Platform neutral device protocols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9411761-B2
Application number	US-201213530949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2012
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Platform neutral device protocol techniques are described in which functionality to customize device interactions through communication busses is made accessible through platform independent script-based infrastructure. Functionality provided by an operating system to manipulate standard protocols of a communication bus used to interact with a connected device is exposed as script-based objects. Script-based protocol definition files associated with connected device may be employed to customize device protocols for the communications using the functionality exposed through the script-based objects. A computing device may acquire a protocol definition file for a particular device in various ways and host the protocol definition file via a suitable run-time platform. Requests for interaction with the particular device may then be handled using the custom protocols defined by the hosted protocol definition file.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented by a computing device comprising:
exposing operating system functionality for manipulating a communication bus as script-based objects to enable customized interaction with a connected device through a script-based protocol definition file corresponding to the connected device that defines a custom device protocol for the communication bus;
hosting execution of the script-based protocol definition file via a runtime platform of the computing device; and
handling one or more requests for interaction with the connected device using the custom device protocol defined by the script-based protocol definition file that is hosted.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the script-based protocol definition file comprises a platform neutral driver for the connected device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connected device is configured to supply the operating system with the script-based protocol definition file from storage associated with the connected device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the computing device is configured to acquire the script-based protocol definition file directly from the storage associated with the connected device using one or more of:
standard protocols supported by the communication bus; or
a generic class driver corresponding to the connected device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connected device comprises a printer and the script-based protocol definition file comprises a platform neutral printer driver to define a custom protocol for handling print jobs via the communication bus.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
discovering, from the connected device through standard protocols supported by the communication bus, a storage location where the script-based protocol definition file is available; and
acquiring the script-based protocol definition file from the storage location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication bus comprises a universal serial bus (USB).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the script-based protocol definition file is configured to specify entry points into script configured to implement the custom device protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom device protocol for the communication bus defines modifications to insert control data into a data stream communicated between the computing device and the connected device via the communication bus.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the custom device protocol defines bidirectional communication between the computing device and the connected device to obtain device data describing device status and configuration from the connected device.

11. A method implemented by a computing device comprising:
initiating communication with a connected device over a communication bus using standard protocols supported by the communication bus;
ascertaining whether a script-based protocol definition file configured to implement a custom device protocol for interaction with the connected device via the communication bus is available from the device;
when the script-based protocol definition file is available;
acquiring the script-based protocol definition file from the connected device using the standard protocols;
configuring the computing device to enable the custom device protocol according to the script-based protocol definition file to handle requests for interaction with the connected device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ascertaining comprises interrogating the device via the standard protocols to discover the script-based protocol definition file in storage on the connected device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the script-based protocol definition file is configured to manipulate script-based objects exposed by an operating system of the computing device to enable access to raw data and stream properties for data streams communicated via the communication bus.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein configuring the computing device to enable the custom device protocol comprises storing the script-based protocol definition file in local storage of the computing device and hosting execution of the script-based protocol definition file via a platform neutral device protocol host corresponding to a runtime platform of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the protocol definition file comprises a platform neutral driver for the connected device written using a dynamic scripting language.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
when the script-based protocol definition file is not available, handling requests for interaction with the connected device using standard protocols supported by the communication bus.

17. A system comprising:
a processing system;
a communication bus for interaction with a connected device;
one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the processing system, implement an operating system having a neutral device protocol host for a runtime platform to perform operations including:
acquiring a platform neutral driver for the connected device via the communication bus using standard protocols supported by the communication bus;
hosting execution of the platform neutral driver via the neutral device protocol host to implement a custom device protocol defined by the platform neutral driver for interaction with the connected device via the communication bus; and
handling one or more requests for interaction with the connected device using the custom device protocol defined by the platform neutral driver that is hosted.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein acquiring the platform neutral driver comprises downloading the platform neutral driver from one of storage on the connected device or a web service.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the custom device protocol enables selective control over a data stream communicated between the computing device and connected device for an interaction via the communication bus to perform actions including one or more of:
starting and stopping the data stream;
controlling a data stream rate for the interaction;
inserting control data in the data stream;
selecting particular portions of the data stream for processing; or
accessing configuration and status data for the connected device.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein handling the one or more requests comprises obtaining protocol commands for the platform neutral driver from an existing service and interpreting the commands to modify a data stream in accordance with the custom device protocol.

Assignees

• Fenelon Michael P
• Gorgenyi Frank
• Hutchings Justin
• Guillen Guillermo Eduardo
• Forrest Herman Richard
• Lannin J Adrian
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Fenelon Michael P
• Gorgenyi Frank
• Hutchings Justin
• Guillen Guillermo Eduardo
• Forrest Herman Richard
• Lannin J Adrian

Classifications

• G06F9/54

  Interprogram communication · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F13/4286

  using a handshaking protocol, e.g. RS232C link · CPC title

• G06F13/385 Primary

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F13/102 Primary

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title