Data transmission method and data transmission arrangement

• US 7,376,108 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Länsiö, Jari, Piikivi, Lauri
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye; Saba
• Application Number:
  US10/162,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 370/326, 370/328, 370/338, 370/346, 370/401, 370/449, 370465-469, 709/203, 709/217, 709/227, 709/230, 709/249, 709/250, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for implementing data transmission between at least two sets of software used in one or more devices. The devices are capable of establishing a connection to a data transmission system. The communication between the devices takes place using service requests that include information on an address of a service provider. A name server of the arrangement maintains a list of sets of software providing and needing different services and their addresses. The name servers are arranged to search the data transmission system for other name servers and to exchange information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when they find a new name server.

Claims

1. A method for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software used in one or more devices, at least some of the devices establishing a connection to a telecommunication system, the method comprising:

implementing at least some of the communication between the sets of software by using service requests that include information on an address of a service provider,

registering sets of software, that provide different services, in name servers,

maintaining a list of the sets of software, that provide different services, and their addresses in the name servers,

registering sets of software, that need different services, in further name servers,

maintaining a list of the sets of software, that need different services, and their addresses in the further name servers,

wherein the further name servers search a data transmission system for other name servers, and

individual ones of the name servers exchange information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when the individual name servers find a new name server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sets of software transmit the service requests and service provision information to a service provider, which communicates with an individual one of the name servers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the name server informs the software needing a service that software providing the desired service has been found at another one of the name servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when a connection between the name servers is disconnected, the name servers delete the information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service obtained from the name service behind the disconnected connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a section of a connection between at least two different devices is established using a wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the name servers using a wireless connection poll the environment every now and then to detect new name servers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein terminals in the telecommunication system include a name server and sets of software providing and using services.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the sets of software providing and using services of a terminal in the telecommunication system are registered in the name server in the terminal.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein when the terminal in the telecommunication system enters the area of a new local area network, the name server of the terminal and the name server of the local area network exchange information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless connection is established using a Bluetooth method.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless connection is established using a WLAN method.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless connection is established using an infrared connection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection between the devices is established using a wired connection.

14. An arrangement for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software in a plurality of devices that communicate via a telecommunication system, the arrangement comprising:

said plurality of devices, the sets of software being used in the plurality of devices, at least some of the devices including means for establishing a connection to the telecommunication system for enabling communication between the devices,

an individual one of said devices employing service requests to accomplish at least some of the communication between the devices, the service requests including information on an address of a service provider,

the arrangement further comprising a plurality of name servers connected to the telecommunication system for maintaining lists of sets of software providing different services and their addresses, the sets of software providing different services being registered in the plurality of name servers, and

one or more of the name servers search the telecommunication system for other ones of the name servers and exchange information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when an individual one of the name servers finds another of the name servers.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the arrangement includes one or more service providers, and the sets of software needing a service and providing a service are arranged to transmit the service requests and service provision information to the service provider arranged to communicate with the name server.

16. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein an individual one of the name servers informs the software needing a service that software providing the desired service has been found at another one of the name servers.

17. The arrangement of claim 14, further comprising terminals in a telecommunication system, wherein the terminals include a name server and sets of software providing and using services.

18. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the arrangement includes local area networks that include a name server and sets of software providing and using services.

19. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the name servers of the terminals in the telecommunication system and the name server of a local area network exchange information concerning the sets of software needing a service, and provide a service when the terminal enters the area of the new local area network.

20. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein at least some of the devices include means for establishing a wireless connection to the telecommunication system.

21. The arrangement of claim 20, wherein the name servers, by use of a wireless connection, poll the environment every now and then to detect new name servers.

22. The arrangement of claim 20, further comprising terminals in the telecommunication system, the terminals including means for communicating with a local area network using a Bluetooth method.

23. The arrangement of claim 20, further comprising terminals in the telecommunication system, the terminals including means for communicating with a local area network using an infrared connection.

24. The arrangement of claim 20, further comprising terminals in the telecommunication system, the terminals including means for communicating with a local area network using a WLAN method.

