Peer networking host framework and hosting API

• US 20060123124A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rao, Ravi T., Pather, Shyamalan, Weisman, Daniel R., Rude, Christopher M., Zintel, William Michael, Bendixen, Mason K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A device hosting framework provides hosting for software-implemented logical devices (including peripheral devices bridges) on a computer to expose their services as controlled devices per a peer networking protocol. The device hosting framework encapsulates discovery, description and control protocol operations of the peer networking protocol, which frees the developers of the hosted devices from having to individually implement the peer networking protocol in the hosted devices'"'"' software and need implement only the core functionality of the hosted device. The device hosting framework operates as a host supporting device interoperability via the peer networking protocol for multiple hosted devices.

Claims

1. In a network of computing devices interoperating via a peer networking protocol, a method of peer networking protocol hosting for a group of logical devices, the method comprising:

in a peer networking host having an implementation of the peer networking protocol, providing an application programming interface for a software program that implements a logical device having a set of device services to obtain peer network protocol hosting of the logical device and its device services from the peer networking host, the software program providing descriptive data of the hosted logical device and its device services to the peer networking host via the application programming interface;

proxying service control requests per the peer networking protocol from the network directed to the device services of the hosted logical device within the peer networking host, wherein the peer networking host invokes the respective device service responsive to a particular service control request; and

communicating events sourced from the hosted logical device by the peer networking host to the network in accordance with the peer networking protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the proxying of the service control requests comprises converting the service control requests from the peer networking protocol into an invocation per an object automation protocol to the respective device service.

3. A general purpose computer comprising:

a processor, data storage, data input/output, and networking hardware resources;

a peer networking host client executing on the computer to provide a logical device having a set of services;

a peer networking hosting application programming interface for access by the peer networking host client to obtain hosting of peer networking operability for the logical device;

a peer networking host accessible via the peer networking hosting application programming interface and operating responsive to said access by the peer networking host client to expose the services of the hosted logical device to peer networking operability with peer devices networked with the computer.

4. The general purpose computer of claim 3 wherein the peer networking host client implements the set of services as program objects, and the peer networking host provides an object automation proxy operating to convert between communications according to a service control peer networking protocol and service invocations according to an object automation model.

5. A computer-readable data-carrying medium having a software program encoded thereon and executable on a computer in a distributed network of peer computing devices for remotely exposing software-provided logical device services available via an object integration interface to remote control via a service control protocol using peer networking connectivity, the service control protocol defining communications between user control point nodes and controlled device nodes in a distributed network of computing devices permitting control of services of the controlled device nodes from the user control point nodes, the software program comprising:

a peer networking host module for exposing the logical device services as controlled device node services to the user control points via the service control protocol; and

an object automation proxy for converting communications in the service control protocol directed towards the exposed controlled device node services into invocations of the logical devices services via the object integration interface.

6. The computer-readable data-carrying medium of claim 5 wherein the object integration interface is a run-time invocation dispatching interface.

7. A computer-readable data-carrying medium having a computer-executable conversion utility software program encoded thereon, the conversion utility software program comprising:

code to input a service description in a peer networking protocol;

code to convert the service description into an interface definition per an interface description language; and

code to output the interface definition in a form compilable into a programming object automation interface.

8. The computer-readable data-carrying medium of claim 7 wherein the code to convert converts the service description into an interface definition of a run-time invocation dispatching interface.