Devices

We call a "device" a simple headless (i.e. has no physical input mechanism and display) independent unit that can establish a connection with phones or tablets using an adhoc short range wireless network (piconet).

At minimum a device must

  1. have a "compute" unit that includes a certain amount of memory and that can be programmed

  2. have a communication unit that allows wireless data transfer

  3. perform one or more functions or simply expose digital or analog input outputs.

Devices example: smart sensors, remote objects, serial port adapters, etc.

 

Happs

We call a "happ" (short from Hardware App) a bit of text defining outgoing data macros and/or tags for incoming data with one or more graphic files (optional). From data structure point-of-view, while happs are very similar to web pages, the life cycle and function are quite different: happs mainly originate, reside and are serviced locally by phones or tablets. Happs main function is to facilitate user communication with devices.

 

A happ can be as simple as a set of buttons or labels (arranged by default in a couple of columns) or as complex as an elaborated web page.

Happs can be easily created/customized/tested (graphics and data) directly on phones/tablets. Once created, a happ can be associated with different devices of similar functionality and shared with others.

 

To work, a happ requires at least

   1. an active wireless connection between the phone/tablet and the device

   2. the external device must be pre-programmed to "recognize" input data or send data in a format understood by the happ.

 

How do Happs get associated with Devices?

One or more happs can be associated with one device and one happ can be "used" for multiple similar devices.

Each device has a unique id linked with its communication address. Optionally, a device can also expose a device class type id (through the embedded binary code running in the device). Each happ unique id is assigned when the happ is first created.

 

Happs are associated to either devices ids or device class type ids. A device maker can use a class type id to produce multiple identical devices.

 

Happs-to-devices association can be registered in the cloud and shared with others. Once the association is in cloud, any phone/tablet running HappShop that has established a network connection with a device will retrieve the corresponding happ(s).