Patent · US Expired

Smart objects for development of object oriented software

US6003037A · kind A · utility

76Cited by
29References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 30, 1996
Grant dateDec 14, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 30, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99944
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved object-oriented programming environment for facilitating creation of database management applications is disclosed. The programming environment provides a method and apparatus for establishing named connections between encapsulated, individually designed software components referred to as "smart objects," which communicate and act in a coordinated fashion as part of a finished software application. Connections between smart objects are referred to as "smart links." A basic set of smart links for coordinating a core group of smart objects is disclosed, and a substantial variety of database management applications can be created using the disclosed smart objects and smart containers. The core group of smart objects each include four common capabilities: the capability to initialize and destroy themselves, the capability to get and set attributes, the capability to add and remove smart links, and the capability to communicate using a standard communication interface. Individual smart objects have other capabilities in addition to the four common capabilities.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.