25. A method for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software used in one or more devices, at least some of the devices establishing a connection to a telecommunication system that interconnects a first network and a second network, wherein a plurality of the devices are in the first network and another one or more of the devices are in the second network, the method comprising:

implementing at least some of the communication between the sets of software by using service requests that include information on an address of a service provider,

registering sets of software, that provide different services, in name servers, one or more of said name servers being in said first network and a further one or more of said name servers being in said second network,

maintaining a list of the sets of software, that provide different services, and their addresses in an individual one of the name servers,

wherein sets of software needing different services are registered in respective ones of the name servers,

a list of the sets of software needing different services and their addresses is maintained in at least one of the name servers,

the method further comprises searching, by the name servers of a data transmission system for other name servers, found in each of said first and said second networks, and

exchanging, by the name servers, information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when the name servers find a new name server.

26. An arrangement for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software in a plurality of devices that communicate via a telecommunication system, the arrangement comprising:

said plurality of devices, the sets of software being used in the plurality of devices, at least some of the devices including means for establishing a connection to the telecommunication system for enabling communication between the devices, the telecommunication system interconnecting a first network and a second network, wherein a plurality of the devices are in the first network and another one or more of the devices are in the second network,

an individual one of said devices employing service requests to accomplish at least some of the communication between the devices, the service requests including information on an address of a service provider,

the arrangement further comprising a plurality of name servers connected to the telecommunication system for maintaining lists of sets of software providing different services and their addresses, the sets of software providing different services being registered in the plurality of name servers, one or more of said name servers being in said first network and a further one or more of said name servers being in said second network, and

one of more of the name servers search the telecommunication system for other ones of the name servers, found in each of said first and said second networks, said one or more of the name servers exchanging information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when an individual one of the name servers finds another of the name servers.

27. A name server useful in a data telecommunication system for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software in a plurality of devices that communicate via a telecommunication system, wherein the telecommunication system comprises:

said plurality of devices, the sets of software being used in the plurality of devices, at least some of the devices including means for establishing a connection to the telecommunication system for enabling communication between the devices, and wherein an individual one of said devices employs service requests to accomplish at least some of the communication between the devices, the service requests including information on an address of a service provider;

wherein said name server is one of a plurality of such name servers, each of the plurality of name servers being connected to the telecommunication system;

wherein said name server comprises a computer and a data base operative with the computer for registration of software including an address of the software, said name server and other ones of the plurality of name servers maintaining lists of sets of software providing different services and their addresses, the sets of software providing different services being registered in the plurality of name servers; and

said name server searches the telecommunication system for other ones of the plurality of name servers and exchanges information with the other ones of the plurality of name servers, the information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when an individual one of the name servers finds another of the name servers.

28. The name server of claim 27, wherein the name server informs the software needing a service that software providing the desired service has been found at another one of the name servers.

29. The name server of claim 27, further comprising terminals in the telecommunication system, wherein said name server resides in one of the terminals including sets of software providing and using services.

30. The name server of claim 27, further comprising a local area network in the telecommunication system, wherein said name server and sets of software providing and using services reside in said local area network.

31. A name server useful in a data telecommunication system for implementing data communication between at least two sets of software in a plurality of devices that communicate via a telecommunication system, wherein the telecommunication system comprises:

said plurality of devices, the sets of software being used in the plurality of devices, at least some of the devices including means for establishing a connection to the telecommunication system for enabling communication between the devices, the telecommunication system interconnecting a first network and a second network, wherein a plurality of the devices are in the first network and another one or more of the devices are in the second network, and wherein an individual one of said devices employing service requests to accomplish at least some of the communication between the devices, the service requests including information on an address of a service provider;

wherein said name server is one of a plurality of such name servers, each of the plurality of name servers being connected to the telecommunication system;

wherein said name server comprises a computer and a data base operative with the computer for registration of software including an address of the software,

said name server and other ones of the plurality of name servers maintaining lists of sets of software providing different services and their addresses, the sets of software providing different services being registered in the plurality of name servers, said name server being in said first network and another of said plurality of name servers being in said second network; and

said name server searches the telecommunication system for other ones of the plurality of name servers, found in each of said first and said second networks, and exchanges information with the other ones of the plurality of name servers, the information concerning the sets of software needing a service and providing a service when an individual one of the name servers finds another of the name servers.

32. The name server of claim 31, wherein the name server informs the software needing a service that software providing the desired service has been found at another one of the name servers.

33. The name server of claim 31, further comprising terminals in the telecommunication system, wherein said name server resides in one of the terminals including sets of software providing and using services.

34. The name server of claim 31, further comprising a local area network in the telecommunication system, wherein said name server and sets of software providing and using services reside in said local area network.