Managed access to peripherals of a service terminal

A computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more peripherals;
• and
• a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform:
• controlling, by a master controller executing on the processor, access to the one or more peripherals by multiple applications executing on the computer system, wherein only a single application of the multiple applications is enabled access to the one or more peripherals at a time, and wherein the multiple applications are each configured expecting full and continuous access to the one or more peripherals during run-time of the multiple applications, and wherein the controlling comprises:
• identifying an application of the multiple applications for placing into an on-focus state in order to enable access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application;
• placing the identified application into the on-focus state, wherein access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application is enabled to enable control of the one or more peripherals by the identified application through commands sent to and from the one or more peripherals;
• and
• wherein the remaining applications of the multiple applications execute in an off-focus state in which the master controller simulates, for the remaining applications, connectivity to the one or more peripherals, and in which access to the one or more peripherals by the remaining applications is disabled transparent to the remaining applications while the access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application is enabled, wherein the remaining applications expect full and continuous access to the one or more peripherals while executing in the off-focus state, and wherein the master controller simulates connectivity to the one or more peripherals for an application of the remaining applications by simulating a response to a command made by the application of the remaining applications to at least one peripheral of the one or more peripherals.

A computer program product for managing access to one or more peripherals of a service terminal, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor to perform a method comprising:
• controlling, by a master controller, access to the one or more peripherals by multiple applications executing on the service terminal, wherein only a single application of the multiple applications is enabled access to the one or more peripherals at a time, and wherein the multiple applications are each configured expecting full and continuous access to the one or more peripherals during run-time of the multiple applications, and wherein the controlling comprises:
• identifying an application of the multiple applications for placing into an on-focus state in order to enable access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application;
• placing the identified application into the on-focus state, wherein access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application is enabled to enable control of the one or more peripherals by the identified application through commands sent to and from the one or more peripherals;
• and
• wherein the remaining applications of the multiple applications execute in an off-focus state in which the master controller simulates, for the remaining applications, connectivity to the one or more peripherals, and in which access to the one or more peripherals by the remaining applications is disabled transparent to the remaining applications while the access to the one or more peripherals by the identified application is enabled, wherein the remaining applications expect full and continuous access to the one or more peripherals while executing in the off-focus state, and wherein the master controller simulates connectivity to the one or more peripherals for an application of the remaining applications by simulating a response to a command made by the application of the remaining applications to at least one peripheral of the one or more peripherals.