Open messaging gateway

• US 20040148357A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Markport Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Corrigan, Louis, Steady, Clive
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• 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 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

Abstract

A messaging gateway (1) has a network node layer (20) which interface with mobile devices and manages context for them. A gateway node layer (30) controls access to applications and other functions such as billing. An applications node layer (25) provides requet/response mechanisms for access to applications on external servers. The network node layer (20) has a number of adapters, each associated with a type of mobile device. The gateway node layer (30) has nodes with access brokers which control access to applications according to user subscriptions, and responses are split up and routed according to adapter capabilities.

Claims

1. A messaging gateway comprising:

a network node layer comprising means for interfacing with user mobile devices of a plurality of different communication standards to receive content or service requests from the mobile devices and to route responses to the devices;

a gateway node layer comprising means for routing the requests and the responses and for modifying them according to device technology and content attributes; and

an application access node layer comprising means for accessing content servers and application servers.

2. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node layer comprises means for managing the context for a device making a request, and for converting an input into a Web request using input data, device context, and application context.

3. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 2, wherein the network node layer comprises means for adding user and location context to requests.

4. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 2, wherein the network node layer comprises means for translating responses into a device-specific format using response date, device context, and application context.

5. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 2, wherein the network node layer comprises means for updating and storing context between device interactions.

6. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node layer comprises a plurality of adapters, each associated with a type of mobile device.

7. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gateway node layer comprises means for controlling access to Web applications according to user subscription, in which responses are split up and routed according to adapter capabilities, content attributes, and user-specified rules.

8. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway node layer comprises means for managing a register of adapter capabilities and of currently accessible adapters for each user.

9. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway node layer comprises means for translating service values placed by applications, and for routing the translated data to external systems.

10. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application access node layer comprises means for an API to allow alternative interfaces for interactive applications.

11. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the network node layer, the gateway node layer, and the application access node layer comprise means for communicating with each other using an XML-compliant markup language.

12. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in said markup language, content is defined in elements, in which a root element is an abstraction of a mobile device screen.

13. A messaging gateway as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in said markup language, sound streams and images are defined as elements.

14. A computer program product comprising software code for completing a message gateway as claimed in claim 1 when executing on a digital computer.