Communications system providing extensible protocol translation and configuration features and related methods

• US 20050038897A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: TeamOn Systems Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Clarke, David James
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 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

Abstract

A communications system may include data storage devices and mobile wireless communications devices for accessing the data storage devices, each using one or more different operating protocols. The system may further include a protocol interface device, which may include a protocol engine module for communicating with the data storage devices using respective operating protocols, and a front-end proxy module coupled to the protocol engine module. The front-end proxy module may include a respective proxy module for communicating with the mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and at least one common core service module coupled to the proxy modules. The protocol interface device may also include a configuration file module coupled to the front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols;

a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for accessing said plurality of data storage devices and each using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols; and

a protocol interface device comprising

a protocol engine module for communicating with said plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols,

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine module and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy modules, and

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for accessing data from said plurality of data storage devices.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for rendering data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

7. The communications system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

8. The communications system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of handlers and said protocol engine module communicate using a common interface protocol.

9. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a renderer module for cooperating with said proxy modules to format data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

10. The communications system of claim 9 further comprising an extensible mark-up language (XML) engine module coupled to said renderer module.

11. The communications system of claim 10 further comprising a memory coupled to said XML engine module for storing a plurality of templates corresponding to respective operating protocols.

12. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy modules; and

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

13. The protocol interface device of claim 12 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

14. The protocol interface device of claim 12 wherein said at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

15. The protocol interface device of claim 12 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

16. The protocol interface device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

17. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy modules; and

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

18. The protocol interface device of claim 17 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

19. The protocol interface device of claim 17 wherein said at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of communications devices.

20. The protocol interface device of claim 17 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

21. The protocol interface device of claim 20 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

22. A method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the method comprising:

providing a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

coupling a front-end proxy module to the protocol engine comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to the proxy modules; and

providing a configuration file module for the front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between the proxy modules and the protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy modules with the protocol engine module.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein the front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer executable modules for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the computer-readable medium comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to the protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to the proxy modules; and

a configuration file module coupled to the front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between the proxy modules and the protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy modules with the protocol engine module.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein the front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.