Method and system for generalized and adaptive transaction processing between uniform information services and applications

• US 20030061256A1
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dav Sub, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Infomove Inc.
• Inventors: Mathews, Michael B., Seilstad, Mark J., Gregory, Steven J., Zalinski, Charles M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The system and methods of the present invention provide a processing function that is useful for controlling any type of transaction between providers and consumers of information services. The invention provides a transaction framework that dynamically integrates a plurality of service providers and consumers based on transaction context data. Transactions between services are described using a transaction definition. A transaction definition specifies the details of the transaction using a uniform specification model, where services are classified through a standardized taxonomic structure. The processing function analyzes service classification during a transaction to determine the appropriate configuration and processing strategy.

Claims

1. A computer system for dynamically processing one or more resources according to a transaction request, the system comprising:

a resource transaction processing module;

a resource information registry coupled to the resource transaction processing module for storing information about a plurality of resources; and

at least one resource coupled to the resource transaction processing module;

wherein, in response to receiving a transaction request, the resource transaction processing module selects at least one resource for processing according to the transaction request and information stored in the resource information registry, and processes the at least one selected resource according to the transaction request to generate a resultant resource.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the resource transaction processing module also stores information corresponding to the resultant resource in the resource information registry.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a resource storage coupled to the resource transaction processing module for storing a plurality of resultant resources generated by the resource transaction processing module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the resource transaction processing module selects a resultant resource from the resource storage cache for processing according to the transaction request and information stored in the resource information registry.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information about a plurality of resources stored in the resource information registry includes at least one resource classification for each of the plurality of resources.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the resource transaction processing module selects the at least one resource for processing according to the transaction request and the at least one resource classification of each of the plurality of resources stored in the resource information registry.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of resource transaction processing modules.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules cooperate to process a transaction request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules cooperate simultaneously to process a transaction request.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules cooperatively process a transaction request according to the accessibility of a resource to each resource transaction processing module.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules cooperatively process a transaction request according to the processing capabilities of each resource transaction processing module.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules cooperatively process a transaction request according to a minimal completion time of the transaction request.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the resource transaction processing module obtains a transaction context, the transaction context providing additional information to the resource transaction processing module for selecting and processing at least one resource according to the transaction request.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction request is a synchronous transaction request.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction request is an asynchronous transaction request.

16. A system for creating a transaction request for processing on a resource transaction processing module, the system comprising:

a resource registry for storing attributes of one or more available resources;

a transaction request entry module, communicatively coupled to the resource registry, for specifying in human readable form an output resource to be generated by selecting resource attributes of the output resource from the resource registry, and specifying operations to be performed by a resource transaction processing module on the selected attributes;

a resource transaction processing module for generating an output resource according to the transaction request; and

a transaction processing agent coupled to the resource transaction processing module for translating a transaction request from human readable form to a form executable by the resource transaction processing module;

wherein the resource transaction processing module receives the transaction request, analyzes the transaction request to identify a transaction processing agent capable of translating the transaction request to a form executable by the resource transaction processing module, and transmits the transaction request to the transaction processing agent that interprets operations and attributes in the transaction request and creates corresponding operation sequences that are executable by the resource transaction processing module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transaction processing agent further stores the corresponding operation sequences of the transaction request in a transaction request cache for subsequent access.

18. A method for generating an output resource according to a transaction request, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a transaction request from a client, the transaction request identifying an output resource to be generated;

(b) analyzing the transaction request, and based on the analysis;

(i) selecting one or more input resources from a plurality of resources; and

(ii) identifying one or more operations to be performed on the one or more input resources; and

