Methods and apparatus for electronic communication

• US 20050144026A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vistacare Incorporated (Humana Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Vistacare Incorporated (Humana Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hall, Matt M., Fisher, Mitchell R., Bennett, Gary W.
• Application Number:
  US10/748,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144026A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for electronic communication according to various aspects of the present invention comprise a transaction processing system. The transaction processing system may include one or more translating components for translating transactions into a selected transaction format. The transaction processing system may also include a transaction manager for managing the processing and communication of transactions.

Claims

1. A transaction processing system, comprising:

a component layer including at least one processing component configured to process data in a first format; and

a translation layer including a translation component configured to translate data from a second format into the first format.

2. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, wherein the data includes a transaction having a transaction tag.

3. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, wherein the transaction processing system comprises a multi-node environment.

4. A transaction processing system according to claim 3, further comprising a transaction manager, wherein the transaction manager is configured to refer the translated data from a first node to a second node.

5. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second format is human readable.

6. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, wherein the component layer includes multiple processing components, and wherein the multiple processing components operate in conjunction with different languages.

7. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a transaction manager configured to detect a failure of the processing component and restart the processing component after detecting the failure.

8. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a transaction manager configured to:

monitor processing requirements for the processing component; and

at least one of automatically starting and retracting an additional processing component according to the processing requirements.

9. A transaction processing system according to claim 1, wherein the transaction processing system comprises multiple nodes, and the translating component and the processing component are on different nodes.

10. A transaction processing system, comprising:

a translating component configured to receive a transaction in a first format and translate the transaction into a second format;

a processing component configured to process the transaction in the second format; and

a transaction manager configured to transfer the translated transaction to the processing unit.

11. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the transaction is stateless.

12. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the transaction includes a transaction tag.

13. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the transaction processing system comprises a multi-node environment.

14. A transaction processing system according to claim 13, wherein the transaction manager is configured to refer the transaction from a first node to a second node.

15. A transaction processing system according to claim 13, wherein at least two of the translating component, the processing component, and the transaction manager are on different nodes.

16. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the second format is human readable.

17. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, further comprising multiple processing components, and wherein the multiple processing components operate in conjunction with different languages.

18. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the transaction manager is configured to detect a failure of the processing component and restart the processing component after detecting the failure.

19. A transaction processing system according to claim 10, wherein the transaction manager is configured to:

monitor processing requirements for the processing component; and

at least one of automatically start and retract an additional processing component according to the processing requirements.

20. A data communications system, comprising:

an external unit configured to communicate data in a first format; and

a transaction processing system configured to communicate with the external unit, including;

a translation component configured to translate the data between the first format and a second format;

a processing component configured to generate and receive data in the second format; and

a transaction manager configured to transfer the data between the translation component and the processing component.

21. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the data comprises a stateless transaction.

22. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the data includes a transaction tag.

23. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the transaction processing system comprises a multi-node environment.

24. A data communications system according to claim 23, wherein the transaction manager is configured to refer the transaction from a first node to a second node.

25. A data communications system according to claim 23, wherein at least two of the translation component, the processing component, and the transaction manager are on different nodes.

26. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the second format is human readable.

27. A data communications system according to claim 20, further comprising multiple processing components, and wherein the multiple processing components operate in conjunction with different languages.

28. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the transaction manager is configured to detect a failure of the processing component and restart the processing component after detecting the failure.

29. A data communications system according to claim 20, wherein the transaction manager is configured to:

monitor processing requirements for the processing component; and

at least one of automatically start and retract an additional processing component according to the processing requirements.

30. A method of processing data, comprising:

transmitting a request from an external client to a transaction processing system in a first format;

translating the request from the first format to a second format;

transferring the request to a processing component; and

translating a return from the processing component from the second format to the first format.

31. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein the request and the return comprise transactions having a transaction tag and data.

32. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein the transaction processing system comprises a multi-node environment.

33. A method of processing data according to claim 32, further including referring the request from a first node to a second node.

34. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein the second format is human readable.

35. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein the request and the return are stateless.

36. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein the processing component is one of multiple processing components, and wherein the multiple processing components operate in conjunction with different languages.

37. A method of processing data according to claim 30, further including:

detecting a failure of a process; and

restarting the process after detecting the failure.

38. A method of processing data according to claim 37, wherein the process comprises at least one of a data receiving process, a data sending process, and a processing component.

39. A method of processing data according to claim 30, further including:

monitoring processing requirements for the processing component; and

at least one of automatically starting and retracting an additional processing component according to the processing requirements.

40. A method of processing data according to claim 30, wherein at least one of translating the request, transferring the request, and translating the return, is performed on a different node than at least one of another of translating the request, transferring the request, and translating the return.