Retrieval of services by attribute
US6701428B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 28, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/454
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An automatic method and apparatus for providing services on a computer system. A set of services is established providing different functionality for the computer system. With each of the set of services an attribute is stored for identifying characteristics of the function of each of the set of services. Then, the first set of services can be retrieved by a first set of attributes which is specified irrespective of any locales which may be defined in the computer system. Thus, characteristics or attributes of most importance to a service may be used to describe it and used for retrieval of such services. The establishing of the first set of services includes building a structure which references each of the first set of services. Retrieving may include maintaining a reference to one of the services in the structure and iterating through the structure in order to retrieve a subsequent one of the services. An iterator may be created which is used to iterate though the database of services and provide the services to application or system programs.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.