Method and apparatus for interfacing web services with mobile terminal applications during a browser or SIP session

• US 20040186883A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Olkkonen, Mikko, Nyman, Kai T., Chande, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US10/392,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186883A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and corresponding equipment implementing a protocol stack (40s 40t-s 40t-t) with which an application hosted by a Web server connected to the Internet or hosted by a wireless terminal communicates with an application hosted by a wireless terminal, and conversely. The protocol stack (40s 40t-s 40t-t) includes an application layer protocol handler (43) that uses the services of an HTTP transport layer (45) for terminal-to-terminal and server-terminal communications, and also uses the services of a SIP transport layer (47) for terminal-to-terminal and server-to-terminal communications.

Claims

1. A method by which an invoking application hosted by a Web server connected to the Internet or hosted by a wireless terminal invokes a target application hosted by a wireless terminal, the method for use after either an IP session initiated using SIP signalling or a browser session is established between the host of the invoking application and the host of the target application, the method comprising:

a step (64) in which an application layer protocol handler on the host of the invoking application creates an XML-based message encapsulating it in an XML-based application protocol header constructed so as to identify the target application, and sends the XML-based message to the host of the target application;

a step (65) in which the host of the target application, upon receiving the XML-based message, detects from the header that the XML-based message is to be forwarded to a target-side application layer protocol handler also hosted by the host of the target application; and

a step (66) in which the target-side application layer protocol handler, upon receiving the encapsulated XML-based message, determines the target application to be invoked based on the header, extracts the XML-based message, invokes the target application, and passes the XML-based message to the target application.

11. A terminal comprising means for performing the steps recited in claim 1 in respect to the host of the target application and also in respect to the host of the invoking application.

12. A server comprising means for performing the steps recited in claim 1 in respect to the host of the invoking application in case the host of the invoking application is the Web server connected to the Internet.

13. A system, comprising a terminal and a server, the terminal and the server comprising means for performing the steps of claim 1 in respect to the host of the target application and the host of the invoking application, respectively.

2. A method as in 1, wherein in case of an IP session initiated using SIP signalling, an SIP client on the host of the target application, upon receiving the XML-based message provided as part of a SIP header-bearing SIP message, detects from a SDP identifier included in the SIP header that the XML-based message is to be forwarded to the target-side application layer protocol handler also hosted by the host of the target application and the application layer protocol handler in turn determines the target application based on a globally agreed-on identifier.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the globally agreed-on identifier is included in the XML-based application protocol header and is a URL or a URN or a UUID.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein the XML-based application protocol header is a SOAP header.

5. A method as in 1, wherein in case of a browser session between the host of the target application and the host of the invoking application, the XML-based message is a SOAP message having a SOAP header and embedded as a MIME enclosure of a predetermined type in an XHTML or WML message, and the type of the MIME enclosure indicates that the MIME enclosure is to be provided to the target-side application layer protocol handler, and the SOAP message header identifies the target application.

6. A method as in 5, wherein the SOAP message also has a SOAP body, and the SOAP message body provides a remote procedure call for the target application.

7. A method as in 5, wherein to indicate the target application, a URL or a URN or a UUID is used.

8. A method as in 1, wherein the XML-based message is provided to the target application based either on a remote procedure call or on a simple message exchange mechanism.

9. A method as in 1, wherein the XML-based message is accompanied by a message for display to a user by the host of the target application.

10. A method as in 1, wherein the underlying transport mechanism for the XML-based message is either SIP or HTTP.

14. An apparatus implementing a protocol stack (40s 40t-s 40t-t) by which an application hosted by a wireless terminal communicates with an application on a second device that is either a Web server connected to the Internet or another wireless terminal, the protocol stack (40s 40t-s 40t-t) comprising:

a routing layer (48), for providing connectivity between the terminal and the second entity;

a transport layer, interfacing with the routing layer (48) for providing transport services and including at least one transport layer protocol stack including a HTTP transport layer (45);

an application layer protocol handler (43), interfacing with the transport layer and also interfacing with an application (41s 41t) via communication tools (42s 42t) so as to provide communication services to and from the application (41s 41t);

at least one application;

wherein in response to an XML-based message encapsulated in an XML-based application protocol header constructed so as to identify the at least one application, the application protocol layer handler (43) invokes the at least one application according to the XML-based message.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the protocol stack further comprises:

in the transport layer, a second transport layer protocol stack including a SIP transport layer (47) and a SDP transport layer (48).

