Method and system for information management and distribution

• US 20030172073A1
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Brodsky, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,697,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

The invention described comprises a method and system for the centralized management and decentralized execution of information and data distribution on a global scale. Managing and distributing information with a system begins with receiving a request for access to the system from a user at a multi-access manager and determining whether the request for access to the system is an approved request. A catalogue of at least one source server is displayed if the request for access to the system is approved, wherein each source server may be remote from the multi-access manager and is coupled to a respective information source. Each source server has authorized the user to access data received at the respective information source. A source server selection is received from the user. The request for data requests data accumulated at the information source coupled to the selected source server. The data is converted to a standard format, encrypted at the selected source server and transmitted from the selected source server to the user. Data can be provided either in generally immediate response to a request or, in the future, based on a schedule or the occurrence of a particular event.

Claims

1. A method for managing and distributing information with a system, comprising:

receiving from a user at a multi-access manager a request for access to the system;

determining whether the request for access to the system comprises an approved access at the multi-access manager;

displaying in response to an approved access a catalogue of at least one source server, wherein each source server couples to a respective information source, and wherein each source server has authorized the user to access data stored at the coupled respective information source;

receiving a source server selection from the user, wherein the source server selection comprises a source server selected from the catalogue of at least one source server;

providing access for the user to the selected source server;

receiving a request from the user for data at the selected source server, wherein the request for data requests data accumulated in a first format at the information source coupled to the selected source server; and

transmitting the data from the selected source server to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the data at the selected source server, and wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting the encrypted data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein encrypting the data at the selected source server comprises encrypting the data at the selected source server using a public/private key encryption system.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising translating the data from the first format to a standard format at the selected source server, and wherein transmitting the encrypted data comprises transmitting the encrypted data in the standard format.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a format request from the user, wherein the format request comprises the standard format.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a second source server selection from the user, wherein the second source server selection comprises a second source server selected from the catalogue of at least one source server;

providing access for the user to the second selected source server;

receiving a second request from the user for data at the second selected source server, wherein the second request for data requests data accumulated in a second format at the information source coupled to the second selected source server;

translating the data requested in the second request from the second format to the standard format at the second selected source server;

encrypting the data requested in the second request at the second selected source server; and

transmitting the encrypted data requested in the second request from the second selected source server to the user in the standard format.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein translating the data from the first format to a standard format comprises translating the data from the first format to a data format to enable the data to be manipulated by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for access to a new source server from the user at the multi-access manager not included in the catalogue of at least one source server, and wherein the new source server couples to a respective information source;

forwarding the request for access to a new source server to the new source server;

determining if the request for access to the new source server has approval at the new source server; and

adding the new source server to the catalogue of at least one source server if the request for access to the new source server has approval at the new source server.

9. A system for managing and distributing information, comprising:

a multi-access manager operable to receive a request for access to the system from a user and determine if the request for access to the system comprises an approved request;

a plurality of source servers coupled to the multi-access manager;

a plurality of information sources operable to accumulate data, wherein each of the plurality of information sources couples to a respective source server of the plurality of source servers;

wherein the multi-access manager further operates to;

activate an endpoint to display a catalogue of one or more source servers from the plurality of source servers upon approval of the request for access to the system, wherein each of the one or more source servers has authorized the user to access data stored at a respective information source;

receive a source server selection from the user, wherein the source server selection comprises a source server selected from the catalogue of one or more source servers; and

provide access for the user to the selected source server; and

wherein the selected source server operates to;

receive a request for data from the user, wherein the request for data requests data accumulated in a first format at the information source coupled to the selected source server; and

transmit the encrypted data to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the selected source server further operates to encrypt the data, and wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting the encrypted data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein encrypting the data comprises encrypting the data using a public/private key encryption system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected source server further operates to translate the data from the first format to a standard format, and wherein transmitting the encrypted data comprises transmitting the encrypted data in the standard format.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected source server further operates to receive a format request from the user, wherein the format request comprises the standard format.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the multi-access manager further operates to;

receive a second source server selection from the user, wherein the second source server selection comprises a second source server selected from the catalogue of one or more source servers; and

provide access for the user to the second selected source server; and

the second selected source server is operable to;

receive a second request for data from the user, wherein the second request for data requests data accumulated in a second format at the information source coupled to the second selected source server;

translate the data requested in the second request from the second format to the standard format;

encrypt the data requested in the second request; and

transmit the encrypted data requested in the second request to the user in the standard format.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein translating the data from the first format to a standard format comprises translating the data from the first format to a data format to enable the data to be manipulated by the user.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the multi-access manager further operates to:

receive a request for access to a new source server of the plurality of source servers from the user not included in the catalogue of one or more source servers;

forward to the new source server the request for access to a new source server; and

add the new source server to the catalogue of one or more source servers if the request for access to the new source server has approval at the new source server.

17. An apparatus for managing and distributing information, comprising:

means for receiving from a user at a multi-access manager a request for access to the system;

means for determining whether the request for access to the system comprises an approved access at the multi-access manager;

means for displaying in response to an approved access a catalogue of at least one source server, wherein each source server couples to a respective information source, and wherein each source server has authorized the user to access data stored at the coupled respective information source;

means for receiving a source server selection from the user, wherein the source server selection comprises a source server selected from the catalogue of at least one source server; and

means for providing access for the user to the selected source server;

means for receiving a request from the user for data at the selected source server, wherein the request for data requests data accumulated in a first format at the information source coupled to the selected source server; and

means for transmitting the data from the selected source server to the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for encrypting the data at the selected source server, and wherein means for transmitting the data comprises means for transmitting the encrypted data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for translating the data from the first format to a standard format at the selected source server, and wherein means for transmitting the encrypted data comprises means for transmitting the encrypted data in the standard format.

20. Logic encoded in media for managing and distributing information, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive from a user at a multi-access manager a request for access to the system;

determine whether the request for access to the system comprises an approved access at the multi-access manager;

display in response to an approved access a catalogue of at least one source server, wherein each source server couples to a respective information source, and wherein each source server has authorized the user to access data stored at the coupled respective information source;

receive a source server selection from the user, wherein the source server selection comprises a source server selected from the catalogue of at least one source server; and

provide access for the user to the selected source server;

receive a request from the user for data at the selected source server, wherein the request for data requests data accumulated in a first format at the information source coupled to the selected source server; and

transmit the data from the selected source server to the user.

21. The logic encoded in media of claim 20, wherein the logic is further operable to encrypt the data at the selected source server, and wherein logic operable to transmit the data comprises logic operable to transmit the encrypted data.

22. The logic encoded in media of claim 21, wherein the logic is further operable to translate the data from the first format to a standard format at the selected source server, and wherein logic operable to transmit the encrypted data comprises logic operable to transmit the encrypted data in the standard format.