sense, the Access-Method-Independent Exchange can be viewed as providing the logical connectivity required. In accordance with the present invention, connectivity is provided by a series of communication primitives designed to work with each of the specific communication devices in use. As new communication devices are developed, primitives can be added to the Access-Method-Independent Exchange to support these new devices without changing the application source code. A Thread Communication Service is provided, along with a Binding Service to link Communication Points. A Thread Directory Service is available, as well as a Broker Service and a Thread Communication Switching Service. Intraprocess, as well as Interprocess, services are available. Dynamic Configuration Management and a Configurable Application Program Service provide software which can be commoditized, as well as upgraded while in operation.

Claims

1. In the Internet, a method for an end-user application process executing on an end-user computer to be responsive to a received communication communicated by a service provider application service process executing on a service provider computer in the Internet, the method comprising:

a) in response to sending a request communication, the end-user application process receives a response communication, the response communication including a specification for using an application service provided by a module within a dynamically loadable library;

b) the end-user application process disconnects from the communication;

c) the end-user application process uses an operating system interface to dynamically load the service into the memory address space of the end-user application process wherein the executable code corresponding to the service was not compiled into the static representation of the application program corresponding to the end-user application process;

d) the end-user application process interacts with the application service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the end-user application process creates a thread of execution to execute the service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the thread is:

a) a user level thread, or

b) a kernel level thread, or

c) a lightweight thread, or

d) a medium weight thread, or

e) a heavy weight thread.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the end-user application process interacting with the service wherein the service uses at least one operating system interface for communication connectivity and synchronization to communicate with an application service executing on a third computer on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the end-user application process uses:

a) a TCP protocol, or

b) an application protocol, or

c) a computer mail protocol, or

d) a network protocol, or

e) a wireless protocol, or

f) a broadcast protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the response communication includes a named representation of data, and wherein the end-user application service communicates with a third process executing on a third computer in the Internet to determine what the named representation of data represents.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the end-user application process provides a graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a user of the end user computer selects a graphical representation and in response thereto, the end user application process connects to, and communicates with the service provider application service process.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data representation of the communication is text.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the end-user application process uses a first operating system interface to load the dynamically loadable library and obtain a handle to the loaded library, and a second operating system interface to locate a callable object module within the dynamically loaded library.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the response communication including a unique identifier and wherein the end-user application process communicates with a third process to validate the user identifier.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the service probes the end-user computer and communicates the results of the probe to a third process executing on a third computer of the Internet.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the probe communicates information representative of:

a. information describing the operating system, or

b. information describing the underlying hardware, or

c. information describing installed software, or

d. information describing access methods, or

e. information describing physical execution environment, or

f. information describing security requirements, or

g. information describing default shell, or

h. information describing maximum number of connections to the environment, or

i. information describing the environments physical computer system, or

j. information describing access method to physical computer system, or

k. information describing functionality to be associated with an environment, or

l. information describing the communication identifier describing the physical machine as a registered communication point.

14. In the Internet, a method for an end-user application process executing on an end-user computer to be responsive to a communication communicated by a service provider application process executing on a service provider computer, comprising:

a) the end-user application process receives a communication communicated by the service provider application process, the communication containing a specification for using a service provided by a module within a dynamically loadable library at a predefined time interval;

b) the end-user application process disconnects from the service provider application process;

c) the end-user application process registers the service specification in the memory address space of the end-user application process, and

d) the end-user application process uses an operating system interface to dynamically load the service into the memory address space of the end-user application process wherein the executable code corresponding to the service was not compiled into the static representation of the application program corresponding to the end-user application process, and the end-user application process and interacts with the service according to the recorded specification when the interval expires.

15. In the Internet, a method for an end-user application process executing on an end-user computer to be responsive to a communication communicated by a service provider application process executing on a service provider computer, the communication including a specification for using a service provided by a module within a dynamically loadable library in response to an event that may later be communicated to the end-user application process, the method comprising:

a) The end-user application process receives the communication including at least one specification for using a service in response to an event that may later be communicated to the end-user application process;

b) the end-user application process records the specification in the memory address space of the end-user application process, and

c) in response to being notified that the event has occurred, the end-user application process uses an operating system interface to dynamically load the service into the memory address space of the end-user application process wherein the executable code corresponding to the service was not compiled into the static representation of the application program corresponding to the end-user application process, and the end-user application process and interacts with the service according to the recorded specification.

16. In the Internet, a method for an end-user application process executing on an end-user computer to be responsive to a received communication communicated by a service provider application service process executing on a service provider computer in the Internet, the method comprising:

a) the end-user application process receives a request for a service;

b) the end-user application process locates the service and uses an operating system interface to dynamically load the service into the memory address space of the end-user application process wherein the executable code corresponding to the service was not compiled into the static representation of the application program corresponding to the end-user application process; and

c) the end-user application process interacts with the service to satisfy the request.

17. In the Internet, a method for an end-user application process executing on an end-user computer to discover and interact with an accessible application service, comprising the steps of:

a) the end-user application process communicates criteria for selecting an application service to a service provider application process executing on a service provider computer with at least one registered application service;

b) the end-user application process receives a response communication including the registered location of the service and the input types understood by the service;

c) the end-user application process disconnects from the service provider application process; and

d) the end-user application process communicates with the application service at the registered location.

18. In the Internet, a method for administering communications between a multiplicity of registered communication points comprising:

a) a service provider application process executing on a service provider computer in the Internet registers a first end user application process executing on a first end user computer in the Internet, as a first communication point;

b) the service provider process registers a second end user application process executing on a second end user computer in the Internet, as a second communication point;

c) the service provider process receives a communication from the first communication point, selects the second communication point by chosen criteria, and sends the received communication to the second communication point.

19. In the Internet, a system for a service provider application service executing on a service provider computer to administer communications between a multiplicity of registered communication points, each communication point representative of a process, the system comprising:

a) a service provider application service configured for use on a service provider computer in the Internet, to register a first process as a first communication point; and

b) the service provider application service configured to register a second process as a second communication point, and

c) the service provider application service configured to receive a communication from a first registered communication point, select a second registered communication point, and redirect the communication to the selected second registered communication point.

20. In the Internet, a system for fee-based services comprising:

an application service configured for a service provider computer in the Internet, to be responsive to a request for an accessible service, the request including a unique identifier assigned to a subscriber, and in response thereto, configured to validate the subscriber, interact with a directory service of registered services to select an accessible service, communicate with the service, provide a response, and generate billing for the use of said service.