1. A station for a network apparatus, said network apparatus comprising said station and a plurality of other stations, all interconnected in a network by a communication link, said station comprising:
a network connection;
a self assessment module operable to determine a current status of said station,
wherein said current status is a measure of available hardware resources of said station, and
wherein said current status includes a determination of a dynamic status for said station based on current usage of said hardware resources of said station;
a trust list that includes a station identifier for each other station of said plurality of other stations which is designated as trusted to perform tasks for said station;
a broadcast unit operable to transmit service requests to said network connection and via said network, said service requests being directed to said each other station identified in said trust list and constituting a request to said each other station to perform a task for said station;
an answer unit operable to receive service requests via network through said network connection and, in response thereto, to transmit via network through said network connection an acceptance or refusal message in respect of said service request, said acceptance or refusal being decided based on said current status of said station, as determined by said self assessment module; and
a service requirement analysis module and a software resource repository in which a plurality of software modules are stored, said service requirement analysis module being operable to maintain said software resource repository by importing and exporting software modules to and from other stations having regard to demand in said station for such software modules.
2. The station according to claim 1, wherein said self assessment module is operable to determine a static status for said station based on said hardware resources of said station.
3. The station according to claim 1, further comprising a system security module operable to handle encryption between said station and each other trusted station.
4. The station according to claim 1, further comprising a task execution, monitoring and reporting module operable to broadcast to said network progress updates on tasks accepted by and being performed in said station on behalf of an other station.
5. The station according to claim 1, further comprising a task scheduler module arranged to monitor all tasks being performed in said station, including tasks initiated by said station for said station and tasks being performed in response to receipt of a service request from one of said other stations.
6. The station according to claim 1, wherein said station is further operable to broadcast messages to said network offering software modules held in said software resource repository to each other trusted station.
7. The station according to claim 1, further comprising a serviceperformance history learning analysis module operable to apply artificial intelligence to find task bottlenecks in said station and said other station, and to bring these to the attention of a network administrator if it can not solve them itself.
8. The station according to claim 1, further comprising a task failure management module, operable to transmit to said network a failure message in response to failure of said station successfully to complete a task being performed for one of said other stations.
9. The station according to claim 8, wherein said task failure management module is further operable to monitor for failure messages transmitted by one of its trusted stations and, in response thereto, to handle said failure message as said service request message for said failed task.
10. A network comprising a plurality of stations according to claim 1 interconnected by a communication link.
11. A network according to claim 10, wherein there is no central server for said network.
12. A network according to claim 10, wherein said network operates to a protocol that permits stations to be removed from and added to said network dynamically.
13. A method of distributing tasks in a network comprising a plurality of stations, all interconnected by respective network connections to a communication link, said method comprising:
transmitting a service request by a first station to its network connection and via said network, said service request being directed to a trusted sub-group of said stations identified by a trust list and specifying a task to be performed for said first station; and
receiving said service request by a second station, that is one of said trusted sub-group of stations, through its network connection and, in response thereto, transmitting via said network through its network connection an acceptance or refusal message in respect of said service request, said acceptance or refusal being decided having regard to said current status of said second station, as determined by a self assessment of said second stations,
wherein said self assessment is operable to determine available hardware resources of said second station and a dynamic status for said second station based on current usage of hardware resources of said second station;
carrying out said task specified in said service request by said second station and returning a service result to said first station; and
maintaining a software resource repository by importing and exporting software modules to and from other stations having regard to demand in said second station for such software modules.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said carrying out of said service request by said second station involves further distribution of said service by transmitting further service requests to a sub-group of said stations trusted by said second station.
15. Computer program storage medium storing program instructions, which when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform steps for carrying out a method according to claim 13.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A communication interface between a smart card to be connected to a smart card connector of a communication mobile substrate and a contactless communication network, comprising an antenna that is offset andor can be offset outside the structure of the communication mobile substrate, so that the smart card can communicate directly with a contactless communication network without using the communication mobile substrate.
2. A communication interface according to claim 1, comprising a flexible circuitry, electrically connecting on the one hand the smart card and on the other hand the channels of the offset antenna.
3. A communication interface according to claim 1, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset is inductively coupled to the smart card located in the communication mobile substrate.
4. A communication interface according to claim 1, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset can be positioned on any one of the components of the communication mobile substrate.
5. A communication interface according to claim 1, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset is positioned in a mechanical guide able to be moved in extension with respect to the body of the communication mobile substrate, so that, when the mechanical guide is in an extended position, the offset antenna directly collects the radiofrequency waves intended for the smart card without the body of the communication mobile substrate being an obstacle for the radiofrequency waves.
6. A communication interface according to claim 5, wherein the offset antenna is integral with a sliding mechanical guide capable of being spread beyond the body of the communication mobile support, during a contactless communication between the smart card and a contactless card reader.
7. A communication interface according to claim 1, wherein the smart card is a contact andor contactless card.
8. A communication mobile substrate provided with a smart card, including a communication interface according to claim 1.
9. A communication interface according to claim 2, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset is positioned in a mechanical guide able to be moved in extension with respect to the body of the communication mobile substrate, so that, when the mechanical guide is in an extended position, the offset antenna directly collects the radiofrequency waves intended for the smart card without the body of the communication mobile substrate being an obstacle for the radiofrequency waves.
10. A communication interface according to claim 3, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset is positioned in a mechanical guide able to be moved in extension with respect to the body of the communication mobile substrate, so that, when the mechanical guide is in an extended position, the offset antenna directly collects the radiofrequency waves intended for the smart card without the body of the communication mobile substrate being an obstacle for the radiofrequency waves.
11. A communication interface according to claim 4, wherein the antenna that is offset andor can be offset is positioned in a mechanical guide able to be moved in extension with respect to the body of the communication mobile substrate, so that, when the mechanical guide is in an extended position, the offset antenna directly collects the radiofrequency waves intended for the smart card without the body of the communication mobile substrate being an obstacle for the radiofrequency waves.
12. A communication interface according to claim 2 wherein the smart is a contact andor contactless card.
13. A communication interface according to claim 3, wherein the smart is a contact andor contactless card.
14. A communication interface according to claim 4, wherein the smart is a contact andor contactless card.
15. A communication interface according to claim 5, wherein the smart is a contact andor contactless card.
16. A communication interface according to claim 6, wherein the smart is a contact andor contactless card.
17. A communication mobile substrate provided with a smart card, including a communication interface according to claim 2.
18. A communication mobile substrate provided with a smart card, including a communication interface according to claim 3.
19. A communication mobile substrate provided with a smart card, including a communication interface according to claim 4.
20. A communication mobile substrate provided with a smart card, including a communication interface according to claim 5.