Service framework supporting remote service discovery and connection

A method of operating a communications node comprising a service framework, a service-requesting entity residing on the communications node, and a service residing on the communications node, wherein the communications node comprises a wireless interface to which a remote communications node can be coupled, the method comprising:

• the communications node comprising a connection manager service notifying the service framework when the communications node is communicating with the remote communications node via the wireless interface;
• the service-requesting entity requesting the service framework to provide access to the service;
• the service framework providing the service-requesting entity with access to the service, wherein the service framework comprises a service frontend and a remote service event notification registry, and wherein the service framework further comprises a proximity daemon responsive to the connection manager service;
• the service frontend registering a notification request for a service backend in the remote service event notification registry;
• the proximity daemon creating a remote lookup service frontend when the service framework is notified by the connection manager service;
• the remote lookup service frontend determining whether the remote service event notification registry contains a notification request for the service backend registered by the service frontend;
• if so, the remote lookup service frontend requests a remote lookup service backend on the remote communications node to determine whether the service backend is on the remote communications node;
• if so, the remote lookup service backend obtains parameters necessary for the service frontend to communicate with the service backend;
• and
• the remote lookup service backend communicates the parameters to the remote lookup service frontend.

A communications node comprising:

• a processor;
• a wireless interface coupled to the processor to enable the communications node to communicate with a remote node;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and comprising:
• a connection manager service;
• a service-requesting entity;
• and
• a service framework to discover a service requested by the service-requesting entity, the service being on the remote node, and to connect the service-requesting entity with the service, wherein the connection manager notifies the service framework when the communications node is in proximity to the remote node, and wherein the service framework comprises a proximity daemon to create a remote lookup service frontend when the service framework is notified by the connection manager service, the remote lookup service frontend to look for a remote lookup service backend on the remote node.

A communications system comprising:

• at least one remote node;
• and
• at least one communications node comprising:
• a processor;
• a wireless interface coupled to the processor to enable the at least one communications node to communicate with the at least one remote node;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and comprising:
• a connection manager service;
• a service-requesting entity;
• and
• a service framework to discover a service requested by the service-requesting entity, the service being on at least one remote node, and to connect the service-requesting entity with the service, wherein the connection manager service notifies the service framework when the communications node is in proximity to at least one remote node, and wherein the service framework comprises a proximity daemon to create a remote lookup service frontend when the service framework is notified by the connection manager service, the remote lookup service frontend to look for a remote lookup service backend on the at least one remote node.

A method of discovering a service on a communications node, wherein the communications node comprises a service-requesting entity and a service registry, wherein the communications node further comprises an interface to which a remote communications node can be coupled, a service frontend, and a remote services event notification registry, and wherein the service resides on the remote communications node, the method comprising:

• the service-requesting entity constructing a service template representing a desired service, the service template comprising a service type;
• the service-requesting entity issuing the service template to the service registry;
• the service frontend registering a notification request for a service backend in the remote service event notification registry;
• and
• if the service registry has service objects matching the service template, the service registry returning to the service-requesting entity an array of such service objects.