Mobile device with local server

• US 7,568,203 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telmap Limited (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Avram, Adi, Dotan, Emanuel, Kupferman, Michael Menachem
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Application Number:
  US10/871,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20050282532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 718/1, 718/100, 719/310, 719/328, 719/311, 719/313, 710/1, 709226-228, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/13.1, 455/418, 455/419, 707/10
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method for operating a mobile computing device includes running a platform-independent application program using a virtual machine operating on the mobile computing device. A server program runs on the mobile computing device so as to access a native function of the mobile computing device that is not supported by the virtual machine. The native function is invoked from the application program by opening a communication connection to the server program using a communication application programming interface (API) of the virtual machine, and sending a message to the server program via the communication connection, so as to cause the server program to access the native function.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile computing device, comprising:

running a platform-independent application program using a virtual machine operating on the mobile computing device;

running a server program on the mobile computing device so as to access a native function of the mobile computing device that is not supported by the virtual machine; and

invoking the native function from the platform-independent application program by;

opening a communication connection to the server program using a communication application programming interface (API) of the virtual machine;

sending a message to the server program via the communication connection, so as to cause the server program to access the native function;

running the native function by the server program; and

sending a reply to the message from the server program to the platform-independent application program returning a result of the native function.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein running the platform-independent application program comprises running a Java program using a K Virtual Machine (KVM).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein invoking the native function comprises invoking an input/output (I/O) function of the mobile computing device that is not supported by the virtual machine.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the I/O function comprises receiving data via a communication port of the mobile computing device.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the I/O function comprises playing a sound.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the I/O function comprises driving a display of the mobile computing device.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the I/O function comprises operating a backlight of a display of the mobile computing device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein invoking the native function comprises interacting with a peripheral device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein opening the communication connection comprises opening the connection using a network communication protocol.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein using the network communication protocol comprises opening a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein sending the message comprises sending a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that is associated with the server program.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the message comprises sending a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet.

13. A mobile computing device comprising a microprocessor, the microprocessor is programmed to:

run a platform-independent application program using a virtual machine operating on the mobile computing device;

run a server program on the mobile computing device so as to access a native function of the mobile device that is not supported by the virtual machine;

invoke the native function from the platform-independent application program by;

opening a communication connection to the server program using a communication application programming interface (API) of the virtual machine; and

sending a message to the server program via the communication connection, so as to cause the server program to access the native function; and

run the server program to execute the native function,

wherein the server program is adapted to send a reply to the message to the platform-independent application program returning a result of the native function.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the platform-independent application program comprises a Java program, and the virtual machine comprises a K Virtual Machine (KVM).

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the native function comprises an input/output (I/O) function of the mobile computing device that is not supported by the virtual machine.

16. The device according to claim 15, and comprising a communication port, wherein the I/O function comprises receiving data via the communication port.

17. The device according to claim 15, and comprising a speaker, wherein the I/O function comprises playing a sound via the speaker.

18. The device according to claim 15, and comprising a display, wherein the I/O function comprises driving the display.

19. The device according to claim 15, and comprising a display having a backlight, wherein the I/O function comprises operating the backlight.

20. The device according to claim 13, wherein the native function comprises interacting with a peripheral device.

21. The device according to claim 13, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to open the connection using a network communication protocol.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the network communication protocol comprises at least one of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and an Internet Protocol (IP).

23. The device according to claim 13, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to send the message by sending a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that is associated with the server program.