Dynamic machine synthesis for wireless device access and management

• US 6,993,398 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Wei, Shen, Jun, Liu, Xiao Xi, Song, Song, Fu, Rong Yao
• Primary Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US10/358,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 700/4, 700/99, 700/106, 709/226, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for effective wireless device access and management via device capability integration. A method for constructing a machine using a plurality of devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in the group is configurable for providing short-range wireless communication, includes the steps of: starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user; analyzing the template to determine one or more capabilities required for the machine; searching in the group for devices substantially matching at least one of the capabilities; and integrating the matching devices into the machine.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a machine using a plurality of devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in said group of devices is configurable for providing short-range wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the application template comprises coding of capability requirements and runtime logic;

analyzing the template to determine one or more capabilities required for the machine;

searching in the group for devices substantially matching at least one of said capabilities;

filtering devices according to predetermined criteria comprising at least one of device rating, device cost and device location; and

integrating the filtered devices substantially matching at least one of said capabilities into the machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said template defines the machine formed with one or more components each having required capabilities, and said integrating step comprises:

linking devices from the group with at least one of the required capabilities so as to build each of said one or more components using the linked devices; and

integrating said one or more components into said machine.

3. The method of claim 1, characterized by further comprising the steps of determining whether a pool processing device capable of performing a pool processing for said template application exists in said group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that a pool processing device exists in said group, the pool processing device carries out the searching step and device management.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that no pool processing device exists in said group, said searching step comprises:

broadcasting an inquiry message over the group; and

allowing each device in the group to respond to the inquiry message with information associated therewith.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said information associated with the device comprises at least one built-in page, which describes at least one of capabilities of the device, properties of the device, and events.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one built-in page includes a detailed profile of the device written in one or more languages common to all the devices in the group and in a readable format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said profile includes information selected from an information group consisting of

device capability description;

device property description;

device method description; and

event description.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of generating information regarding the machine for higher-level management.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of selecting devices to be used for building the machine based on the information associated with the device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication comprises infrared transmission.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth protocol.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing means for construction of a machine using devices selected from a group of devices, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to:

start an application template in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the application template comprises coding of capability requirements and runtime logic;

analyze the template to determine one or more capabilities required for the machine;

search in the group of devices for devices matching at least one of the capabilities; and

filter devices according to predetermined criteria comprising at least one of device rating, device cost and device location; and

integrate the filtered devices matching at least one of the capabilities into the machine.

14. An apparatus for constructing a machine using a plurality of devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in the group of devices is configurable for providing short-range wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a processor operative to;

(i) start an application template in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the application template comprises coding of capability requirements and runtime logic;

(ii) analyze the template to determine one or more capabilities required for the machine;

(iii) search in the group of devices for devices matching at least one of the capabilities;

(iv) filter devices according to predetermined criteria comprising at least one of device rating, device cost and device location; and

(v) integrate the filtered devices matching at least one of the capabilities into the machine.

15. An article of manufacture for constructing a machine using a plurality of devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in the group of device is configurable for providing short-range wireless communication, the article of manufacture comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the application template comprises coding of capability requirements and runtime logic;

analyzing the template to determine the capabilities required for the machine;

searching in the group for devices matching at least one of said capabilities;

filtering devices according to predetermined criteria comprising at least one of device rating, device cost and device location; and

integrating the filtered devices searched-out in the searching step into the machine.

16. A program storage device readable by machine for constructing a dynamic machine using a plurality of devices selected from a group of devices, wherein each device in the group of devices is configurable for providing short-range wireless communication, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine which when executed implement the steps of:

starting an application template in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the application template comprises coding of capability requirements and runtime logic;

analyzing the template to determine the capabilities required for the machine;

searching in the group for devices matching at least one of said capabilities;

filtering devices according to predetermined criteria comprising at least one of device rating, device cost and device location; and

integrating the filtered devices searched-out in the searching step into the dynamic machine.