Network resource communication system

• US 20020144016A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Spicer Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spicer Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Pidduck, Patrick, Lehan, Tim, Martin, Christopher, Spicer, Steven, Onischke, Mark, Coutts, Steven, Grassick, Clayton, Hatten, Philip Von, Kuhl, Larry, Hollander, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/926,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A network resource communication system facilitates communication over a network between network terminals and network resources, and comprises a network resource driver, a driver administrator, and a data transmitter. The network resource driver facilitates communication of source data between the network terminals and one of the network resources, and includes a driver input for receiving the source data and a driver output for providing a translation of the source data in accordance with the network resource. The driver administrator is in communication with a resource registry, and includes resource records associated with the network resources. The resource records define at least a resource type for each network resource, and the driver administrator is configured to configure the network resource driver in accordance with the resource record associated with the network resource. The data transmitter is in communication with the driver output for transmitting the translated data to the network resource.

Claims

1. A network resource communication system for facilitating communication over a network between network terminals and a network resources, the network resource communication system comprising:

a network resource driver for facilitating communication of source data between the network terminals and one of the network resources, the resource driver including a driver input for receiving the source data and a driver output for providing a translation of the source data in accordance with the one network resource;

a driver administrator configured for communication with a resource registry, the resource registry including resource records associated with the network resources, the resource records defining at least a resource type for each said network resource, the driver administrator being configured to configure the network resource driver in accordance with the resource record associated with the one network resource; and

a data transmitter in communication with the driver output for transmitting the translated data to the one network resource.

2. The network resource communication system according to claim 1, wherein the resource record identifies a network address associated with the one network resource.

3. The network resource communication system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmitter is configured for encrypting the translated data prior to transmission to the one network resource.

4. The network resource communication system according to claim 1, wherein the resource record identifies a password associated with the one network resource for accessing the one network resource.

5. The network resource communication system according to claim 4, wherein the data transmitter is configured to encrypt the password together with the translated data, and to transmit the encrypted data to the one network resource.

6. A method for facilitating communication over a network between network terminals and network resources, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a request for communication between one of the network terminals and one of the network resources;

receiving application data for transmission by the one network terminal to the one network resource, and receiving resource data associated with the one network resource; and

directing the application data over the network in accordance with received network address data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the resource data comprises a network address associated with the one network resource.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the resource data comprises a password associated with the one network resource for accessing the one network resource.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the directing step comprises the steps of encrypting the password together with the translated data, and transmiting the encrypted data to the one network resource.