16. A method by which an invoking application hosted by a Web server connected to the Internet or hosted by a wireless terminal invokes a target application hosted by a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

a step (63) in which either the host of the invoking application or the host of the target application initiates with the other an IP session using SIP signalling;

a step (64) in which an application layer protocol handler on the host of the invoking application creates an XML-based message encapsulating it in an XML-based application protocol header identifying the target application and sends the XML-based message to the host of the target application using a transport protocol suitable for communication via the IP session;

a step (65) in which an SIP client on the host of the target application, upon receiving the XML-based message, detects from a globally agreed-on identifier included in the header that the XML-based message is to be forwarded to a target-side application layer protocol handler also hosted by the host of the target application; and

a step (66) in which the target-side application layer protocol handler, upon receiving the encapsulated XML-based message, determines the target application to be invoked, extracts the XML-based message, invokes the target application, and passes the XML-based message to the target application.

17. A method as in 16, wherein the header is a SOAP header.

18. A method as in 16, wherein the globally agreed-on identifier is a SIP SDP identifier or a MIME identifier.

19. A method by which an invoking application hosted by a Web server connected to the Internet or hosted by a wireless terminal invokes a target application hosted by a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

a step (63) in which a browser on the host of the target application initiates a browser session with the host of the invoking application;

a step (64) in which an application layer protocol handler on the host of the invoking application creates an XML-based message encapsulating it in an XML-based application protocol header having a predetermined MIME format and sends the XML-based message to the host of the target application via the browser session;

a step (65) in which the host of the target application, upon receiving the XML-based message, determines from the MIME format of the header that the message is to be forwarded to a target-side application layer protocol handler also hosted by the host of the target application, and provides the message to the target-side application layer protocol handler; and

a step (66) in which the target-side application layer protocol handler, upon receiving the encapsulated XML-based message, determines the target application to be invoked based on the header, extracts the XML-based message, invokes the target application, and passes the XML-based message to the target application.

20. A method as in 19, wherein the header is according to SOAP.

21. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a terminal hosting a target application (21) and used for communicating with a Web server (22) connected to the Internet or another terminal (21) hosting an invoking application, said computer program code for use after either an IP session initiated using SIP signalling or a browser session is established between the host of the invoking application and the host of the target application and after an application layer protocol handler on the host of the invoking application creates an XML-based message encapsulating it in an XML-based application protocol header constructed so as to identify the target application, and sends the XML-based message to the host of the target application, said computer program code comprising;

computer program code for causing the computer processor to perform a step (65) in which the host of the target application, upon receiving the XML-based message, detects from the header that the XML-based message is to be forwarded to a target-side application layer protocol handler also hosted by the host of the target application; and

computer program code for causing the computer processor to perform a step (66) in which the target-side application layer protocol handler, upon receiving the encapsulated XML-based message, determines the target application to be invoked based on the header, extracts the XML-based message, invokes the target application, and passes the XML-based message to the target application.

22. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor in a Web server (22) connected to the Internet or terminal (21) hosting an invoking application and communicating with a terminal hosting a target application (21), said computer program code for use after either an IP session initiated using SIP signalling or a browser session is established between the host of the invoking application and the host of the target application, said computer program code comprising;

computer program code for causing the computer processor to perform a step (64) in which an application layer protocol handler on the host of the invoking application creates an XML-based message encapsulating it in an XML-based application protocol header constructed so as to identify the target application; and

computer program code for causing the computer processor to perform a step (64) of sending the XML-based message to the host of the target application;

wherein the XML-based message and its encapsulation are such as to make possible detection by the host of the target application that the XML-based message is intended for delivery to the target application.