Method and apparatus for enabling discovery and use of a service by a client device
First Claim
1. An information transfer system, comprising:
- a server apparatus, including;
a service engine;
a server communication interface;
a server connection framework process;
a server service facility of at least a first type and having a first set of capabilities;
a remote platform, including;
a client application;
a communication interface compatible with said communication interface of said server apparatus;
a client connection framework process; and
a client service facility of said at least said first type and having a second set of capabilities;
a communication channel, wherein said communication interface of said server apparatus and said communication interface of said remote platform are operably interconnected;
wherein said server communication interface, said server connection framework process, said client communication interface and said client connection framework process operate to advertise said server service facility to said client application, wherein said client application discovers said service facility of said server apparatus and establishes a logical communication path with said service facility through interaction between said client connection framework process and said server connection framework process, wherein after establishing said logical communication path data is passed from said client application to said server service facility over said communication channel using said logical communication path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to facilitating communications and interoperability between/among applications and services. Such applications and services may be running on or associated with disparate platforms. The apparatus of the present invention provides for a message set that can be used by services to advertise available services, and by applications to identify desired services. According to certain embodiments, applications may subscribe to available services, such as display services. In a further aspect of some embodiments, applications executable on and services available from disparate platforms are not required by themselves to support communications between/among the platforms. Instead, such support may be obtained from facilities that are provided as part of the platform itself.
145 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An information transfer system, comprising:
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a server apparatus, including;
a service engine;
a server communication interface;
a server connection framework process;
a server service facility of at least a first type and having a first set of capabilities;
a remote platform, including;
a client application;
a communication interface compatible with said communication interface of said server apparatus;
a client connection framework process; and
a client service facility of said at least said first type and having a second set of capabilities;
a communication channel, wherein said communication interface of said server apparatus and said communication interface of said remote platform are operably interconnected;
wherein said server communication interface, said server connection framework process, said client communication interface and said client connection framework process operate to advertise said server service facility to said client application, wherein said client application discovers said service facility of said server apparatus and establishes a logical communication path with said service facility through interaction between said client connection framework process and said server connection framework process, wherein after establishing said logical communication path data is passed from said client application to said server service facility over said communication channel using said logical communication path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for providing a service facility to a client device, comprising:
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advertising on a server apparatus an available server service facility;
placing a client device in communication with said server apparatus using a physical interconnection;
discovering by said client device said available service facility;
establishing a logical communication channel between said service and a client application running on said client device; and
providing first data from said client application to said service facility, wherein said server service facility provides a service using said provided data, wherein said providing data comprises passing said data from said client device to said server service facility over said logical communication channel using said physical interconnection with said server apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An information transfer apparatus, comprising:
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a central system for managing service related information related to services available for use including a first service and for providing a number of physical communication interfaces;
at least a first application that processes application related information;
at least a first service engine having said first service associated therewith and being in communication with running on said central system for providing at least a first function to be used by said first application;
at least a first information source interconnected to one of said physical communication interfaces and in communication with said first service engine from which, wherein said application related information can be obtained for processing using said first application; and
at least a first interface manager in communication with at least each of said central system and said first service engine, said interface manager for providing compatibility of communications between said central system and communications link technology communicable with said first interface manager;
wherein said central system is used to establish a first communications path for said first interface manager to said first service engine and, after being established, said first interface manager is used in obtaining said application related information from said information source independently of said central system, wherein said central system is used to establish a second communications path between said interface manager and an interconnected device, and wherein said first communications path and said second communications path are completed through said central system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification