Method for controlling devices that are arranged in a communications network

• US 8,065,400 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Erstad, Jakob, Frankl, Martina
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/959,049
• Time in Patent Office: 4,250 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/545 using a stored programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/625 Arrangements in the private branch exchange

Abstract

In order centrally to control devices arranged in a computer network, via a computer network-external data processing device, a central data processing device in which control sequences, each composed of a sequence of instructions, are stored in a memory is set up in the computer network. After one of the stored control sequences has been selected, the selection having been made by a control application which runs on the computer network-external data processing device and which has been downloaded by the central data processing device, the instructions of the selected control sequence are successively transferred by the central data processing device via the computer network to the respective devices to be controlled. A control unit implemented in the devices subsequently controls an application running on the respective devices.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a plurality of devices in a computer network via a data processing device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing control sequences in a central applications module contained in a memory of a central data processing device operatively coupled to the computer network, each control sequence including a sequence of instructions, wherein the central data processing device includes a protocol unit, and wherein the central applications module has a plurality of decentralized application modules assigned to it;

transmitting respectively assigned decentralized application modules to data processing devices requesting download of the respective decentralized application module, wherein the data processing devices each include a control unit;

selecting one of the stored control sequences in accordance with instruction received from the downloaded decentralized application modules;

transferring successively the instructions of the selected control sequence from the central applications module via the computer network to a respective control unit of the plurality of devices in the computer network, wherein the instructions are transmitted as a communications file;

receiving a status message from at least one control unit, wherein the status message contains communication status information on an application running on the control unit, and wherein the status message is at least partially derived from the communications file; and

transmitting control data to the application, wherein the control data is at least partially derived from the received status message.

2. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

connecting the data processing device to a communications network; and

connecting the communications network to the computer network via an interworking unit.

3. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interworking unit is a communications system having both a network connecting unit for connecting to the communications network and a LAN connecting unit for connecting to the computer network, and wherein the communications system performs a bidirectional transfer between a data format of the communications network and the computer network.

4. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing, via a respective decentralized applications module, the received communications file; and

reading out, via the control unit implemented in the device, the instruction from the communications file.

5. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

transferring automatically, via the central applications module and after an instruction has been transferred to a device, a status message on an execution status of the selected control sequence to the data processing device.

6. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 1, wherein data is transferred between the central applications module and the data processing device based on the HTTP protocol.

7. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data processing device has a display unit via which information based on the HTTP protocol is displayed on the data processing device.

8. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 4, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating and storing status messages in the control unit after receiving the instructions of the selected control sequence from the central applications module, wherein the status messages indicate a current status of the applications running on the device, and wherein the status messages are stored in a further communications file;

reading out the status messages, via the decentralized applications module, contained in the further communications file;

transferring the status messages, via the decentralized applications module, via the computer network to the central applications module; and

storing the received status messages, via the central applications module, in a protocol unit arranged in the central data processing device.

9. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 8, the method further comprising the step of:

storing, in addition to the status message, address information identifying the transmitting device in the protocol unit.

10. A method for controlling devices in a computer network as claimed in claim 8, the method further comprising the step of:

transferring the status messages stored in the protocol unit to the data processing device after the central applications module has received a request message transferred by the data processing device.

11. A method for controlling a plurality of devices in a computer network via a data processing device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing control sequences in a memory of a central data processing device operatively coupled to the computer network, each control sequence including a sequence of instructions;

selecting one of the stored control sequences by a control application that has been downloaded from the central data processing device and executed on the data processing device;

transferring successively the instructions of the selected control sequence from the central data processing device via the computer network to the plurality of devices in the computer network; and

controlling applications running on at least one of the plurality of devices by a control unit, implemented in the at least one device, via the transferred instructions;

generating and storing status messages in the control unit after receiving the instructions of the selected control sequence from the central applications module, wherein the status messages indicate a current status of the applications running on the device, and wherein the status messages are stored in a further communications file;

reading out the status messages, via the decentralized applications module, contained in the further communications file;

transferring the status messages, via the decentralized applications module, via the computer network to the central applications module; and

storing the received status messages, via the central applications module, in a protocol unit arranged in the central data processing device; and

storing, in addition to the status message, address information identifying the transmitting device in the protocol unit.