Resource conflict management using predefined XML schemas

• US 7,617,498 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lumsden, John
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Jennifer N
• Application Number:
  US10/941,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 718/100, 718/102, 718/104, 707/1, 707/100, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

A method and system for identifying conflicting resource claims by applications for a system having a plurality of resources. A set of schemas are predefined for the system, wherein each schema defines a pooling of the resources of the system. Each application is then created based upon one of the schemas so as to be associated with a specified pool or subset of device resources. Applications are executed by a browser. Each application may have more than one state, and each state may have an associated schema. Requests for changes of state, such as invoking an instance of the application, are received by the browser. The browser informs a resource manager of the associated schema and the resource manager identifies the pool or subset of resources for requested state change based upon its schema and determines whether or not the resources are currently in use by another active application. Conflicts may be resolved by a conflict resolution component.

Claims

1. A method of identifying resource conflicts in a system including a device having a plurality of resources, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of schemas, each schema defining a pooling of one or more resources;

receiving a state change request from a first application, wherein said state chance request comprises a state chance of said first application from an idle state to an active state, and wherein said active state of said first application has an associated schema;

in response to receiving said state change request,

identifying, based upon said associated schema, a resource required by said first application in said active state, wherein identifying includes parsing said associated schema to obtain said pooling of one or more resources; and

determining whether said requested resource is currently in use by a second application, wherein said second application comprises an application in an active state, and wherein determining includes finding that said requested resource is available; and

executing said state change request.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, said second application being based upon a second of said schemas, and wherein said step of determining includes determining whether said second of said schemas includes said requested resource.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes finding that said requested resource is in use by said second application, and wherein the method includes a step, in response to said step of finding, of invoking a resource conflict resolution procedure.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein said resource conflict resolution procedure includes determining whether said state change request should be allowed or refused.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said state change request is initiated in response to receipt of a triggering event.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the device includes a telephone set, and wherein the plurality of resources include a speaker, a microphone, a display, a keypad, and a media path.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said applications and said schemas include documents created using an XML language providing an application interface to the plurality of resources.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said requested state change relates to a requested state of said first application, and wherein said requested state is associated with said associated schema.

9. A system including a device having a plurality of resources, the system comprising:

a plurality of schemas, each schema defining a pooling of one or more of the resources;

a resource manager;

a first application, said first application having an idle state and an active state, said active state having an associated scheme; and

a browser for receiving a state change request for said first application and notifying said resource manager of said associated schema, wherein said state change request comprises a state change of said first application from the idle state to the active state,

wherein said resource manager includes a conflict determination component for parsing said associated scheme to obtain said pooling of one or more resources, and for determining whether said pooling of resources defined for said associated schema includes a resource currently in use by a second application, wherein said second application comprises an application in an active state,

wherein said conflict determination component determines that said pooling of resources defined for said associated schema is available, and wherein, in response to said determination, said resource manager notifies said browser and said browser executes said state chance request.

10. The system claimed in claim 9, said second application being based upon a second of said schemas, and wherein said conflict determination component determines whether said pooling of resources defined for said associated schema includes a resource that is included in said pooling of resources defined for said second schema.

11. The system claimed in claim 9, further including a conflict resolution component, and wherein said conflict determination component determines that at least one resource within said pooling of resources defined for said associated schema is unavailable, and wherein, in response to said determination, said resource manager invokes said conflict resolution component.

12. The system claimed in claim 11, wherein said conflict resolution component determines whether said state change request should be allowed or refused.

13. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein said device includes a user interface, and said device receives user input through said user interface, and wherein said state change request is triggered in response to said user input.

14. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein the device includes a telephone set, and wherein the plurality of resources include a speaker, a microphone, a display, a keypad, and a media path.

15. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein said applications documents created using an XML language providing an application interface to the plurality of resources.

16. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein said requested state change relates to a requested state of said first application, and wherein said requested state is associated with said associated schema.

17. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein said browser includes a component for determining if said first application requests access to a resource in violation of said associated schema.