Application program interfaces and structures in a resource limited operating system

• US 6,671,745 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Mark, Mathur, Sharad, Johnson, Bruce, Hullender, Gregory, Ginsberg, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/273,592
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 709/328, 709/321-327, 709/310, 709/315, 709/223-226, 342/357.12, 342/357.06, 701/213-216
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A set of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for a resource-limited environment are disclosed. The APIs provide a mechanism for a computer application to interface with various components and modules of an operating system for a resource-limited environment. The APIs further provide a mechanism to interface with input/output devices commonly found in embedded systems running in a resource-limited environment.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a computer comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled together;

an operating system executing in the processor, said operating system having a positioning component;

an application program running under the control of the operating system; and

a set of application program interfaces that are associated with the positioning component, said application program interfaces including;

a first interface that receives a first device handle from an application, said first device handle referring to the positioning device, and that returns to the application a status value indicating whether or not the positioning device was successfully closed;

a second interface that returns a list of positioning devices to the application; and

a third interface that receives a positioning device profile from an application and that returns to the application a second device handle representing the positioning device, said position device being placed in an open space.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the positioning device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS).

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the GPS comprises an Apollo GPS.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces comprise:

a fourth interface that receives a first handle to the positioning device and a first data type from an application and that returns a data value to the application based on the first data type; and

a fifth interface that receives a second handle to the positioning device, a data buffer containing data to be sent to the positioning device, and a second data type from the application and that returns to the application a status indicating whether or not the data buffer was successfully sent to the positioning device.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the first data type is selected from the group consisting of:

position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the second data type is selected from the group consisting of:

position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces comprise:

a sixth interface that receives a device handle to the positioning device, a data type and a time period from the application, and that causes the positioning component to retrieve data from the positioning device once each time period, said retrieved data based on the data type; and

a seventh interface that receives a second device handle to the positioning device and a data type from an application, and that causes the positioning component to stop retrieving data of the type specified by the data type.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise an eighth interface the returns to an application the quality of service provided by the positioning device.

9. A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application that maintains positioning data, comprising:

a first interface that receives a first device handle from an application, said first device handle referring to the positioning device, and that returns to the application a status value indicating whether or not the positioning device was successfully closed;

a second interface that returns a list of positioning devices to the application; and

a third interface that receives a positioning device profile from an application and that returns to the application a second device handle representing the positioning device, said positioning device being placed in an open state.

10. The set of application program interfaces of claim 9, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

a fourth interface that receives a first handle to the positioning device and a first data type from an application and that returns a data value to the application based on the first data type; and

a fifth interface that receives a second handle to the positioning device, a data buffer containing data to be sent to the positioning device, and a second data type from the application and that returns to the application a status indicating whether or not the data buffer was successfully sent to the positioning device.

11. The set of application program interfaces of claim 10, wherein the first data type is selected from the group consisting of:

position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

12. The set of application program interfaces of claim 10, wherein the second data type is selected from the group consisting of:

position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

13. The set of application program interfaces of claim 9, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

a sixth interface that receives a device handle to the positioning device, a data type and a time period from the application, and that causes the positioning component to retrieve data from the positioning device once each time period, said retrieved data based on the data type;

a seventh interface that receives a second device handle to the positioning device and a data type from an application, and that causes the positioning component to stop retrieving data of the type specified by the data type.

14. The set of application program interfaces of claim 9, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise an eighth interface the returns to an application the quality of service provided by the positioning device.

15. In a computing system that includes an application for maintaining positioning data in a limited resource environment, a method for allowing the application to interface with a positioning device, the method comprising acts of:

accessing, from the application, a first device handle referring to a positioning device;

returning, to the application, a status value of the positioning device indicating whether the positioning device is successfully closed;

providing, to the application, a list of positioning devices;

receiving, from the application, a positioning device profile;

providing the application with a second device handle that represents the positioning device, said positioning device being placed in an open state.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further including:

an act of receiving, from the application, a first handle to the positioning device and a corresponding first data type,

an act of returning a data value to the application based on the first data type;

an act of receiving, from the application, a second handle to the positioning device, a corresponding data buffer containing data to be sent to the positioning device, and a corresponding second data type; and

an act of returning a status to the application indicating whether the data buffer is successfully sent to the position device.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first data type is selected from the group consisting of, position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the second data type is selected from the group consisting of:

position, velocity, device state, time, accuracy station, device profile, configuration, settings, differential GPS status, and almanac.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, further including:

an act of receiving, from the application, a device handle to the positioning device, a data type, and a time period

an act of causing the positioning component to retrieve data from the positioning device once each tune period, wherein the retrieved data is based on the data type;

an act of receiving, from the application, a second device handle to the positioning device and a corresponding data type,

an act of causing the positioning component to stop retrieving data of the data type corresponding to the second device handle.

20. A method as recited in claim 15, further including an act of returning to a quality of service provided by tie positioning device to the application.

21. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the positioning device profile includes at least one of a positioning device mode, an operational mode, a correction status, a maximum age limit, a quantity of data provided by the positioning device, a quantity of applications using the positioning device, a communications port used by the positioning device, a manufacturer'"'"'s name of the positioning device, and a chip model of the positioning device.