Accessing data stored at an intermediary from a service

• US 20020129016A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Christfort, Jacob, Chone, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a network based operating system for mobile clients is disclosed. Services may be developed that can be used to support different client devices with different capabilities. The services provide output with multiple variations based on different devices, and an intermediary selects the variation best suited for the requesting device. An online software development system is provided to allow services to create, edit, test, and deploy applications at an intermediary using only a browser at the client end. Services may also be provided that can be accessed and referred to by other services, thereby facilitating the combining of different services. Services may also store and access data at an intermediary using variables and a mapping of the stored data to the variables. Data stored at the intermediary may be used to allow an end user to return to a previously accessed service.

Claims

1. A method for allowing services to access data stored at an intermediary, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving, at the intermediary in response to a first request from an end user, first output from a first service, wherein said first output includes one or more variables;

inspecting a mapping that maps a plurality of variables to a plurality of data values, wherein said plurality of variables includes said one or more variables;

identifying, based on said mapping, one or more data values stored on a server associated with said intermediary, wherein said one or more data values correspond to said one or more variables;

generating, in response to said first request, a reply based on said first output and said one or more data values that correspond to said one or more variables; and

sending said reply to said end user in response to said first request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

storing, at said intermediary, one or more additional data values in response to a data storage request from said first service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the computer-implemented step of:

updating said mapping to indicate that one or more additional variables correspond to said one or more additional data values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating said reply based on said first output and said one or more data values comprises the computer-implemented step of:

substituting, for at least one of said one or more data variables, at least one of said one or more data values that correspond to said at least one of said one or more data variables.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more variables includes a particular variable for identifying a previous service from which said end user requested previous output, and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented step of:

storing at the intermediary a particular data value that identifies a particular previous service from which said end user requested particular previous output, wherein said mapping indicates that said particular data value corresponds to said particular variable.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating said reply based on said first output and said one or more data values comprises the computer-implemented steps of:

inspecting said first output to identify said particular variable;

determining that said particular variable corresponds to said particular data value based on said mapping; and

including, in said first output, a reference to said particular previous service, based on said particular data value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of including said reference to said particular previous service in said output comprises the computer-implemented step of:

providing an object associated with said particular previous service, such that when said end user selects said object, a new request for new output is sent to said particular previous service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said output includes an object associated with a second service, wherein said object includes a particular variable as a parameter for said object, wherein said particular variable corresponds to a particular data value that identifies said first service, and wherein the step of generating said reply comprises the computer-implemented step of:

replacing said particular variable with said particular data value, such that when said object is selected by said end user, a second request for second output from said second service is sent by said intermediary to said second service, wherein said second request identifies said first service.

9. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for allowing services to access data stored at an intermediary, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, at the intermediary in response to a first request from an end user, first output from a first service, wherein said first output includes one or more variables;

inspecting a mapping that maps a plurality of variables to a plurality of data values, wherein said plurality of variables includes said one or more variables;

identifying, based on said mapping, one or more data values stored on a server associated with said intermediary, wherein said one or more data values correspond to said one or more variables;

generating, in response to said first request, a reply based on said first output and said one or more data values that correspond to said one or more variables; and

sending said reply to said end user in response to said first request.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

storing, at said intermediary, one or more additional data values in response to a data storage request from said first service.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

updating said mapping to indicate that one or more additional variables correspond to said one or more additional data values.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for generating said reply based on said first output and said one or more data values further comprise instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

substituting, for at least one of said one or more data variables, at least one of said one or more data values that correspond to said at least one of said one or more data variables.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said one or more variables includes a particular variable for identifying a previous service from which said end user requested previous output, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

storing at the intermediary a particular data value that identifies a particular previous service from which said end user requested particular previous output, wherein said mapping indicates that said particular data value corresponds to said particular variable.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions for generating said reply based on said first output and said one or more data values further comprise instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

inspecting said first output to identify said particular variable;

determining that said particular variable corresponds to said particular data value based on said mapping; and

including, in said first output, a reference to said particular previous service, based on said particular data value.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for including said reference to said particular previous service in said output further comprise instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

providing an object associated with said particular previous service, such that when said end user selects said object, a new request for new output is sent to said particular previous service.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said output includes an object associated with a second service, wherein said object includes a particular variable as a parameter for said object, wherein said particular variable corresponds to a particular data value that identifies said first service, and wherein the instructions for generating said reply further comprise instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

replacing said particular variable with said particular data value, such that when said object is selected by said end user, a second request for second output from said second service is sent by said intermediary to said second service, wherein said second request identifies said first service.