Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
1993-07-30
2001-01-09
Oberley, Alvin E. (Department: 2755)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173335
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to protocols and structures for routing information between software entities in a computer system.
Computerized personal organizers are becoming increasingly popular. They perform such functions as keeping calendars, address books, to-do lists, etc. While these functions can be provided by conventional computer systems, they are more conveniently provided by personal organizers which are relatively inexpensive, small, and lightweight (i.e. portable). Personal organizers are available from such companies as Sharp and Casio of Japan.
A relatively new form of computer, the pen-based computer system, holds forth the promise of a marriage of the power of a general purpose computer with the functionality and small size of a personal organizer. A pen-based computer system is typically a small, hand-held computer where the primary method for inputting data includes a “pen” or stylus. A pen-based computer system is commonly housed in a generally rectangular enclosure, and has a dual-function display assembly providing a viewing screen along one of the planar sides of the enclosure. The dual-function display assembly serves as both an input device and an output device. When operating as an input device, the display assembly senses the position of the tip of a stylus on the viewing screen and provides this positional information to the computer's central processing unit (CPU). Some display assemblies can also sense the pressure of the stylus on the screen to provide further information to the CPU. When operating as an output device, the display assembly presents computer-generated images on the screen.
The dual-function displays of pen-based computer systems permit users to operate the computers as computerized notepads. For example, graphical images can be input into the pen-based computer by merely moving the stylus across the surface of the screen. As the CPU senses the position and movement of the stylus, it generates a corresponding image on the screen to create the illusion that the stylus is drawing the image directly upon the screen, i.e. that the stylus is “inking” an image on the screen. With suitable recognition software, the “ink” can be identified as text and numeric information.
Pen-based computer systems, like other computer systems, require some method of obtaining and routing information needed by the various software entities within the system. Examples of such information include text or graphic forms, dictionary entries, facsimile drivers, etc. These various pieces of information should be provided in a format that is consistent from one source to the next so that it can be processed consistently by the various applications or utilities within the computer system. The system for routing such information typically resides in the application or utility requiring the information.
In a typical operating system, applications requiring resources look to various system-wide managers. For example, an application would find fonts in a font manager and dictionaries in a dictionary manager. The user installs the fonts, dictionaries, and other resources in the appropriate manager in order for the resource to be usable by the application. Once, the fonts, dictionaries, and other resources have been installed, their association with the application is not maintained.
Although some existing computer systems have considerable convenience and flexibility, there remains a need for systems that provide universal methods of loading information from multiple media and automatically dispatch and remove that information when it is received.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a protocol for routing information desired by particular software entities within a system (such as a computer system). For example, the invention can route a dictionary entry or a font from a ROM to a manager where it is accessed by a text processing application desiring that dictionary entry or font. Alternatively, the invention can route a printer driver from a printer to an appropriate location in a computer system. This routing takes place automatically, without intervention by the user. Further, the routing system maintains the association between the information, its destination, and the structure in which it arrived.
The information transferred in the present invention is delivered in structures referred to here as “packages.” Packages have certain attributes that facilitate easy and consistent identification and routing. The desired information in each package is contained in one or more “parts” of the package. In addition to the parts themselves, each package contains a package directory (located in front of the parts) that identifies the package and provides key information about the package and its parts.
Packages are received and routed by a processor referred to here as a “package manager.” In addition to routing the packages, the package manager maintains a registry of software entities (more particularly “part handlers” associated with the entities) that have requested specified types of information (parts) that might be found in an incoming package. When the package manager receives a package containing such information, it routes the part containing that information to the part handler that requested the information. The package manager then updates its registry to reflect that the part has been successfully delivered. In addition to the registry of part handlers, the package manager also maintains a registry of packages that have been installed in the system. When a package is removed from the system, the registry of packages is updated to reflect this fact.
A particular advantage of this routing protocol is that it allows information from any of a number of different sources to be loaded by the same mechanism. Thus, for example, the same information can be dispatched with equal effectiveness from a block of memory on a PCMCIA-format flash card or from a stream of data over a network. Other sources of information that can be handled in the same manner include ROM cards, RAM, magnetic storage drives, serial ports, modems, pagers, etc. Another important advantage of the invention lies in its ability to maintain a centralized listing of the the various packages that have been installed and their location within the system. Further, the invention actually keeps track of the individual parts from a given package that have been handed off to various entities within the system. Thus, the system (and user) can easily determine the location of information currently installed and then quickly and completely remove selected entries. This is accomplished within the centralized routing system of this invention, independently of the individual entities receiving the parts.
In one aspect, the present invention provides the data structures or packages necessary for routing information. Such packages include one or more parts, each having attributes including a “part kind” and a “part type.” The part kind describes a known inherent feature of the part such as its language type or system-wide function. In a preferred embodiment, all parts in a package are identified as one of three part kinds: raw, frame, or protocol. Raw parts contain an unknown or uncharacterized type of information; frame parts contain a high level language; and protocol parts contain a “C” language class that allows objects to be dynamically loaded into the system to which the package has been sent. The second characteristic of a part, its part type, describes the type of software entity in the system that can recognize and use the part. For example, the part type might be a form, an application, a book identifier, a font, or dictionary entry.
In addition to the parts, packages of this invention include a package directory which provides information about the package itself and the individual parts it contains. Such information includes the package name, the package size, the directory size, etc. In preferred em
Culbert Daniel J.
Welland Robert V.
Apple Computer Inc.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Courtenay III St. John
Oberley Alvin E.
LandOfFree
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