Patent ID: 7107577
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an apparatus including one or more hardware units each for performing one or more corresponding functions, comprising: establishing a software architecture for controlling the apparatus; generating a device group data structure in the software architecture for each hardware unit; generating a device data structure in the software architecture associated with each instance of hardware unit function, wherein each device group data structure includes device data structures of a certain type in one hardware unit, and wherein each device data structure represents a function of one or more inputs resulting in a well-defined output or outputs; mapping each device data structure to a hardware unit responsible for actually implementing the device's function: generating one or more device set data structures in the software architecture, each device set data structure being associated with one or more device groups and including one or more device data structures; establishing a software manager for managing the one or more hardware units using the device group, device set, and device data structures in the software architecture, defining a device group software interface for each device group data structure and a device set software interface for each device set and device data structure; wherein the software interfaces define how the software manager communicates with and manages the one or more hardware units using the software architecture; and using the data structures in the software architecture to control functionality for the apparatus performed by the one or more hardware units.