Keith Jeffrey Sutton

US Patent:

20020147854, Oct 10, 2002

Filed:

Apr 4, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/825654

Inventors:

Brian Frazier - Santa Rosa CA, US
Keith Sutton - Santa Rosa CA, US
Thanh Heyman - Santa Rosa CA, US

International Classification:

G06F015/163
G06F009/54

US Classification:

709/310000, 709/311000

Abstract:

A software system having a multi-layer architecture for controlling a hardware system including a latch layer, a hardware control layer, an access layer, and an orchestration layer. The latch layer includes a latch object for each of a set of control points of the hardware system. Each latch object provides a common interface in the software system for accessing the corresponding control point. The hardware control layer includes a hardware control object for each of a set of sub-portions of the hardware system. Each hardware control object coordinates accesses to the control points of the corresponding sub-portion through the latch layer. The access layer includes an access object for each of a set of groupings of the sub-portions. Each access object coordinates accesses to the corresponding grouping of the sub-portions. The orchestration layer includes an orchestration object for each of a set of functional features of the hardware system. Each orchestration object provides a common interface in the software system for accessing a corresponding grouping of the access objects which are associated with the corresponding functional feature.