Auto-configuring of peripheral on host/peripheral computing platform with peer networking-to-host/peripheral adapter for peer networking connectivity

• US 6,779,004 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zintel, William Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/495,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/250, 709/227, 719/318, 719/321, 710/8, 710/10, 710/104
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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 67/51 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

Abstract

A self-installing and configuring peer networking-to-host/peripheral connectivity adapter, such as a set of software modules running on a host, operates to convert between a device control protocol with peer networking connectivity and a host/peripheral connectivity protocol for a set of host-connected peripheral devices. The adapter is automatically installed on the host upon connecting a new peripheral device, such as by a plug-and-play operating system of the host. The adapter operates as a peer-networking addressable controlled device module, which responds to communication in the device control protocol from other peer devices that are networked with the host. The adapter converts the device control protocol communications from the peer devices into a host/peripheral protocol for controlling the peripheral devices. The peripheral devices thereby are controllable as peer networking devices via the peer networking connectivity device control protocol.

Claims

1. A distributed computing network having at least one computing device, the distributed computing network comprising:

a plurality of peer networking computing devices communicating according to a peer networking connectivity model;

at least some of said peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as controlled devices exposing at least one operational function to control from others of said peer networking computing devices;

at least some of said peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points whereat a user interface is presented for interaction by a user to control said controlled devices; and

at least one of said peer networking computing devices being a host computing device having at least one peripheral device connected therewith according to a host-peripheral computing model, said host computing device being programmed to automatically install and configure an adapter program that operates to expose said at least one peripheral device as a controlled device in said peer networking connectivity model upon connecting said at least one peripheral device to said host computing device, wherein said adapter program acts as a peer networking addressable device to which said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points can establish a connection using an address which identifies said peer networking addressable device.

2. The distributed computing network of claim 1 wherein the adapter program operates to convert device control communications from said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points into a host/peripheral connectivity protocol for controlling said at least one peripheral device.

3. The distributed computing network of claim 2 wherein the adapter program supports discovery by said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points of operational functions of said at least one peripheral device by supplying a structured data message defining control of said operational functions in response to a request according to the peer networking connectivity model from said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points.

4. The distributed computing network of claim 3 wherein the adapter supports control of said operational functions by said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points by converting communications from said at least some peer networking computing devices being programmed to operate as user control points as defined by the structured data message into communications in a host/peripheral connectivity protocol for controlling said operational functions of said at least one peripheral device.

5. A host computing device comprising:

a processor;

a communications bus for attaching a peripheral device coupled to the processor;

a networking adapter and network operating software module for peer networking with peer devices coupled to the communications bus;

an operating software program for operating the host computing device; and

an auto-installer operating to detect attachment of the peripheral device on the communications bus and to configure the operating software program with a peripheral device driving software module and a peer networking-to-host/peripheral connectivity bridging software module specific to the peripheral device, the peripheral device driving software module controlling said new peripheral device via a host/peripheral device control protocol, the peer networking-to-host/peripheral connectivity bridging software module acting as a peer networking addressable device and converting between communications according to a peer networking connectivity-based device control protocol and communications according to the host/peripheral device control protocol for exposing the peripheral device to control from the peer devices using the peer networking connectivity-based device control protocol.

6. The host computing device of claim 5 wherein said bridging software module further converts between communications according to said protocols for also supporting control by the peripheral device of the peer devices using the peer networking connectivity-based device control protocol.

7. A computer-readable data-carrying medium having a host operating software program encoded thereon and executable on a host computing device in a distributed network of peer computing devices, the host computing device having a communications bus for connecting peripheral devices with host/peripheral connectivity, the host operating software program comprising:

a new peripheral detection module operating to detect that a new peripheral is attached to the host computing device on the communications bus;

a peer networking-to-peripheral bridging module installer operating upon detection of the new peripheral to install an instance of a peer networking-to-peripheral bridging module on the host computing device, the peer networking-to-peripheral bridging module acting as a peer networking addressable device and operating to bridge between a first device control protocol using peer networking connectivity and a second device control protocol using host/peripheral connectivity, the first device control protocol defining communications between user control point nodes and controlled device nodes on the distributed network of computing devices permitting control of operational functions and services of the controlled device nodes from the user control point nodes, the second device control protocol defining peripheral-driving communications between the host computing device and the new peripheral on the communications bus.

8. The computer-readable data-carrying medium of claim 7 further comprising a peripheral driving software module installer also operating upon detection of the new peripheral to install a peripheral driving software module specific to the new peripheral for communicating in the second device control protocol with the new peripheral.

9. On a host of a host/peripheral computing platform, a method of self-configuring an operating software program of the host to provide peer networking connectivity for peripheral devices connected to the host on a peripheral expansion bus, the method comprising:

detecting that a new peripheral is connected to the host;

installing a device driver module specific to the new peripheral onto the host for communicating with the new peripheral according to a host/peripheral connectivity control protocol;

installing a peer networking addressable connectivity adapter onto the host to act as a controlled device module according to a peer networking device control model in which peer networking connected computing devices run user control point modules and controlled device modules, where the user control point modules support user interaction to control operational functions supported by the controlled device modules, and for converting communications from peer networking computing devices networked with the host computer and the controlled device module to communications with the new peripheral via the device driver module.