Universal protocol for enabling a device to discover and utilize the services of another device

A device that is capable of communicating over a communications link with a plurality of server devices of a plurality of device types, the device comprising:

• a communications link interface;
• and
• a processing unit, the processing unit being operable to send and receive data over the communications link and being operable to, for each of the plurality of server devices:
• establish a communicative connection between the device and the server device;
• obtain service information over the communicative connection that identifies a set of services offered by the server device, wherein the obtaining of the service information by the device includes receiving a response to a type-command that was sent to the server device by the device;
• and
• invoke one of the set of services offered by the server device.

A method by which a common data protocol is used to enable a first device of a first device type to communicate with a second device of a second device type over a first communications link, to enable the second device to communicate with a third device of a third device type over a second communications link, and to enable the third device to communicate with the first device over a third communications link, the first device and the second device together forming a first device pair, the second device and the third device together forming a second device pair, and the third device and the first device together forming a third device pair, wherein one of the devices in each of the first, second and third device pairs is a client device and the other of the devices in each of the first, second and third device pairs is a server device, the device pairs such that at least one of the devices is a client device in one device pair and is a server device in another device pair, the method comprising the steps of, for each device pair:

• establishing a connection between the client device of the device pair and the server device of the device pair using a link protocol;
• using the link protocol to establish communication between the client device and the server device using the common data protocol;
• transmitting a type-command from the client device to the service device using the common data protocol, the type-command requesting the service device to provide service information identifying services offered by the server device;
• and
• in response to the type-command, transmitting the service information from the server device to the client device.

A method for enabling a client device to communicate with a server device over a communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a communicative connection with the server device;
• subsequent to establishing the communicative connection, transmitting a type-command to the server device, the type-command requesting the server device to provide service information defining a set of services offered by the server device;
• receiving the service information;
• and
• subsequent to receiving the service information, transmitting a service-command to the server device, the service-command identifying a particular service to be performed by the server device.

A method for enabling a server device to communicate with a client device over a communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a communications link with the client device;
• receiving a type-command from the client device, the type-command requesting the server device to provide service information defining a set of services offered by the server device;
• in response to receiving the type-command from the client device, transmitting the service information to the client device;
• receiving a service-command identifying a particular service to be performed by the server device;
• and
• initiating the requested service.

A device that is capable of communicating over a communications link with a plurality of server devices of a plurality of device types, the device comprising:

• a communications link interface;
• and
• a processing unit, the processing unit being operable to send and receive data over the communications link, being operative to obtain supported device information over the communications link that identifies at least one type of device that is supported by the server device, and being operable to, for each of the plurality of server devices:
• establish a communicative connection between the device and the server device;
• obtain service information over the communicative connection that identifies a set of services offered by the server device, wherein the obtaining of the supported device information by the device includes receiving a response to a type-command that was sent to the server device by the device;
• and
• invoke one of the set of services offered by the server device.

A device that is capable of communicating over a communications link with a plurality of server devices of a plurality of device types, the device comprising:

• a communications link interface;
• and
• a processing unit, the processing unit being operable to send and receive data over the communications link, being operative to obtain use information over the communicative connection that identifies how to invoke a particular service of the set of services offered by the particular server device, and being operable to, for each of the plurality of server devices:
• establish a communicative connection between the device and the server device;
• obtain service information over the communicative connection that identifies a set of services offered by the server device, wherein the obtaining of the use information by the device includes receiving a response to a use-command that was sent to the server device by the device;
• and
• invoke one of the set of services offered by the server device.

A method for enabling a client device to communicate with a server device over a communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a communicative connection with the server device;
• after establishing the communicative connection, transmitting to the server device a use-command requesting the server device to provide use information that describes how to invoke a specified one of multiple services offered by the server device;
• receiving the use information;
• and
• after receiving the use information, transmitting a service-command to the server device requesting the server device to invoke the specified service, the service-command specified in a manner based on a description included in the received use information.