Universal Hardware-Software Interface for Cross-Application Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hardware-software interfaces require customization of applications and operating systems to utilize specific hardware devices, limiting their use to specific contexts and preventing cross-application or operating system input and output functionality.
Innovation Solution
A universal hardware-software interface is implemented using a virtual driver and transparent layer, allowing hardware devices to be used across various software contexts without requiring custom application or operating system design. This interface emulates drivers, captures user input from multiple devices, and converts it into compatible commands for different software contexts through a transparent layer API.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If applications and operating systems are customized with specialized drivers to interface with specific hardware devices, then the hardware device can be utilized within that specific application context, but the hardware device cannot be used in other software contexts or applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal driver architecture that allows a single driver to interface with hardware devices across multiple applications and operating system contexts. The driver is designed with a standardized interface that can be invoked by any application through a common API, eliminating the need for application-specific driver customization while maintaining full hardware functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (universal driver interface) between the hardware device and applications. This intermediary translates application-specific requests into standardized driver commands, allowing hardware devices to be accessed universally without requiring each application to implement custom driver logic. The intermediary maintains compatibility with existing hardware interfaces while enabling broad software access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a voice-to-text application is designed to interface with a microphone through a specialized driver, then voice recognition functionality is achieved within that application, but other applications cannot utilize the same microphone for voice input
Solution Approach 1:
The universal driver interface enables the microphone to be accessed by multiple applications through a standardized API. The driver manages resource allocation and allows any application to invoke voice input functionality without requiring application-specific driver implementation, thus making the microphone universally accessible while simplifying application design.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal driver interface allows applications to self-configure and access the microphone through standardized commands without requiring custom driver installation or configuration. The driver automatically manages the interface between the application and hardware, reducing the operational complexity for application developers.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method and computer-readable medium for transmission of files over a web socket connection in a networked collaboration workspace, including transmitting a representation of a collaboration workspace hosted on a server and accessible to participants over a web socket connection, the representation of the collaboration workspace comprising remote participant objects corresponding to remote computing devices connected to the server, generating one or more live folders corresponding to the remote participant objects, each live folder being mapped to a network address of a remote computing device corresponding to the remote participant object, detecting a user input to drag an icon corresponding to a file proximate to a remote participant object, and storing the at least one file in a live folder corresponding to the remote participant object to thereby transmit the at least one file to the network address of the remote computing device over the web socket connection.