Active control of collaborative devices

• US 7,430,583 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thorson, Derral Charles, Bodin, William Kress
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/047,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,450 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709204-226, 340/573.1, 707/1
• US Class Current: 709/209
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Control of collaborative devices, including providing at least two collaborative devices, wherein each collaborative device comprises a client device and an embedded Java server, providing a registry service to which the collaborative devices are coupled for data communications, and providing at least one registry table, wherein the registry table includes registry records, wherein the registry records include registry records representing capabilities of collaborative devices, wherein the registry records representing capabilities of collaborative devices include data elements describing, for each collaborative device, capabilities, tertiary relationships, and network connectivities. The method further includes providing a service bundle of OSGI-compliant Java servlets comprising at least one predetermined algorithm for controlling the collaborative devices, and controlling the collaborative devices in accordance with the predetermined algorithm.

Claims

1. A method of control of collaborative devices, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least two collaborative devices, wherein each collaborative device comprises a client device and an embedded Java server;

providing a registry service to which the collaborative devices are coupled for data communications;

providing at least one registry table, wherein the registry table further comprises registry records, wherein the registry records comprise registry records representing capabilities of collaborative devices, wherein the registry records representing capabilities of collaborative devices further comprise data elements describing, for each collaborative device, capabilities, tertiary relationships, and network connectivities;

providing a service bundle of OSGI-compliant Java servlets comprising at least one predetermined algorithm for controlling the collaborative devices; and

controlling the collaborative devices in accordance with the predetermined algorithm, wherein the predetermined algorithm is dedicated to a particular tertiary relationship, and the predetermined algorithm comprises the further steps of;

finding a registry record bearing a set point for the particular tertiary relationship;

reading a sensor value of the particular tertiary relationship;

comparing the set point and the sensor value, wherein the comparing produces a comparison result;

finding, in dependence upon the comparison result, a registry record having an identified capability appropriate to the comparison result for the particular tertiary relationship;

effecting the capability identified in the found registry record.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting the capability identified in the found registry record includes requesting, by use of an HTTP request, a URL identified in the found registry record as a network connectivity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein reading a sensor value further comprises the steps of:

finding a registry record for a sensor for the particular tertiary relationship;

effecting the capability identified in the found registry record for the sensor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein effecting the capability identified in the found registry record for the sensor includes requesting, by use of an HTTP request, a URL identified in the found registry record for the sensor.