Meta-message set with real-time and database aspects

• US 20050097247A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A generic device controller unit system (10) includes a generic “true real time” peripheral device controller and a data and protocol communications interface that uses a common set of instructions from a meta-message set. The system (10) is generic, in that the system (10) is capable of connecting a processor (40) to any number of various peripheral devices (50), instead of being designed to interconnect a processor (40) only to a specific peripheral device (50). The system (10) interfaces between a standard non-true real time operating system and peripheral devices (50) in such a manner as to employ true real time peripheral device control using the meta-message set. The device controller of the system (10) allows a standard non-true real time operating system to send instructions from the meta-message set to implement true real time control of peripheral devices (50). The system (10) interfaces between a processor (40) and peripheral devices (50) such that the data and protocol communications interface of the system (10) allows the processor (40) to utilize a single protocol, associated data and set of instructions in order to communicate with peripheral devices (50) which are utilizing different protocols and associated data.

Claims

1. A generic device controller unit system for facilitating interaction between a processor and any number of peripheral devices, the system comprising:

a general purpose device controller employing true real time peripheral device control, wherein the device controller interfaces between a non-true real time operating system and the peripheral devices, thereby allowing a non-true real time operating system to implement true real time control of the peripheral devices;

a data and protocol communications interface, wherein the communications interface connects the processor and the peripheral devices, thereby allowing the processor to utilize a single protocol and associated data to communicate with the peripheral devices which may be utilizing protocols and associated data which are different than that used by the processor; and

a set of instructions from a meta-message set for providing instructions to the general-purpose device controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control while interfaced with a non-true real time operating system running standard non-true real time software.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system functions as a distributed processing environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system further includes customized system drivers responsive to the instructions from the meta-message set.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein Universal Serial Bus is the default communication protocol between the generic device controller unit system and the processor.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the generic device controller unit system interfaces with the non-true real time operating system that functions in a Win32 environment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system is an input/output device interface for a processor to peripheral devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system provides real time device control to resource management capabilities of a standard non-true real time operating system responsive to the instructions from the meta-message set.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control without the higher level functionality of the processor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control without the processor using a true real time kernel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control without the processor utilizing a layered true real time operating system.

12. A generic device controller unit system for facilitating interaction between a processor and any number of peripheral devices, the system comprising:

a general purpose device controller employing true real time peripheral device control responsive to received instructions from the meta-message set, wherein the device controller allows a non-true real time operating system to interface with various non-specific peripheral devices, thereby allowing a non-true real time operating system to implement true real time control of peripheral devices without a processor requiring either a real time kernel or a layered true real time operating system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control while interfaced with a non-true real time operating system running standard non-true real time software.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system functions as a distributed processing environment.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system is an input/output device interface from the processor to the peripheral devices.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system provides real time device control to resource management capabilities of a standard non-true real time operating system responsive to the instructions from the meta-message set.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces true real time peripheral device control without the higher level functionality of the processor.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the generic device controller unit system interfaces with the non-true real time operating system that functions in a Win32 environment.

19. A generic device controller unit system for providing a data and protocol communications interface which facilitates interaction between a processor and any number of peripheral devices, the system comprising:

a general device data and protocol communications interface, wherein the communications interface connects a processor and various peripheral devices, thereby allowing the processor to utilize a single protocol and associated data to communicate with the various peripheral devices which may utilize different protocols and associated data than that used by the processor; and

a set of instructions from a meta-message set used by the processor to control generic device controller unit.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the generic device controller unit system functions as a distributed processing environment.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein Universal Serial Bus is the default communication protocol used by the processor to provide the instructions from the meta-message set to the generic device controller unit system.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the generic device controller unit system is an input/output device interface from the-processor to the peripheral devices.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the generic device controller unit system produces protocol and associated data translation without the higher-level functionality of the processor.

24. A method for providing a data and protocol communications interface to facilitate interaction between a processor and any number of peripheral devices, the method comprising:

interfacing between a non-true real time operating system and various non-specific peripheral devices using instructions from a meta-message set;

employing true real time peripheral device control through a generic device controller unit, wherein the device controller allows the processor to implement true real time control of the peripheral devices without the non-true real time operating system requiring either a real time kernel or a layered true real time operating system; and

providing a protocol and associated data communications interface between the processor and the peripheral devices, thereby allowing the processor to utilize a single protocol and associated data to communicate with the peripheral devices which may utilize different protocols and associated data than that used by the processor.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

producing true real time peripheral device control while interfaced with a non-true real time operating system running standard non-true real time software.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the generic device controller unit functions as a distributed processing environment.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the generic device controller unit further includes customized system drivers.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein Universal Serial Bus is the default communication protocol by the processor to provide the instructions from the meta-message set to the generic device controller unit.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the generic device controller unit interfaces with a non-true real time operating system that functions in a Win32 environment.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing an input/output device interface from the processor to the peripheral devices.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing real time device control to resource management capabilities of a standard non-true real time operating system.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

producing true real time peripheral device control without the higher-level functionality of the processor.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

producing true real time peripheral device control without the processor utilizing a true real time kernel.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

producing true real time peripheral device control without the non-true real time operating system being a layered true real time operating system.

35. A meta-message set for facilitating interaction between electronic components, the meta-message set comprising:

one or more instructions that are universal to each of the components; and

at least one of the components comprising a general purpose device controller employing true real time peripheral device control, wherein the device controller interfaces between a non-true real time operating system and the peripheral devices, thereby allowing a non-true real time operating system to implement true real time control of the peripheral devices.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein a database of instructions from the mete-message set is stored in two or more of the components.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the meta-message set contains an instruction to update the database of instructions from the meta-message set for each of the two or more components.

38. A method for facilitating interaction between electronic components, comprising:

establishing a meta-message set containing one or more instructions universal to each of the components; and

controlling one or more peripheral devices by sending one or more of the instructions from the meta-message set to at least one of the components, the at least one component comprising a general purpose device controller employing true real time peripheral device control, wherein the device controller interfaces between a non-true real time operating system and the one or more peripheral devices, thereby allowing a non-true real time operating system to implement true real time control of the peripheral devices.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising storing a database of instructions from the meta-message set in two or more of the components.

40. The system of claim 39, comprising sending an instruction to update the database of instructions from the meta-message set to each of the two or more components.