US 6,807,582 B1Granted

Interprocess communication system

AssigneeHans-Joachim Muschenborn

InventorHans-Joachim Müschenborn

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Abstract

The present invention concerns interprocess communication systems consisting of an arbitrary number of homogeneous or heterogeneous physically connected units, where a central unit executes at least one central process—called Central Process—and at least one of the units executes peripheral process(es), which are connected to the Central Process via at least one standing logical bidirectional connection. The Central Process assigns logical identifications to the connections of the peripheral processes. Using these logical identifications, peripheral processes can communicate independently of the physical units with selected peripheral processes or connections. Peripheral processes of the same kind can be exchanged transparently for other peripheral processes. Peripheral processes can maintain parallel connections to multiple Central Processes and Central Processes can be linked directly or indirectly via links to arbitrary hierachies or topologies. Multiple individual subsystems can access shared peripheral processes without knowledge of the other subsystems or the ability to communicate with the other subsystems. Interprocess communication systems according to this invention can run outside of firewall protected areas and still be accessed only by a limited user group. Such networks can be applied advantageously in electronic-commerce, for example, as providers of online-system-services. The security of existing firewall systems can be greatly increased by appropriate interfacing of systems according to this invention with traditional networks.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An interprocess communication system running on a network system comprising at least one central unit and one or more peripheral units physically connected to said central unit, means to establish one or a plurality of direct bidirectional logical communication connections between Peripheral Processes executing on one of said peripheral units or a central unit, and at least one Central Process running on at least one central unit, wherein

i. at least one central unit is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and
ii. said Central Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint being identified by at least one local identification unique on said central unit, and
iii. at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process comprises means to automatically initiate a connection to said Central Process solely on the basis of said physical identification of said central unit and said local identification of said endpoint of said Central Process, and
iv. said Central Process accepts at least one connection from said Connection Initiating Peripheral Process,
and wherein
v. said at least one communication from said Connection Initiating Peripheral Process connection after its build-up is a standing communication connection,
vi. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,
and wherein
vii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.

6 more elements

An interprocess communication system running on a network system comprising at least one central unit and one or more peripheral units physically connected to said central unit, means to establish one or a plurality of direct bidirectional logical communication connections between Peripheral Processes executing on one of the peripheral units or a central unit, and at least one Central Process running on at least one central unit, wherein

i. at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint is identified by at least one local identification unique on the unit executing said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and
ii. said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process accepts at feast one connection from said Central Process, and
iii. each unit executing at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and
iv. said Central Process comprises a database containing at least one entry of at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process and each of said at least one entry in said database includes at least one physical identification of the unit and at least one local identification of the connection endpoint of the associated Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and
v. said Central Process comprises means to initiate at least one connection and initiates automatically at least one connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process contained in said database,
and wherein
vi. said at least one communication connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process after its build-up is a standing communication connection,
vii. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,
and wherein
viii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.

7 more elements

i. said central unit is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and
ii. said Central Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint being identified by at least one local identification unique on said central unit, and
iii. at least one Connection Initialing Peripheral Process comprises means to automatically initiate at least one connection to said Central Process solely on the basis of said physical identification of said central unit and said local identification of said endpoint of said Central Process, and
iv. said Central Process accepts at least one connection from at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process,
and wherein
v. at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, which endpoint is identified by at least one local identification unique on the unit executing said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and
vi. said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process accepts at least one connection from said Central Process, and
vii. each unit executing at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and
viii. said Central Process comprises a database containing at least one entry of at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process and each of said at least one entry in said database includes at least one physical identification of the unit and at least one local identification of the connection endpoint of the associated Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and
ix. said Central Process comprises means to initiate at least one connection and initiates automatically at least one connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process contained in said database,
and wherein
x. said at least one communication connection from at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process or to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process after its build-up is a standing communication connection,
xi. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,
and wherein
xii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.