(c) executing the one or more identified operations on the one or more input resources to generate the output resource.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein executing the one or more identified operations on the one or more input resources generates a resultant resource.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a resultant resource is selected as an input resource.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of resources is associated with at least one resource classification, and wherein selecting one or more input resources from a plurality of resources includes selecting one or more input resources according to an associated resource classification.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a resultant resource is stored in a resource cache for subsequent use, the resource cache sized to store a plurality of resultant resources.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein information associated with a resultant resource is stored in a resource registry, the resource registry sized to store information corresponding to a plurality of resources.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein selecting one or more input resources from a plurality of resources includes selecting one or more resultant resources according to information in the resource registry.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 18.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising distributing the execution of the one or more operations to be performed on the one or more input resources among a plurality of transaction processing modules.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of transaction processing modules operate simultaneously.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein distributing the execution of the one or more operations to be performed on the one or more input resources among a plurality of transaction processing modules includes distributing the one or more operations to be performed according to the accessibility of each input resource to each transaction processing module.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein distributing the execution of the one or more operations to be performed on the one or more input resources among a plurality of transaction processing modules includes distributing the one or more operations to be performed according to the processing capabilities of each transaction processing module.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein distributing the execution of the one or more operations to be performed on the one or more input resources among a plurality of transaction processing modules includes distributing the one or more operations to be performed according to a minimal completion time of the transaction request.

31. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 26.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein analyzing the transaction request includes analyzing the transaction request according to an obtained transaction context, the transaction context comprising contextual information corresponding to a client.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the contextual information corresponding to a client includes language information.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the contextual information corresponding to a client further includes time-sensitive information.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the contextual information corresponding to a client further includes location information.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the contextual information corresponding to a client further includes information corresponding to previous transaction requests.

37. The method of claim 18, wherein an input resource is selectable only if the client is authorized to select the input resource according to a resource access control list.

38. The method of claim 18, wherein an input resource is selectable only if the client is a member of a domain authorized to access the input resource.

39. The method of claim 18, wherein the transaction request from a client is a synchronous transaction request.

40. The method of claim 18, wherein the transaction request from a client is an asynchronous transaction request.

41. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 32.

42. A method for selecting and processing one or more input resources to generate an output resource according to a transaction request, the method comprising:

(a) identifying one or more resource characteristics necessary to generate an output resource identified by a transaction request;

(b) selecting one or more input resources according to resource characteristic information in a resource registry, said resource registry storing one or more resource characteristics associated with an input resource for a plurality of input resources, said one or more input resources are selected according to the resource characteristics necessary to generate the output resource; and

(c) processing the one or more selected input resources according to the transaction request to generate the output resource.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein processing the one or more selected input resources according to the transaction request to generate the output resource further includes utilizing a plurality of resource transaction processing modules in a networked environment to process the transaction request.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the plurality of resource transaction processing modules utilized to process the transaction request are operable to utilize sequential or parallel processing strategies, or both.

45. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 42.

46. A method for translating a transaction request written in human readable form to an executable form by a resource transaction processing module, the method comprising:

(a) receiving the transaction request from the client, the transaction request containing operations and resource attributes identifying an output resource in human readable form;

(b) analyzing the transaction request, and based on the analysis, identifying a transaction processing agent for converting the transaction request to operation sequences capable of execution on the resource transaction processing module;

(c) transmitting the transaction request to the transaction processing agent; and

(d) receiving in return from the transaction processing agent one or more operation sequences capable of execution on the resource transaction processing module, the operation sequences corresponding to the operations and resource attributes in the transaction request.

47. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 46.

48. A method for creating a transaction request for processing on a resource transaction processing module, comprising:

storing in a resource registry attributes of one or more available resources;

providing a transaction request entry module, communicatively coupled to the resource registry, for specifying in human readable form an output resource to be generated by selecting resource attributes of the output resource from the resource registry, and specifying operations to be performed by a resource transaction processing module on the selected attributes;

providing a resource transaction processing module for generating an output resource according to the transaction request; and

providing a transaction processing agent coupled to the resource transaction processing module for translating a transaction request from human readable form to a form executable by the resource transaction processing module;

wherein the resource transaction processing module receives the transaction request, analyzes the transaction request to identify a transaction processing agent capable of translating the transaction request to a form executable by the resource transaction processing module, and transmits the transaction request to the transaction processing agent that interprets operations and attributes in the transaction request and creates corresponding operation sequences that are executable by the resource transaction processing module.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the transaction processing agent further stores the corresponding operation sequences of the transaction request in a transaction request cache for subsequent access.

50. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 48.