Device interfacing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016328343-A1
Application number	US-201514704405-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 5, 2015
Publication date	Nov 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Many devices may comprise interfaces, such as serial interfaces, over which configuration and/or enablement/disablement of device features may be provided to the device. Connecting a computer to individual devices for manual configuration may be cumbersome and/or time consuming. Accordingly, as provided herein, a device interfacing component (e.g., a microcontroller integrated into an interface cable) is configured to couple to a target device. The device interfacing component may receive data streams from the target device, and may match strings, within the data streams, to expressions. If a string matches an expression (e.g., “F5 for IP setup”), then a corresponding scripted response may be executed to send a response instruction (F5, wait 10 seconds, enter key, “192, 168.0.1”) to the target device. In this way, the device interfacing component may provide automated configuration for the target device and/or may be daisy chained with other device interfacing components for configuration of other target devices.

First claim

1 . A system for interfacing with a device, comprising:
a device interfacing component comprising:
a target device interface, operatively coupled to a target device over a target device communication connection, configured to receive a data stream from the target device; and
a matching component configured to:
identify a string from the data stream;
compare the string to a set of expressions;
responsive to identifying a match between the string and an expression, identify a scripted response associated with the expression; and
execute the scripted response to send a response instruction over the target device communication connection to the target device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , the device interfacing component comprising:
a computing device interface operatively coupled to a computing device over a computing device communication connection, the computing device interface configured to:
receive a matching component configuration instruction from the computing device over the computing device communication connection; and
implement the matching component configuration instruction to modify at least one of the set of expressions or a set of scripted responses associated with the set of expressions.

3 . The system of claim 2 , the matching component configuration instruction comprising at least one of a create expression instruction, a remove expression instruction, or a modify expression instruction.

4 . The system of claim 2 , the matching component configuration instruction comprising at least one of a create scripted response instruction, a remove scripted response instruction, or a modify scripted response instruction.

5 . The system of claim 1 , the target device communication connection comprising at least one of a serial connection or an intelligent platform management interface.

6 . The system of claim 1 , the computing device interface configured to:
send the data stream to the computing device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , the scripted response comprising at least one of a pause, a character input, or a key command input.

8 . The system of claim 1 , the scripted response corresponding to device input configured to invoke a configuration command for the target device.

9 . The system of claim 1 , the scripted response corresponding to device input configured to enable or disable a feature of the target device.

10 . The system of claim 1 , device interfacing component comprising:
a microcontroller configured to implement the matching component.

11 . The system of claim 10 , the microcontroller integrated into an interface cable configured to couple to the target device to establish the target device communication connection.

12 . The system of claim 1 , the matching component comprising:
a scripting module configured to automatically execute a pre-defined script to implement the scripted response based upon the string matching the expression.

13 . The system of claim 1 , the device interfacing component comprising:
a passthrough interface operatively coupled according to a daisy chain configuration to a second device interfacing component connected to a second target device, the passthrough interface configured to:
receive a second data stream, obtained by the second device interfacing component from the second target device, from the second device interfacing component; and
provide the second data stream through a computing device interface to a computing device.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The system of claim 1 , the device interfacing component comprising:
a hybrid interface operatively coupled according to a daisy chain configuration to a second device interfacing component connected to a second target device, the hybrid interface configured to:
receive a second data stream, obtained by the second device interfacing component from the second target device, from the second device interfacing component;
provide the second data stream through a computing device interface to a computing device; and
propagate a matching component configuration instruction, implemented by the device interfacing component, to the second device interfacing component for implementation.

15 . The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of device interfacing components operatively coupled together according to a daisy chain configuration, the plurality of device interfacing components comprising the device interfacing component and a second device interfacing component.

16 . The system of claim 15 , the device interfacing component configured to:
receive a request over a computing device communication connection established between a computing device and a computing device interface of the device interfacing component, the request corresponding to at least one of:
an access request for a second data stream received by the second device interfacing component from a second target device; or
a propagation request to propagate a matching component configuration instruction to the second device interfacing component; and
implement the request for the second device interfacing component.

17 . The system of claim 2 , the device interfacing component configured to:
expose a command menu for the device interfacing component over the computing device interface to the computing device, the command menu populated with at least one of a display match command, an add match command, a clear memory command, or a restore memory command.

18 . A method for interfacing with a device, comprising:
receiving a data stream over a target device communication connection established between a target device interface of a device interfacing component and a target device; identifying a string from the data stream; comparing the string to a set of expressions; responsive to identifying a match between the string and an expression, identifying a scripted response associated with the expression; and executing the scripted response to send a response instruction over the target device communication connection to the target device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising:
establishing a computing device communication connection over a computing device interface to a computing device; receiving a matching component configuration instruction from the computing device over the computing device communication connection; and implementing the matching component configuration instruction to modify at least one of the set of expressions or a set of scripted responses associated with the set of expressions.

20 . A system for interfacing with a device, comprising:
a device interfacing component comprising:
a target device interface operatively coupled to a target device over a target device communication connection, the target device interface configured to receive a data stream from the target device;
a matching component configured to:
identify a string from the data stream;
compare the string to a set of expressions;
responsive to identifying a match between the string and an expression, identify a scripted response associated with the expression; and
execute the scripted response to send a response instruction over the target device communication connection to the target device; and

a hybrid interface operatively coupled according to a daisy chain configuration to a second device interfacing component connected to a second target device, the hybrid interface configured to:
receive a second data stream, obtained by the second device interfacing component fr

Assignees

• Yahoo Inc

Inventors

• Foster Andrew

Classifications

• G06F13/36 Primary

  for access to common bus or bus system · CPC title

• G06F13/4068

  Electrical coupling · CPC title