Peer networking host framework and hosting API

• US 20060123125A1
• 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 7,620,724 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 peer networking host system comprising:

a programming interface supporting interaction with software for a logical device having a set of device services;

a discovery server operating to respond to discovery requests in the peer networking protocol received at the peer networking host system from computing devices on the network that seek discovery inclusive of the logical device;

a description server operating to respond to requests from computing devices on the network in the peer networking protocol for data descriptive of the logical device; and

a control server operating to proxy service control commands from computing devices on the network in the peer networking protocol by invoking respective of the device services corresponding to. the service control commands.

2. The peer networking host system of claim 1 further comprising:

a service description-to-interface definition conversion utility operating to convert a service description of the device services served by the description server in the peer networking protocol into an interface definition according to an interface definition language for an object interface.

3. A computer-readable data carrying medium having a link-able program module thereon, the program module executable on a computer in a network of computing devices interoperating via a peer networking protocol to provide hosting of the peer networking protocol for logical device software that operates as a logical device having a set of services on the computer, the program module comprising:

a discovery programming interface for receiving device discovery data from the logical device software;

a discovery protocol server module operating to serve discovery responses to discovery requests received in the peer networking protocol at the computer from the network that seek discovery inclusive of the logical device;

a description programming interface for receiving device description data from the logical device software;

a description protocol server module operating to serve description responses to description requests received in the peer networking protocol at the computer from the network and directed toward the logical device;

a service control programming interface for interfacing to the services; and

a service control server module operating responsive to control messages received in the peer networking protocol at the computer from the network that are directed to the services of the logical device so as to invoke the services in accordance with the control messages.

4. The computer-readable data carrying medium of claim 3 wherein the program module further comprises:

a conversion utility for converting a service description to an interface definition for compiling to an object interface, where serving the service description by the description protocol server module in response to the description request and invoking the object interface by the service control server module in response to the control messages permits a control message based on the service description to invoke the service through the object interface.

5. In a computing network, a method of interoperating between peer networking devices using a peer networking service control protocol and a software-provided logical device on a computer, the method comprising:

maintaining a registry of logical devices and their services in a peer networking host on the computer;

registering discovery and description data of the software-provided logical device in the registry responsive to an initialization request of said software;

responding by the peer networking host on the computer to discovery and description requests of the peer networking devices directed toward the software-provided logical device in accordance with the peer networking service control protocol based on the discovery and description data registered for the software-provided logical device; and

in response to a service control request from the peer networking devices in the peer networking service control protocol directed to a service of the software-provided logical device, converting the service control request into a service invocation to said software.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said software implements the service as a programming object having a run-time dispatch interface, the method further comprising issuing the service invocation as a procedure call on the run-time dispatch interface.