Transaction execution system interface and enterprise system architecture thereof

• US 20040024610A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebm/Ip, Llc
• Original Assignee: Simplexity LLC d/b/a Wirefly (Simplexity)
• Inventors: Trifel, Anatoliy, Iakovlev, Leonid, Fradkov, Sergey, Meshkov, Andrew, Khomykov, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

The present invention provides an add-on transaction system that interfaces a network of users with an existing on-line transaction execution system, without requiring significant modifications to the functionality and/or protocol of such transaction execution system. This is accomplished by providing a set of novel application programmer interfaces (API) which allows integration of specific transaction applications within the transaction system with virtually any existing transaction execution system on practically any platform. More specifically, two separate APIs are provided, a “transaction execution” API (“TE API”) and a “transaction alert” API (“TA API). The TE API provides the functionality of delivering trade information and user requests to the execution system, and the TA API allows the execution system to deliver real-time information to the user. The cooperation of the two APIs with the transaction system'"'"'s core functionality provides an extremely flexible and secure way to implement two-way communication without actually modifying the transaction application itself. In another aspect of the present invention, the transaction system is implemented to receive user transaction requests via IP networks (such as the Internet which uses the “transmission control protocol/Internet protocol” (“TCP/IP”)). In a further aspect of the present invention, the transaction system is implemented to receive transaction requests via a wireless gateway, and more specifically via a digital packet-switched wireless gateway, which may be connected via the IP network to the transaction system. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a financial transaction system is disclosed. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an enterprise system having a novel unified architecture is disclosed which may be adopted for the IP network-based transaction system of the present invention. The enterprise system makes use of a set of APIs that renders the enterprise applications platform independent. The enterprise system consists of an enterprise system manager and a number of application servers. The application servers are capable of running applications on remote computers and present a highly reliable and scalable system for deployment. The system manager tracks and provides an “application state” in each instance of the application programs running on the distributed application servers, even though the necessary data is received as a series of unconnected “hits” in the IP network environment. The system manager unites information and applications residing on the different application servers within the otherwise unstructured IP network environment, so the applications work together seamlessly and efficiently, even if the types of application servers and related databases in the system are not compatible. In a further aspect of the enterprise system, a special screen definition language (“UNML”) has been developed to describe basic GUI elements such as text fields, images, input fields, command buttons, menus and tables. This is an embedded language that implements the “context free screen concept”, where every screen and every element of the screen is independent from other elements. Using the UNML, information can be transmitted to the users in a device independent fashion, so that transmitted information can be displayed on various wireless devices based on their unique browser. According to yet another aspect of the invention, a new, high level programming language, the Report Query Language (“RQL”) provides a programming environment similar to C, C++ and PERL, but makes it more convenient for programmers to manipulate and format relational and non-relational data. RQL also includes extensions which allow developers to rapidly create state-of-the-art Internet applications for Intranets and Web sites. A run time engine, and various software development kits are also available for RQL. RQL therefore simplifies the development of complex system, databases and network administration applications, as well as database applications and enterprise wide reporting applications for “traditional” client/server and Internet/Intranet environments. RQL may be used to develop the transaction application of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for interfacing user interactive devices with a transaction execution system to execute transactions requested by users, comprising:

a network communicating the user interactive devices to the transaction execution system; and

application means coupled to the network for interfacing between the user interactive devices and the transaction execution system and coordinating interaction of the user interactive devices with the transaction execution system.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the application means comprises alert means for initiating and sending information relating to the transactions to the user interactive devices via the packet-switched wireless network independent of any request on demand from the user.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein the transaction execution system is a system which handles financial transaction.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein the transaction execution system is a system which handles trading of financial instruments.

5. A system as in claim 3 wherein the information relates to trading of the financial instruments.

6. A system as in claim 2 wherein the application means further comprises confirmation means for sending the users via the network a confirmation that the transactions requested by the respective users has been completed.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the confirmation means includes configuration means that allows each user to select specific conduit for sending the confirmation and related information of the completed transactions to the respective users.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the application means further comprises means for monitoring the transactions requested by the users and verifying integrity of the transactions and/or status of the accounts of the users.

