Extendible instruction system

• US 7,448,027 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hickman, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/109,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/105, 717/109, 717113-114, 717/102, 717/115, 717/121, 717/137, 707/3, 715/236, 715/249
• US Class Current: 717/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

An instruction system for issuing instructions from a first computer system (50-90) for execution by a second computer system (10, 20, 40) is described. The instruction system comprises instructions of a first type having an effect on the second computer system which is determinable by the first and second computer systems, and instructions of a second type, the effect of which is not determinable by the first computer system. The instructions of the second type each include a descriptor for aiding a user to determine the effect of the respective instruction at the first computer system.

Claims

1. An instruction system for issuing instructions from a first computer system for execution by a second computer system, the instruction system comprising:

the first computer system;

an instruction set issued from the first computer system and including;

instructions of a first type including fixed metadata fields having an effect on the second computer system which is determinable by the first and second computer systems, and

instructions of a second type including extra metadata fields, the effect of the extra metadata fields which is not determinable by the first computer system,

the instructions of the first type being different than the instructions of the second type, the instruction set issued from the first computer system thus containing instructions of the first type and instructions of the second type,

wherein the instructions of the second type each comprise (i) an extension of instructions beyond those of the first type in the instruction set that are explicitly identified as extra metadata fields in a service description metadata file accessible to the first computer system, and (ii) a descriptor operatively associated with each extra metadata field, wherein the descriptor is configured for providing information for aiding a user of the first computer system to determine the effect of and/or to utilize the respective extension of instructions at the first computer system without requiring the first computer system to have an understanding of semantics of the extra metadata fields of the extension of instructions, further wherein the descriptor of each extra metadata field is included in or part of the instruction set issued from the first computer system for execution by the second computer system, and still further wherein the extra metadata fields allow (a) data provided by the instruction set, or (b) the functionality of a service that can be instructed by instructions within the instruction set, to be extended to the first computer system without any corresponding updates in the first computer system being necessary, the instructions of the second type still further comprise;

(iii) an extra metadata field identifier identifying (a) the instruction as being of the second type and (b) the descriptor, the identifier being different than the descriptor and being included in or part of the instruction set, and

(iv) a number of sub-fields, the sub-fields (a) being different than the descriptor and (b) being included in or part of the instruction set, wherein the sub-fields are selected from the set of;

(b(i)) language of the instruction,

(b(ii)) a definition of the queries acceptable for the instruction, and

(b(iii)) an explicitly stated variable type expected for enabling the first computer to verify user entered data before submitting a query to the second computer.

2. An instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the first computer system is arranged to generate a user interface for display in dependence on the instructions of the first and/or second types, wherein instructions of the second type are represented in the user interface as their respective descriptor and an input field.

3. An instruction system according to claim 2, wherein the first computer system is arranged to generate a communication for transmission to the second computer system for execution, the generation being in dependence on the instructions of the first type and on inputs to the user interface, wherein inputs to input fields corresponding to instructions of the second type are inserted in the communication without being changed.

4. An instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the second computer system operates a database of information, execution of the instructions comprising execution of a query on the database of information, wherein results of the query are communicated to the first computer system.

5. An instruction system according to claim 4, wherein the second computer system comprises a World Wide Web server hosting a World Wide Web site on the Internet, the first computer system being arranged to communicate with the World Wide Web site for issuing instructions.

6. An instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the first computer system comprises a selected one of:

a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a digital video recorder, an intelligent household appliance or a decoder for a digital television system.