System and method for integrated hardware platform for flash applications with distributed objects
View Patent ↗There are provided systems and methods for providing an integrated hardware platform to allow hardware control via an Application Program Interface (API) used by a Flash application executing in a Flash runtime environment on a host system. There is a provided a computer platform comprising a processor, a peripheral hardware, a connector device, and a memory. The memory contains an API implementation for remote methods provided by the API for the Flash application, a proxy server for enabling communications between the Flash application and the platform processor, and a security service for providing a security policy to grant network connection permissions for communications with the platform processor. API remote method invocations allow the Flash application to control the peripheral hardware, and a networked server may manage remote invocations to control platform hardware of multiple networked clients.
1. A host system for controlling a hardware device, the host system comprising:
a memory storing a multimedia application and a proxy server;
a processor configured to:
establish a link between the host system and the hardware device;
execute the multimedia application and the proxy server;
obtain a first API remote scheme invocation in response to executing the proxy server and the multimedia application;
provide an API implementation indicated by the first API remote scheme invocation for controlling the hardware device; and
send the first API remote scheme invocation to a server for distribution by the server to a second API remote scheme invocation to a second host system.
2. The host system of claim 1 , further comprising an API contract file having hardware API definitions and multimedia application API definitions.
3. The host system of claim 1 , wherein the second API remote scheme invocation is for use by a second multimedia application executing on the second host system to control a second hardware device linked to the second host system.
4. The host system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use a mechanical control system to provide control for physical motion of the hardware device.
5. The host system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use a presentation system to control audiovisual elements.
6. The host system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use an environmental monitoring system to detect and record external signals to interact with the host system.
7. The host system of claim 6 , wherein the environmental monitoring system includes tactile sensors for detecting and recording tactile interactions with the host system.
8. The host system of claim 6 , wherein the environmental monitoring system includes a microphone for audio recording and/or a video camera for video recording.
9. A method for use by a host system having a memory and a processor to control a hardware device, the method comprising:
establishing a link, using the processor of the host system, between the host system and the hardware device;
executing, using the processor of the host system, a multimedia application and a proxy server stored in the memory of the host system;
obtaining, using the processor of the host system, a first API remote scheme invocation in response to the executing of the proxy server and the multimedia application;
providing, using the processor of the host system, an API implementation indicated by the first API remote scheme invocation for controlling the hardware device; and
sending, using the processor of the host system, the first API remote scheme invocation to a server for distribution by the server to a second API remote scheme invocation to a second host system.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second API remote scheme invocation is for use by another multimedia application executing on the second host system to control a second hardware device linked to the second host system.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use a mechanical control system to provide control for physical motion of the hardware device.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use a presentation system to control audiovisual elements.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hardware device is configured to use an environmental monitoring system to detect and record external signals to interact with the host system.
14. A peripheral hardware for control via an Application Program Interface (API) of a multimedia application executing in a multimedia runtime environment on a host system, the peripheral hardware comprising:
a connector device linkable to the host system;
a processor configured to:
establish a link with the host system through the connector device;
initiate an execution of a security service and a proxy server on the host system;
receive an API remote method invocation relayed by the execution of the proxy server from the multimedia application; and
execute the API implementation indicated by the API remote method invocation for controlling the peripheral hardware via a hardware API of the peripheral hardware.
15. The peripheral hardware of claim 14 , wherein the connector device uses serial bus.
16. The peripheral hardware of claim 14 , wherein the peripheral hardware is configured to use a mechanical control system for providing a physical motion.
17. The peripheral hardware of claim 14 , wherein the peripheral hardware is configured to use a presentation system for providing an audiovisual feedback.
18. A method for controlling a peripheral hardware via an Application Program Interface (API) of a multimedia application executing in a multimedia runtime environment on a host system, the method comprising:
establishing, using a processor of the peripheral device, a link between a connector device of the peripheral device and the host system;
initiating, using the processor of the peripheral device, an execution of a security service and a proxy server on the host system;
receiving, using the processor of the peripheral device, an API remote method invocation relayed by the execution of the proxy server from the multimedia application; and
executing, using the processor of the peripheral device, the API implementation indicated by the API remote method invocation for controlling the peripheral hardware via a hardware API of the peripheral hardware.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the connector device uses serial bus.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the peripheral hardware is configured to use a mechanical control system for providing a physical motion.