9. A system as in claim 1 wherein the transaction execution system is an existing system without capability to interface with the user interactive devices, and wherein the application means is configured to couple to such existing system to add the functionality of interfacing with the user interactive devices substantially without modification of the functionality of the existing system.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein the application means is configured such that the manner of user access to the transaction execution system is indistinguishable to the transaction execution system at a system level.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein the application means includes at least one API for integrating the functions of the transaction system and the transaction execution system without requiring significant modification to the transaction execution system.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein the application means contains first and second APIs, and wherein the first API is structured to deliver information relating to user transaction request to the transaction execution system, and the second API is structured to deliver to the user information relating to the transaction.

13. A system as in claim 1 wherein the application means comprises:

a plurality of transaction application servers;

at least one transaction application coupled to each transaction application server and to the transaction execution system; and

a transaction manager coupled to the plurality of transaction application servers, wherein the transaction manager is structured and configured to provide load balancing and high availability by routing user transaction requests to the least busy transaction application server.

14. A system as in claim 1 where the network comprises an IP network, and the transaction manager is structured and configured to connect unconnected information from various users received over the IP network into a single session.

15. A system as in claim 1 wherein the network includes a wireless network.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein the wireless network is a digital packet-switched network.

17. A system as in claim 1 wherein the network includes a distributed network which operates on the TCP/IP protocol.

18. A system as in claim 17 wherein the distributed network is an IP network.

19. A system as in claim 1 wherein the user interactive devices are based on different operating platforms.

20. A system as in claim 19 wherein the transaction execution system communicates with the user interactive devices in a device independent fashion.

21. A system for interfacing user interactive devices with a transaction execution system to execute transactions requested by users, comprising:

a network providing access to the transaction execution system by the user interactive devices;

application means coupled to the network for interfacing between the user interactive devices and the financial transaction execution system and coordinating interaction of the user interactive devices with the transaction execution system;

wherein the financial transaction execution system is an existing system without capability to interface with the user interactive devices, and wherein the application means is configured to couple to such existing system to add the functionality of interfacing with wireless user interactive devices substantially without modification of the functionality of the existing system.

22. A system as in claim 21 wherein the application means is configured such that the manner of access to the transaction execution system by the user interactive devices is indistinguishable to the financial transaction execution system at a system level.

23. A system for interfacing user interactive devices with an executing transaction system to execute transactions requested by users, comprising:

a network providing access to the transaction execution system by the user interactive devices; and

an add-on transaction system coupled between the transaction execution system and the network, wherein the transaction system coordinates interaction of the user interactive devices with the transaction execution system.

24. A system as in claim 23 wherein the transaction system interacts with the user interactive devices independent of the functions of the financial transaction execution system.

25. A system for interfacing user interactive devices with an executing transaction system to execute transactions requested by users via an IP network, comprising:

a network interfaced between the user interactive devices and the transaction execution system, said network including the IP network; and

a transaction system between the transaction execution system and the network, wherein the transaction system coordinates interaction of the user interactive devices with the transaction execution system based on TCP/IP protocols.

26. A system as in claim 25 wherein the network also includes a wireless network between an IP network and the user interactive devices.

27. A method for executing transactions requested by users using user interactive devices, comprising the steps of:

interfacing a network between the user interactive devices and the transaction execution system;

interfacing a transaction system between the transaction execution system and the network;

coordinating using the transaction system interaction of the user interactive devices with the transaction execution system.

28. A method as in claim 27 wherein the transaction system coordinates interaction with the user interactive devices independent of the functions of the financial transaction execution system.

29. A method for providing a transaction execution system with the functionality of interacting with user interactive devices via an IP network, comprising the steps of:

interfacing a network between the user interactive devices and the transaction execution system; and

interfacing a transaction system between the user interactive devices and the transaction execution system, wherein the transaction system coordinates interaction of the transaction execution system with the user interactive devices based on TCP/IP protocol.

30. An enterprise system for interfacing between an IP network and an existing system, comprising:

a system manager coupled to a Web server;

a plurality of application servers coupled to the system manager; and

at least one application coupled to each application server and the existing system.

31. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the applications each has an API for integrating the functions of the existing system and the respective applications without requiring significant modification of the existing system.

32. An enterprise system as in claim 31 wherein a first application has a first API and a second application has a second API, and wherein the first API is structured to deliver information received from the IP network to the existing system, and the second API is structured to deliver to the IP network information relating to the existing system.

33. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the applications operates independent of the functions of the existing system.

34. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the applications are coupled to the existing system with requiring significant modification to the existing system.

35. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the applications are configured such that the coupling of the system manager to the IP network is indistinguishable to the existing system at a system level.

36. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the system manager is structured and configured to connect unconnected information from various users received over the IP network into a single session.

37. An enterprise system as in claim 36 wherein the system manager provides an application state to information received from the IP network.

38. An enterprise system as in claim 30 wherein the existing system is a transaction execution system which executes transactions requested by user via the IP network, the system manager is a transaction system manager, the application servers are transaction application servers and the applications are transaction applications, wherein the applications interact with the users via the IP network independent of the functions of the transaction execution system.

39. An enterprise system as in claim 31 wherein the APIs maintain a same set of base functionality, which is expressed in terms of target operating platform.

40. An enterprise system as in claim 39, wherein the functionality are such that would allow a Web application developer to extract data entered by the user into the Web page and store this information in program variables and as a persistent context, and to present newly generated data and Web pages to the user, thereby allowing development of Web applications without requiring knowledge of particulars of interface implementations for a specific Web server.

41. A method as is claim 39, wherein a special set of APIs is developed for each operating platform on which the applications run on, and wherein each set utilizes specific protocols of the underlying operating platform while presenting the same functionality to the user for different operating platforms.

42. A method as in claim 41, wherein a simple compilation of the application on a particular operating platform with respect to the corresponding set of APIs would allow the application to be migrated to the operating platform without code changes or usage of a further API.

43. A method of interfacing between a client and an application server across a network, comprising the step of providing a browser to interface the client with the application server, wherein the browser is based on a screen definition language that allows every screen to be independent of other screens and every element of the screen to be independent from other elements.

44. A method as in claim 43, wherein the application server is structured and configured to convert the screen definition language to another set of screen definition language on-the-fly so that the application server may communicate with clients that use browsers that are compatible with said another set of screen definition language.

45. A method as in claim 44, wherein said another set of screen definition language is a markup language.

46. A method as in claim 45, wherein said markup language includes HTML or HDML.

47. A method as in claim 43, wherein screen layout information is stored at the client, wherein the browser renders the screen based on the data sent from the server and the stored screen layout information.

48. A method as in claim 47, wherein the application server includes one or more screen layout templates each based on a screen layout information, and wherein the scree layout templates are used to create screen data to be sent to the client.

49. A method as in claim 48, wherein the screen data sent from the server excludes screen layout information.

50. A method as in claim 43 further comprising the steps of:

when an element in the browser is edited by the client, setting the value of the variable assigned to the edited element; and

sending only the value of the variable to the server to represent the edited element.

51. A method as in claim 43 wherein the browser is device dependent and the variable sent from the server is device independent, which variable can be recognized by the device dependent browser.

52. A method of distributing screen information between a client and an application server across a network, comprising the steps of:

providing a device dependent browser to interface the client with the application server, wherein the device dependent browser is associated with a screen layout;

transmitting screen information from the server to the client in a device independent fashion, wherein the screen information is based on a screen layout template stored at the server;

presenting the screen information at the client using the device dependent browser and based on the screen layout.

53. A method for programming an application for use in an IP network environment, comprising the steps of:

creating program code for the application;

providing a C-based API for the application; and

merging, using the C-based API, existing program code that is based on one or more of C, C++, PERL, Java, Visual Basic programming languages.

54. A method as in claim 53, wherein the application created is platform independent.

55. A method for accessing and processing data from an external data source by an application in an IP network environment, comprising the steps of:

creating the application using RQL programming language;

accessing the external data source via a driver and based on native language of the external data source; and

processing the data received from the external data source.

56. A method as in claim 55, wherein the external data source is accessed using syntax similar to opening a flat file.

57. A method as in claim 55, wherein the external data source is accessed without using ODBC drivers.

58. A method as in claim 55, wherein the processing step uses a data iterator which contains components that handle processing of individual records and record groups.

59. A method as in claim 55, further comprising the step of providing an output template to output the result of the processing step.

60. A method as in claim 55, wherein the step of processing uses a run time engine which processes the precompiled RQL application and executes it in a multi-threaded environment.

61. A method as in claim 55, wherein the application created using RQL programming language is platform independent.