Communication protocol for data exchange via shared files

• US 7,349,940 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panayotov, Valentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Karen C
• Application Number:
  US09/705,578
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/203, 707/10, 719/328, 370/254, 709/201, 709/213, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and associated method of exchanging data between a first and second computer application of a computer system. Data originating from the first computer application is written to a first computer application data file. A first computer application send file is notified when data has been written to the first computer application data file by the first computer application. The first computer application send file is monitored from the second computer application for notification when data has been written to the first computer application data file by the first computer application. The data of the first computer application data file is read from the second computer application upon detection of notification. A first computer application read file is notified that data has been read by the second computer application from the first computer application data file.

Claims

1. A computing system for exchanging data between a first computer application of the system and a second computer application of the system, comprising:

a computer application data file for receiving data from the first computer application;

a computer application send file for receiving notification when the computer application data file has received data from the first computer application;

a computer application read file for receiving notification when data has been read from the computer application data file by the second computer application, the first computer application monitoring the computer application read file for notification from the second computer application to initiate further writing to the computer application data file.

2. A computing system for exchanging data between computer applications of the system, comprising:

a computer application data file for each computer application for receiving data from a corresponding one of the computer applications;

a computer application send file corresponding to each computer application data file for receiving notification when the corresponding computer application data file has received data from the corresponding one of the computer applications;

a computer application read file corresponding to each computer application data file for receiving notification when data has been read from the corresponding computer application data file by a non-corresponding computer application, the corresponding computer application monitoring the computer application read file for notification to initiate further writing to the corresponding computer application data file.

3. A method of exchanging data between a first and second computer application of a computer system, comprising the steps of:

writing data of the first computer application to a first computer application data file;

notifying a first computer application send file when data has been written to the data file by the first computer application;

monitoring the first computer application send file from the second computer application for notification when data has been written to the first computer application data file by the first computer application;

reading the data of the first computer application data file from the second computer application upon detection of notification;

notifying a first computer application read file that data has been read by the second computer application from the first computer application data file; and

monitoring the first computer application read file from the first computer application for notification that data has been read from to the first computer application data file by the second computer application to initiate further writing to the first computer application data file.

4. The method of exchanging data of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

initializing the contents of the first computer application read and send files prior to data exchange to enable overwriting of any content therein.

5. The method of exchanging data of claim 3, wherein the computer system is a network computer system.

6. The method of exchanging data of claim 3, wherein the computer system is a stand-alone computer system.

7. A method of exchanging bi-directional data between a first and second computer applications of a computer system, comprising the steps of:

writing data of the first computer application to a first computer application data file;

notifying a first computer application send file when data has been written to the first computer application data file by the first computer application;

monitoring the first computer application send file from the second computer application for notification that data has been written to the data file by the first computer application;

reading the data of the first computer application data file from the second computer application upon detection of notification;

notifying a first computer application read file when data has been read by the second computer application from the first computer application data file;

monitoring the first computer application read file from the first computer application for notification that data has been read from to the first computer application data file by the second computer application to initiate further writing to the first computer application data file;

writing data of the second computer application to a second computer application data file;

notifying a second computer application send file when data has been written to the second computer application data file by the second computer application;

monitoring the second computer application send file from the first computer application for notification that data has been written to the second computer application data file by the second computer application;

reading the data of the second computer application data file from the first computer application upon detection of notification;

notifying a second computer application read file when data has been read by the first computer application from the second computer application data file; and

monitoring the second computer application read file from the second computer application for notification that data has been read from the second computer application data file by the first computer application to initiate further writing to the second computer application data file.

8. The method of exchanging data of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

initializing the contents of the shared read and send files prior to data exchange to enable overwriting of any content therein.

9. The method of exchanging data of claim 7, wherein the computer system is a network computer system.

10. The method of exchanging data of claim 7, wherein the computer system is a stand-alone computer system.