Systems and methods for providing current status data to a requesting device

1. A method for providing current status data to a requesting device comprising:

transmitting a request for status data from a requesting device to a providing device, wherein the request includes prior values of variables stored at the requesting device;

receiving, at the providing device, the request that includes the prior values of variables stored at the requesting device, wherein the providing device is a device that is different than the requesting device;

at the providing device, comparing the transmitted and received prior values with current values of the variables stored at the providing device;

at the providing device, identifying changed variables that comprise variables for which the current value is different from the transmitted and received prior value;

at the providing device, formulating a variable map that identifies the changed variables, wherein the variable map comprises a series of bits, each bit corresponding to one of the variables stored by the providing device, and wherein one bit value indicates that the corresponding variable is a changed variable and another bit value indicates that the current and prior values of the corresponding variable are equal;

at the providing device, organizing current values for the changed variables and the variable map into a pre-defined format to form status data; and

transmitting the status data to the requesting device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the variable map further identifies which variables have not changed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request further comprises a request map, the request map identifying variables for which current values are requested.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an order of variables in the status data is determined by the order of the variables within an interface definition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an order of bits within the series of bits corresponds to the order of the variables within the interface definition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is organized into a pre-defined format.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the variable map comprises a series of integers, each integer identifying a variable stored by the providing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing device is an embedded device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the status data further comprises an identifier that uniquely identifies the providing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prior values of variables stored by the requesting device are null values.

11. A system that is configured to provide current status data to a requesting device, the system comprising:

a providing device having provider memory and a provider processor in electronic communication therewith;

a requesting device having requestor memory and a requestor processor in electronic communication therewith, wherein the providing device and the requesting device are in electronic communication with each other, wherein the providing device is a device that is different than the requesting device;

instructions stored in the provider memory and in the requestor memory, the instructions being executable to:

transmit a request for status data from the requesting device to the providing device, wherein the request includes prior values of variables stored at the requesting device;

receive, at the providing device, the request that includes the prior values of variables stored at the requesting device;

at the providing device, compare the transmitted and received prior values with current values of the variables stored at the providing device;

at the providing device, identify changed variables that comprise variables for which the current value is different from the transmitted and received prior value;

at the providing device, formulate a variable map that identifies the changed variables, wherein the variable map comprises a series of bits, each bit corresponding to one of the variables stored by the providing device, and wherein one bit value indicates that the corresponding variable is a changed variable and another bit value indicates that the current and prior values of the corresponding variable are equal;

at the providing device, organize current values for the changed variables and the variable map into a pre-defined format to form status data; and

transmit the status data to the requesting device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the variable map further identifies which variables have not changed.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the request further comprises a request map, the request map identifying variables for which current values are requested.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein an order of variables in the status data is determined by the order of the variables within an interface definition.

15. A system that is configured to provide current status data to a requesting device, the system comprising:

a providing device having provider memory and a provider processor in electronic communication therewith;

a requesting device having requestor memory and a requestor processor in electronic communication therewith, wherein the providing device and requesting device are in electronic communication with each other, wherein the providing device is a device that is different than the requesting device;

instructions stored in the provider memory and in the requestor memory, the instructions being executable to:

transmit a request for status data from the requesting device to the providing device, wherein the request includes prior values of variables stored at the requesting device and further includes a request map including a series of bits that identify variables for which current values are requested;

receive, at the providing device, the request that includes the prior values of variables stored at the requesting device;

at the providing device, compare the transmitted and received prior values with current values of the variables stored at the providing device;

at the providing device, identify changed variables that comprise variables for which the current value is different from the transmitted and received prior value;

at the providing device, formulate a variable map that identifies the changed variables utilizing a series of bits, wherein the variable map comprises a series of bits, each bit corresponding to one of the variables stored by the providing device, and wherein one bit value indicates that the corresponding variable is a changed variable and another bit value indicates that the current and prior values of the corresponding variable are equal;

at the providing device, organize current values for the changed variables and the variable map into a pre-defined format to form status data; and

transmit the status data to the requesting device.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions to provide current status data to a requesting device, the instructions being executable to:

transmit a request for status data from a requesting device to a providing device, wherein the request includes prior values of variables stored at the requesting device;

receive, at the providing device, the request that includes the prior values of variables stored at the requesting device, wherein the providing device is a device that is different than the requesting device;

at the providing device, compare the transmitted and received prior values with current values of the variables stored at the providing device;

at the providing device, identify changed variables that comprise variables for which the current value is different from the transmitted and received prior value;

at the providing device, formulate a variable map that identifies the changed variables, wherein the variable map comprises a series of bits, each bit corresponding to one of the variables stored by the providing device, and wherein one bit value indicates that the corresponding variable is a changed variable and another bit value indicates that the current and prior values of the corresponding variable are equal;

at the providing device, organize current values for the changed variables and the variable map into a pre-defined format to form status data; and

transmit the status data to the requesting device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the request further comprises a request map, the request map identifying variables for which current values are requested.