System and method for processing database queries

• US 20030061205A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Kevin V. Nguyen, Monica Rose Cleghorn
• Inventors: Nguyen, Kevin V., Cleghorn, Monica Rose
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for processing a database query between one or more clients and one or more databases. The database query, which is formatted using a first protocol, is received from one of the clients. One of the databases is selected to process the database query and the database query is translated from the first protocol to a second protocol. The translated database query is then sent to the selected database for processing. A response to the database query, which is formatted using the second protocol, is received from the selected database and the response is translated from the second protocol to the first protocol. The present invention determines which of the clients sent the database query and sends the translated response to the client that sent the database query. This method can be implemented as a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium.

Claims

1. A method of processing a database query between one or more clients and one or more databases, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the database query from one of the clients, the database query formatted using a first protocol;

selecting one of the databases to process the database query;

translating the database query from the first protocol to a second protocol;

sending the translated database query to the selected database for processing;

receiving a response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol;

translating the response from the second protocol to the first protocol;

determining which of the clients sent the database query; and

sending the translated response to the client that sent the database query.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of validating the client.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a time out response to the client that sent the database query whenever the translated response has not been received within a specified time period.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of logging the database query.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing an address identifier for the client that sent the database query.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a query identifier for the database query.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of sending the translated database query to the selected database for processing and receiving a response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol comprise the steps of:

encrypting the translated database query;

sending the encrypted database query to the selected database for processing;

receiving an encrypted response to the encrypted database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol; and

decrypting the encrypted response into a response.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first protocol is an Internet protocol.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second protocol is a signaling protocol.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the signaling protocol is a Signaling System 7 protocol.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database query is part of a call validation process.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database query is part of a call billing process.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database query is part of a bank card validation process.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database query is part of a bank card settlement process.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected database is a line information database.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for processing a database query between one or more clients and one or more databases, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving the database query from one of the clients, the database query formatted using a first protocol;

a code segment for selecting one of the databases to process the database query;

a code segment for translating the database query from the first protocol to a second protocol;

a code segment for sending the translated database query to the selected database for processing;

a code segment for receiving a response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol;

a code segment for translating the response from the second protocol to the first protocol;

a code segment for determining which of the clients sent the database query; and

a code segment for sending the translated response to the client that sent the database query.

17. The computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment for validating the client.

18. The computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment for sending a time out response to the client that sent the database query whenever the translated response has not been received within a specified time period.

19. The computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment for logging the database query.

20. The computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment for storing an address identifier for the client that sent the database query.

21. The computer program as recited in claim 16, further comprising a code segment for storing a query identifier for the database query.

22. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the a code segments for sending the translated database query to the selected database for processing and receiving a response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol comprise:

a code segment for encrypting the translated database query;

a code segment for sending the encrypted database query to the selected database for processing;

a code segment for receiving an encrypted response to the encrypted database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol; and

a code segment for decrypting the encrypted response into a response.

23. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the first protocol is an Internet protocol.

24. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the second protocol is a signaling protocol.

25. The computer program as recited in claim 24, wherein the signaling protocol is a Signaling System 7 protocol.

26. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the database query is part of a call validation process.

27. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the database query is part of a call billing process.

28. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the database query is part of a bank card validation process.

29. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the database query is part of a bank card settlement process.

30. The computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the selected database is a line information database.

31. A system for processing a database query between one or more clients and one or more databases, the system comprising:

a computer communicably coupled to the one or more clients;

one or more network servers communicably coupled to the computer and the one or more databases;

a server/router module resident on the computer, the server/router module receiving the database query from one of the clients, the database query formatted using a first protocol, selecting one of the network servers and one of the databases to process the database query, sending the database query to the selected network server, determining which of the clients sent the database query, and sending a translated response to the client that sent the database query; and

a network interface module resident on each of the network servers, the network interface module translating the database query from the first protocol to a second protocol, sending the translated database query to the selected database for processing, receiving a response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol, translating the response from the second protocol to the first protocol, and sending the translated response to the computer.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the server/router module validates the client.

33. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the server/router module sends a time out response to the client that sent the database query whenever the translated response has not been received within a specified time period.

34. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the network interface module logs the database query.

35. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the server/router module stores an address identifier for the client that sent the database query.

36. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the server/router module stores a query identifier for the database query.

37. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the network interface module sends the translated database query to the selected database for processing and receives the response to the database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol by encrypting the translated database query, sending the encrypted database query to the selected database for processing, receiving an encrypted response to the encrypted database query from the selected database, the response formatted using the second protocol, and decrypting the encrypted response into the response.

38. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the computer and the server/router module comprise:

a first computer communicably coupled to the one or more clients;

a second computer communicably to the one or more network servers;

a server module resident on the first computer, the server module receiving the database query from one of the clients, the database query formatted using a first protocol, sending the database query to the second computer, and sending a translated response to the client that sent the database query; and

a router module resident on the second computer, the router module selecting one of the network servers and one of the databases to process the database query, sending the database query to the selected network server, determining which of the clients sent the database query, and sending the translated response to the first computer.

39. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the first protocol is an Internet protocol.

40. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the second protocol is a signaling protocol.

41. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the signaling protocol is a Signaling System 7 protocol.

42. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein at least one of the network servers is a service control point.

43. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein at least one of the network servers is a legacy server.

44. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein at least one of the network servers is a bank server.

45. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the database query is part of a call validation process.

46. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the database query is part of a call billing process.

47. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the database query is part of a bank card validation process.

48. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the database query is part of a bank card settlement process.

49. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the selected database is a line information database.