System and method for enabling communication among arbitrary components

• US 7,296,042 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Warren Keith, Newman, Mark Webster, Sedivy, Jana Zdislava
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): GYORFI, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US09/838,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,398 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/205, 707/225, 707/9, 715/505, 709/217, 709/201, 709/227, 709/220, 719/328, 719/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling arbitrary components to communicate with each other. The communication system includes a first set of components associated with one or more universal interfaces that include mobile code. The one or more universal interfaces comprise a data source interface, a data sink interface, an aggregation interface, a mutable aggregation interface, a context interface, a notification interface or a user interface. Further, the universal interfaces associated with the first set of components can be provided to and implemented by a second set of components to enable the second set of components to communicate with the first set of components despite the first set and the second set of component utilizing different communication mediums or protocols.

Claims

1. A system for enabling one or more arbitrary components to communicate with each other, the system comprising:

a first component associated with one or more universal interfaces, wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise executable code and data;

a second component obtaining one of the one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component, wherein the second component includes a discovery mechanism configured to discover the first component;

wherein the second component automatically invokes at least one of the universal interfaces to communicate with the first component; and

wherein the second component and the first component do not share a standard communication protocol which is distinct from a discovery protocol that is part of the discovery mechanism.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first component transfers a data object to the second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first component transfers a data object to the second component, the data object having instructions and data for accessing the one or more universal interfaces.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second component has instructions and data for accessing a data object, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second component interacts with an operating system environment, the operating system environment having instructions and data for accessing a data object having the one or more universal interfaces.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second component has instructions and data for using the one or more universal interfaces.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein a third component transfers a data object to the second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise a data source interface, a data sink interface, an aggregation interface, a mutable aggregation interface, a context interface, a notification interface or a user interface.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise object-oriented mobile code having instructions for obtaining, interpreting, viewing or modifying data associated with one or more collections of components, providing one or more user interfaces to allow one or more components to be accessed or manipulated, allowing one or more components to provide event notifications or retrieving contextual data associated with the second component.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of the one or more universal interfaces comprise a source-specific data transfer session having instructions for converting data transferred through the source-specific data transfer session.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more arbitrary components comprise a computer system, device, network service, application, data, memory, file directory or individual file.

12. A method for enabling one or more arbitrary components to communicate with each other, the method comprising:

performing a discovery operation at a second component to discover a first component;

obtaining one of one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component at the second component, wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise executable code and data;

automatically invoking at least one of the universal interfaces at the second component to communicate with the first component; and

wherein the second component and the first component do not share a standard communication protocol which is distinct from a discovery protocol that is part of the discovery operation.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the data object having instructions and data for enabling the second component to use the one or more universal interfaces.

15. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the second component having instructions and data for enabling it to use the one or more universal interfaces.

16. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein a second component interacts with an operating system environment, the operating system environment having instructions and data for enabling the second component to use the one or more universal interfaces.

17. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein a second component performs instructions for using the one or more universal interfaces.

18. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein a third component transfers a data object to a second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component.

19. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise a data source interface, a data sink interface, an aggregation interface, a mutable aggregation interface, a context interface, a notification interface or a user interface.

20. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise object-oriented mobile code having instructions for obtaining, interpreting, viewing or modifying obtaining, viewing or modifying data associated with a collection of components, providing an interface to allow requested components to be accessed or manipulated directly, allowing requested components to provide the one or more other components with status updates of the requested components or retrieving contextual data associated with the second component.

21. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein one of the one or more universal interfaces comprise a source-specific data transfer session having instructions for converting data transferred through the source-specific data transfer session.

22. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more arbitrary components comprise a device, network service, application, data, memory, file directory or individual file.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for enabling one or more arbitrary components to communicate with each other, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform the steps of:

discovering a first component at a second component;

obtaining one of one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component at the second component, wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise executable code and data;

automatically invoking at least one of the universal interfaces at the second component to communicate with the first component; and

wherein the second component and the first component do not share a standard communication protocol which is distinct from a discovery protocol that is part of the discovering step.

24. The medium as set forth in claim 23 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces.

25. The medium as set forth in claim 23 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the data object having instructions and data for enabling the second component to use the one or more universal interfaces.

26. The medium as set forth in claim 23 further comprising transferring a data object to a second component, the second component having instructions and data for enabling it to use the one or more universal interfaces.

27. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein a second component interacts with an operating system environment, the operating system environment having instructions and data for enabling the second component to use the one or more universal interfaces.

28. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein a second component performs instructions for using the one or more universal interfaces.

29. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein a third component transfers a data object to a second component, the data object having the one or more universal interfaces associated with the first component.

30. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise a data source interface, a data sink interface, an aggregation interface, a mutable aggregation interface, a context interface, a notification interface or a user interface.

31. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein the one or more universal interfaces comprise object-oriented mobile code having instructions for obtaining, interpreting, viewing or modifying obtaining, viewing or modifying data associated with a collection of components, providing an interface to allow requested components to be accessed or manipulated directly, allowing requested components to provide the one or more other components with status updates of the requested components or retrieving contextual data associated with the second component.

32. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein one of the one or more universal interfaces comprise a source-specific data transfer session having instructions for converting data transferred through the source-specific data transfer session.

33. The medium as set forth in claim 23 wherein the one or more arbitrary components comprise a device, network service, application, data, memory, file directory or individual file.