Servicing requests that are issued in a protocol other than the protocol expected by the service

• US 20030105873A1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle Corporation
• Inventors: Ye, Zhou, Wang, Calvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems email H04Q2213/13375
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

Techniques are provided for servicing requests that are issued in a protocol other than the protocol expected by the service. For example, many people want to use their mobile devices to interact with services, which require the ability to have multiple related messages in a session. However, their mobile devices do not have protocols that support interacting with such services. One technique provided herein is to interpose an intermediary between the mobile devices and the services to provide session capabilities on behalf of the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a session between a device and a service, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a first message at an intermediary sent with a first protocol from a client device;

wherein said first protocol does not support sessions;

in response to said first message, said intermediary transmitting a second message to said service;

receiving at said intermediary a third message that is in response to said second message;

in response to said second message storing session information at said intermediary;

transmitting a fourth message to said client device;

receiving a fifth message from said client device at said intermediary;

in response to said fifth message, locating said session information;

generating a sixth message based on both content of said fifth message and said session information; and

transmitting said sixth message to said service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message includes the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message that includes a menu with hyperlinks.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting said fourth message to said client device includes transmitting said fourth message that includes a menu with reference numbers to said client device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a service address for said service is determined at least in part from a to-address associated with said first message and includes the step of determining said service address for said service at least in part from said to-address associated with said first message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said to-address includes a site-wide-address and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said site-wide-address plus a short name that is associated with said first message.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said to-address includes a service-level-address and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said service-level-address.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said to-address is a telephone number and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said telephone number.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein an application mapping is maintained, and said application mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address to said intermediary that is listening for said to-address, and wherein the step of receiving said first message includes receiving said first message at said intermediary using said application mapping to determine a location of said intermediary.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein a service mapping is maintained, said service mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address to said service, and said service address is based at least in part on said entry, and wherein the step of transmitting said second message includes transmitting said second message to said service at said service address that is based at least in part on said entry.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein a service mapping is maintained, said service mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address plus a short name from said first message to said service, and said service address is based at least in part on said entry, and wherein the step of transmitting said second message includes transmitting said second message to said service at said service address that is based at least in part on said entry.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first message includes an instruction and the step of transmitting said second message to said service includes creating said second message that indicates said instruction.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving said first message is performed by a protocol handler and further includes the steps of:

extracting a to-address and an instruction from said first message;

determining an address of said intermediary based at least in part on said to-address; and

transmitting said to-address and said instruction to said intermediary.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said protocol handler is an e-mail protocol handler and the step of extracting is performed by said e-mail protocol handler.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said protocol handler is an SMS protocol handler and the step of extracting is performed by said SMS protocol handler.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said second message is transmitted with HTTP.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said second message is transmitted with a Java API.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting said second message to said service is performed at an Internet Service Provider.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing session information includes the step of maintaining a session context that includes reference numbers that a user selected from a menu.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said session context is maintained in a state machine and the step of maintaining includes maintaining said session context in said state machine.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said third message is associated with said session information and the step of storing includes associating said third message with said session information.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein a device ID of said device is used to determine when a session starts, and wherein the step of receiving said first message at said intermediary includes starting said session the first time said intermediary detects said device ID that is associated with said first message.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein a timer is used to determine when a session ends and further includes the step of ending said session when said timer ends.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein a session ends at the earliest of a timer ending or a user exiting a menu tree and further includes the step of ending said session at the earliest of said timer ending or said user exiting said menu tree.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message includes receiving at said intermediary said third message in Oracle'"'"'s mobile XML™

.

25. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for conducting a session between a device and a service, 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 a first message at an intermediary sent with a first protocol from a client device;

wherein said first protocol does not support sessions;

in response to said first message, said intermediary transmitting a second message to said service;

receiving at said intermediary a third message that is in response to said second message;

in response to said second message storing session information at said intermediary;

transmitting a fourth message to said client device;

receiving a fifth message from said client device at said intermediary;

in response to said fifth message, locating said session information;

generating a sixth message based on both content of said fifth message and said session information; and

transmitting said sixth message to said service.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message includes the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message that includes a menu with hyperlinks.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of transmitting said fourth message to said client device includes transmitting said fourth message that includes a menu with reference numbers to said client device.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein a service address for said service is determined at least in part from a to-address associated with said first message and includes the step of determining said service address for said service at least in part from said to-address associated with said first message.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein said to-address includes a site-wide-address and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said site-wide-address plus a short name that is associated with said first message.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein said to-address includes a service-level-address and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said service-level-address.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein said to-address is a telephone number and the step of determining said service address includes determining said service address based at least in part on said telephone number.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein an application mapping is maintained, and said application mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address to said intermediary that is listening for said to-address, and wherein the step of receiving said first message includes receiving said first message at said intermediary using said application mapping to determine a location of said intermediary.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein a service mapping is maintained, said service mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address to said service, and said service address is based at least in part on said entry, and wherein the step of transmitting said second message includes transmitting said second message to said service at said service address that is based at least in part on said entry.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein a service mapping is maintained, said service mapping includes at least one entry that maps said to-address plus a short name from said first message to said service, and said service address is based at least in part on said entry, and wherein the step of transmitting said second message includes transmitting said second message to said service at said service address that is based at least in part on said entry.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein said first message includes an instruction and the step of transmitting said second message to said service includes creating said second message that indicates said instruction.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of receiving said first message is performed by a protocol handler and further includes the steps of:

extracting a to-address and an instruction from said first message;

determining an address of said intermediary based at least in part on said to-address; and

transmitting said to-address and said instruction to said intermediary.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein said protocol handler is an e-mail protocol handler and the step of extracting is performed by said e-mail protocol handler.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein said protocol handler is an SMS protocol handler and the step of extracting is performed by said SMS protocol handler.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein said second message is transmitted with HTTP.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein said second message is transmitted with a Java API.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of transmitting said second message to said service is performed at an Internet Service Provider.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 further comprising the step of maintaining a session context that includes reference numbers that a user selected from a menu.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein said session context is maintained in a state machine and the step of maintaining includes maintaining said session context in said state machine.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein said third message is associated with said session information and the step of storing includes associating said third message with said session information.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein a device ID of said device is used to determine when a session starts, and wherein the step of receiving said first message at said intermediary includes starting said session the first time said intermediary detects said device ID that is associated with said first message.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein a timer is used to determine when a session ends and further includes the step of ending said session when said timer ends.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein a session ends at the earliest of a timer ending or a user exiting a menu tree and further includes the step of ending said session at the earliest of said timer ending or said user exiting said menu tree.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of receiving at said intermediary said third message includes receiving at said intermediary said third message in Oracle'"'"'s mobile XML™

.