Platform Neutral Device Protocol Scripting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and independent hardware vendors face difficulties and high costs in supporting a wide variety of platforms and architectures due to the need for platform-specific drivers for devices connected via communication buses, leading to limited support for older devices and restricted access to advanced functionality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of platform-neutral device protocol techniques using script-based infrastructure, where operating system functionality is exposed as script-based objects, allowing for the creation of script-based protocol definition files that customize device interactions across different platforms and architectures, enabling custom protocols to be defined and hosted on a suitable runtime platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If platform-specific drivers are used to customize device protocols, then device functionality can be customized for specific platforms, but the complexity of supporting multiple platforms increases and development costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal driver architecture where a single platform-neutral driver can handle multiple communication protocols through script-based configuration files. The driver framework is designed to be protocol-agnostic, allowing the same driver binary to support different devices and protocols by loading appropriate protocol definition scripts, thereby eliminating the need for separate platform-specific drivers for each protocol variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses script-based protocol definition files that contain configurable parameters and settings for different communication protocols. By changing the protocol definition parameters in these scripts rather than modifying the driver code itself, the system can adapt to different platforms and protocols, reducing development complexity while maintaining versatility.
2Reliability
If platform-specific drivers are developed for each platform and architecture, then device functionality is optimized for each platform, but ongoing support for older devices becomes unsustainable as new systems are developed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts protocol-specific configuration data from the driver code itself and places it into separate script-based definition files. This separation allows the core driver functionality to remain platform-neutral and maintainable, while protocol variations are handled through externalizable configuration scripts that can be updated without recompiling the driver, ensuring long-term supportability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces script-based protocol definition files as an intermediary layer between the platform-neutral driver and the specific communication protocols. These script files act as mediators that translate platform-specific protocol requirements into a standardized interface that the universal driver can handle, enabling broad platform support without sacrificing protocol-specific functionality.
3Manufacturing precision
If compiled drivers with detailed platform knowledge are used, then precise device control is achieved, but the barrier to supporting a wide variety of platforms becomes difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses script-based protocol definition files that can be copied and adapted for different platforms without requiring recompilation of the driver itself. These script files serve as portable configuration templates that can be replicated across multiple platforms, maintaining precise device control while dramatically reducing the effort required to support new platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
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.