Method and apparatus for associating network entities

• US 8,166,099 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Burger, Michel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US10/409,234
• Time in Patent Office: 3,304 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709230-232, 709201-203, 717/108
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A method and apparatus for associating network entities, such as devices and services have been disclosed. By utilizing context operational modifiers, such as context rules, context definitions, and context services, entities may be associated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering a plurality of entities, said entities being devices and services;

receiving an event from one or more of said plurality of entities;

creating context operational modifiers selected from the group consisting of context rules, context definitions, context services, and any combination of context rules and context definitions and context services; and

communicating said event to any of said plurality of entities based upon said context operational modifiers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said entities are selected from the group consisting of devices, services, and devices and services.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of devices are selected from the group consisting of user operable devices, devices running applications to support said plurality of devices, client devices, application server devices, and server devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein registering further comprises:

creating a context entry for any registering entity of said plurality of entities; and

creating an observer of said context entry.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising adding said observer of said context entry to a list of observers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein registering is temporally disparate with respect to said plurality of entities.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising an operation selected from the group consisting of adding an entry, removing an entry, generating a new event, generating a response, passing said event, passing a response, redistributing said event, redistributing a response, responding to said event, indexing said event, indexing a response, indexing an event response, tracking said event, tracking a response, aggregating events, aggregating responses, filtering events, filtering responses, synchronizing events, synchronizing responses, posting events, posting responses, generating an error, and generating an alarm.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said operation is modified by said context operational modifiers.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed performs the method of claim 1.

10. A system comprising a processor coupled to a memory, which when executing a set of instructions performs the method of claim 1.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating a payment and/or credit.

12. A method for creating m-devices to n-services associations, the method comprising:

registering said m-devices;

registering said n-services;

creating context operational modifiers selected from the group consisting of context rules, context definitions, context services, and any combination of context rules and context definitions and context services; and

communicating to any of said m-devices or any of n-services based upon said context operational modifiers.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein registering further comprises:

adding entries; and

adding observers for said entries.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said context rules and context definitions define operations selected from the group consisting of adding entries, removing entries, passing events, generating responses, indexing, tracking, redistributing, sending, receiving, aggregating, filtering, synchronizing, posting, and generating error messages.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed performs the method of claim 12.

16. An apparatus for creating m-devices to n-services associations, the apparatus comprising:

means for registering said m-devices;

means for registering said n-services;

means for creating context operational modifiers selected from the group consisting of context rules, context definitions, context services, and any combination of context rules and context definitions and context services; and

means for communicating to any of said m-devices or any of n-services based upon said context operational modifiers.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for communicating a payment and/or credit.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon information representing the apparatus of claim 16.