US6167449A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for identifying and locating services on multiple heterogeneous networks using a query by type
Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 1997-11-19
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Granted: 2000-12-26
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Expires: 2017-11-19
Abstract
Abstract A computer-implemented method and apparatus for identifying and locating computer network services. The invention gives an application the ability to search for network services in a manner independent of the network communication protocol used by the network. The invention can thus operate as a layer of abstraction between the Transport and Network Layers and the Application Layer of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Reference Model of network architecture and suite of protocols. The invention gives the client application the ability to browse for network services based on the type of service (such as remote file access, mail, Web, domain name registration, etc.), rather than having to know the name or location of the service or the underlying network communication protocol used by the service. Some of the contemplated service name identification protocols used to find the requested types of services include Internet-related protocols such as Domain Name Service (DNS) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), as well as Service Location Protocol (SLP), running on top of the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin M. Arnold
- 👤 David M. Fisher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329; H04L61/00; H04L61/45; H04L61/4505; H04L61/4511; H04L61/4523; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/51; H04L67/53; H04L67/01; H04L67/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945; Y10S707/99948
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; and forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager's network access components configured to search for providers of said type of network service by querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; and forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager's network access components configured to search for providers of said type of network service by querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising: querying at least one network for said type of network service wherein the records of a service directory on said network are searched; and receiving data related to said request from a provider of said service directory.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 2 further comprising: identifying a storage area for receiving said data; and filling the storage area with said data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising creating a list by the service manager of types of network services that may be accessed by the one or more network access components.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 4 wherein the list of types of network services comprises remote file access.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising: sending a request to identify available network access components; and deactivating one or more of said available network access components responsive to a request by the application program to do so.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the request for a type of network service is a request to register services on a network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 7 further comprising forwarding said request to at least one network access component configured to communicate with a provider of domain name registration services in accordance with Domain Name Service (DNS) running over TCP/IP.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
A computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; and forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager's network access components configured to search for providers of said type of network service by querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
A computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; and forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager's network access components configured to search for providers of said type of network service by querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
70 words
A computer-readable medium as in claim 9 further comprising instructions that cause the network access component to perform the steps of: querying at least one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for said type of network service wherein the records of a service directory on at least one of said multiple heterogeneous networks are searched; and receiving data related to said request from a provider of said type of network service.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A computer-readable medium as in claim 9 further comprising instructions that cause the step of: determining types of network services that can be accessed by the network access components of said service manager in response to a request from an application program for a list of available network services.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer-readable medium as in claim 9 further comprising instructions that cause the steps of: deactivating one or more of said network access components in response to receiving a second request from an application program to do so.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer-readable medium as in claim 9 further comprising instructions that cause the step of forwarding to further comprise: forwarding a second request to register services on a network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
A computer-readable medium as in claim 13 further comprising instructions that cause the step of forwarding to further comprise: forwarding said second request to at least one network access component configured to communicate with a provider of service name registration services.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of locating network services, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for a type of service; searching a plurality of reserved fields in DNS records for said type of service; and creating at least one identifier that identifies a provider of said type of service based on a DNS record having a reserved field that matches said type of service.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of locating network services, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for a type of service; searching a plurality of reserved fields in DNS records for said type of service; and creating at least one identifier that identifies a provider of said type of service based on a DNS record having a reserved field that matches said type of service.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as in claim 15 wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving a request for printer services, and the step of creating comprises creating at least one identifier that identifies a network printer, the identifier including a data link layer address of the network printer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
79 words
A computer system comprising: processor; memory having instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the steps of: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service, selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed, and forwarding said request to a service manager including at least one network access component configured to query the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for providers of said type of network service.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
79 words
A computer system comprising: processor; memory having instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the steps of: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service, selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed, and forwarding said request to a service manager including at least one network access component configured to query the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for providers of said type of network service.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
82 words
The system of claim 17 wherein the memory includes further instructions that when executed cause the system to perform the further steps of: searching at least one network of said multiple heterogeneous networks responsive to a query by at least one network access component of said service manager for said type of network service wherein the records of a service directory on said network are searched; and receiving data related to said request from a provider of said type of network service.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the memory includes further instructions that when executed cause the system to perform the further step of: forwarding the data to the application.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the memory includes further instructions that when executed cause the system to perform the further step of: creating a list of types of network services that may be accessed by the network access components.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 20 wherein the list further comprises remote file access.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 17 wherein the memory includes further instructions that when executed cause the system to perform the further steps of: receiving a request from the application to identify available network access components available within said service manager; and deactivating one or more of said available network access components.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 17 wherein the request for a type of network service is a request to register services on a network.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 23 wherein the memory includes further instructions that when executed cause the system to perform the further step of: forwarding said request to at least one network access component configured to communicate with a provider of domain name registration services in accordance with Domain Name Service (DNS) running over TCP/IP.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 17 further comprising a network interface device for connecting to the network in response to instructions sent by the processor.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 17 wherein the application program resides in said memory.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer system of claim 17 wherein the service manager resides between the application and network layers of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Reference Model of the International Standards Organization.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
82 words
A computer system comprising: means for receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; means for selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; means for issuing queries over the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks seeking providers of said type of network service; means for receiving data from providers of said type of network service responsive to said queries; and means for responding to said request by communicating said data to said application program.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
82 words
A computer system comprising: means for receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; means for selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; means for issuing queries over the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks seeking providers of said type of network service; means for receiving data from providers of said type of network service responsive to said queries; and means for responding to said request by communicating said data to said application program.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
47 words
The computer system of claim 28 further comprising: means for creating a list of networks that may be accessed by the application program responsive to a second request from the application program to do so, and means for communicating said list of networks to said application program.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer system of claim 28 further comprising: means for deactivating access to at least one of said multiple heterogeneous networks responsive to a second request from the application program to do so.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer system of claim 28 further comprising: means for creating a list of network services available on said multiple heterogeneous networks responsive to a request from the application program to do so, and means for communicating said list of network services to said application program.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer system of claim 28 further comprising: means for searching the records of service directories in said multiple heterogeneous networks for providers of said network service.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
13 words
The computer system of claim 28 further comprising: means for processing said data.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer system of claim 33 wherein the means for processing said data further includes: means for converting said data from a first format to a second format.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
100 words
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager program's network access components; querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for said type of network service by causing the records of service directories on said selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks to be searched; receiving data related to said query from providers of said type of network service; processing said data; and forwarding said data to said application program.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
100 words
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service; selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed; forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager program's network access components; querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for said type of network service by causing the records of service directories on said selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks to be searched; receiving data related to said query from providers of said type of network service; processing said data; and forwarding said data to said application program.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer-implemented method of claim 35 wherein processing includes: converting said data from a first format to a second format; and wherein forwarding said data includes: forwarding said data in said second format to said application program.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-12-26 | 2004-06-26 | 2004-12-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-12-26 | 2008-06-26 | 2008-12-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-12-26 | 2012-06-26 | 2012-12-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |