US 2006/0067209 A1 · Universal configurable device gateway

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing a configurable, object-oriented, protocol-neutral interface between a physical device and a server. The method includes coupling an application gateway with the physical device, where the application gateway includes a protocol gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device, and an object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and a client application running on a server. The method further includes configuring a service starter to launch and bind the object adapter module with the protocol gateway module, configuring the protocol gateway module to define the physical interface between the physical device and the protocol gateway, and establishing communication between the protocol gateway module and the physical device, such that the physical device is exposed as a network device on the server.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method of providing a configurable, object-oriented, protocol-neutral interface between a physical device and a server, comprising:

coupling an agent-based application gateway with the physical device, the agent-based application gateway comprising:
an agent-based protocol gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device,
an agent-based object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and a client application on the server,
configuring a service starter to launch and bind the agent-based object adapter module with the agent-based protocol gateway module;
configuring the agent-based protocol gateway module to define the physical interface between the physical device and the agent-based protocol gateway;
and
establishing communication between the agent-based protocol gateway module and the physical device, such that the physical device is exposed as a network device on the server.

4 more elements

An apparatus for connecting a physical device as a network device with a client application running on a networked server, comprising:

a first connector for attachment of the apparatus with the physical device;
a second connector for attachment of the apparatus with the server;
a communication module connected with said first and said second connectors for establishing a communication between the physical device and the server, said communication module, comprising:
an application gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device,
an object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and the client application,
a lookup service module for announcing the object adapter to the server;
and
a service starter module for launching and binding the object adapter module with the application gateway module.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Universal configurable device gateway

Life of this patent

Universal configurable device gateway

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31