SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVELOPING AND EXECUTING A WIRELESS APPLICATION GATEWAY

• US 20070053367A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shipcom Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shipcom Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Tyebji, Abeezar
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,041 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method that enables a business developer to develop and execute a Wireless Application Gateway (WAG) without programming or writing code. The WAG, as developed and executed through this invention can support a variety of wireless devices and a variety of backend systems. The business developer can, without writing code, configure screens for a plurality of mobile devices and define the business logic to carry out a process involving communication between backend systems and mobile devices. Without the need of programming, the business developer can select and work with a plurality of backend systems and business processes at runtime of the WAG.

Claims

1. A system for enabling remote access of enterprise backend systems to a plurality of users through mobile devices, the system comprising:

a. a development environment for developing and testing a wireless application gateway solution, the wireless application gateway solution enabling remote access of selective enterprise backend systems to the users;

b. an execution environment for executing the developed and tested wireless application gateway solution;

c. a dynamic business connector for interfacing the execution environment with the enterprise backend systems; and

d. a mobile agent for interfacing the execution environment with the plurality of users.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic business connector further comprises:

a. a plurality of backend system connectors, one backend system connector corresponding to one backend system, the backend system being a database system, an application or an sub-application in the enterprise backend systems;

b. means for downloading metadata of selected Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) from the enterprise backend systems, the metadata representing the format of the data that is being exchanged between the dynamic business connector and the enterprise backend systems.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the mobile devices are connected to the mobile agent over at least one of:

a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the mobile agent comprises a plurality of presentation layers, one presentation layer for configuring the exchange of data with one kind of mobile device.

5. A system for developing and testing a wireless application gateway solution, the wireless application gateway solution enabling remote access of selective enterprise backend systems to the users through mobile devices, the system comprising:

a. a business logic generator for developing a business logic for the wireless application gateway solution, the business logic being defined as steps that are to be performed in order to execute the wireless application gateway solution;

b. a backend system connector configurator for configuring a plurality of dynamic business connectors to enable exchange of data with the enterprise backend systems, the dynamic business connectors interfacing an execution environment with the enterprise backend systems; and

c. a mobile device configurator for configuring the screens of a plurality of mobile devices to enable exchange of data with the mobile device.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a. a mobile management studio for creating and administrating a wireless application gateway project, the wireless application gateway project being created for a particular wireless application gateway solution; and

b. means for testing a developed wireless application gateway solution.

7. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the business logic generator further comprises a run-time code generator for generating a code for the wireless application gateway solution, the code being executed in an execution environment in order to execute the wireless application gateway solution.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the run-time code generator generates an XML code, the XML code being executed in order to execute the wireless application gateway solution.

9. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the business logic generator further comprises a plurality of wizards for assisting a developer in developing a wireless application gateway solution without programming, the wizard being pre-built software programs that are dedicated to guide a developer to build a wireless application gateway solution.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the plurality of wizards comprises:

a. a call SAP Remote Function Call (RFC) wizard for enabling the developer to call a specified SAP RFC;

b. a send SAP Interface Document (IDOC) wizard for enabling the developer to call a specified SAP IDOC;

c. a next screen wizard for enabling the developer to specify a screen that is to be displayed after a particular screen;

d. a make decision wizard for enabling the developer to specify a step to be taken after evaluating a given condition;

e. a send message wizard for enabling the developer to specify a message to be sent to the screen of a mobile device; and

f. a copy process wizard for enabling the developer to use code developed for one wireless application gateway solution in another wireless application gateway solution.

11. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the backend system connector configurator further comprises a plurality of interface modules for developing an interface for exchange of data with the enterprise backend systems, each interface module developing an interface for one backend system, the Backend System being a database system, an application or an sub-application in the enterprise backend systems.

12. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the mobile device configurator further comprises:

a. a plurality of screen modules for developing screens for mobile devices, each screen module developing screens for one type of mobile device;

b. a plurality of screen elements, the screen elements being used for developing the screens for the mobile devices, the screen elements comprising;

i. a field for defining and displaying data on the screens;

ii. a key for enabling the user to transfer a request to the system;

iii. a message for conveying a pre-specified information to the user in response to a user request; and

iv. a label for conveying an information to the user, the information being displayed on the screens of the mobile device.

13. A system for executing a wireless application gateway solution, the wireless application gateway solution enabling remote access of selective enterprise backend systems to the users through mobile devices, the system comprising:

a. a data repository for storing data required for executing the wireless application gateway solution;

b. a rules repository for storing rules required for executing the wireless application gateway solution; and

c. a business rules engine for executing the wireless application gateway solution by using the data stored in data repository and rules stored in rules repository.

14. A method for enabling remote access of enterprise backend systems to a plurality of users through mobile devices, the method comprising the steps of:

a. developing a wireless application gateway solution, the wireless application gateway solution enabling remote access of selective enterprise backend systems to selective users, the step of developing further comprising generating a run-time code for the wireless application gateway solution without programming; and

b. executing the developed wireless application gateway solution, the step of executing further comprising executing the generated code,

whereby the wireless application gateway solution is developed and executed without programming.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the mobile devices accessing the enterprise backend system exchange the data on availability of network.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the mobile devices accessing the enterprise backend system exchange the data at pre-specified instants of time.

17. A method for developing a wireless application gateway solution, essentially without programming, the method comprising the steps of:

a. defining a business process, using graphical user interfaces, for which the wireless application gateway solution is to be developed;

b. defining a project, using graphical user interfaces, for developing the wireless application gateway solution corresponding to the business process;

c. configuring dynamic business connectors, using graphical user interfaces, for enabling exchange of data with an enterprise backend system, the dynamic business connectors interfacing an execution environment with enterprise backend systems.

d. configuring a mobile agent, using graphical user interfaces, for enabling exchange of data with mobile devices;

e. defining business logic using a plurality of wizards, the business logic being defined as instructions that are to be executed in order to execute the wireless application gateway solution, the wizard being pre-built software programs that are dedicated to guide a developer to build a wireless application gateway solution; and

f. testing the wireless application gateway solution.

18. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of defining a business process further comprises the steps of:

a. identifying backend systems that are to be accessed by the wireless application gateway solution, the backend systems being database systems or applications in the enterprise backend systems;

b. documenting information that is to be accessed, updated or validated through the wireless application gateway solution; and

c. identifying mobile devices that are to be used in order to access the backend systems.

19. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of defining a project further comprises the steps of defining properties specific to the project.

20. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 19 wherein the step of defining properties further comprises the steps of:

a. defining a server for developing the wireless application gateway solution;

b. defining folders for storing project specific files;

c. defining printers to be used by the wireless application gateway solution;

d. defining the mobile devices that are to be used by the wireless application gateway solution; and

e. defining the backend systems that are to be accessed by the wireless application gateway solution, the backend system being a database system, an application or an sub-application in the enterprise backend systems.

21. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of configuring dynamic business connectors further comprises the steps of:

a. identifying relevant business components on enterprise systems that are to be used by the wireless application gateway solution; and

b. downloading metadata associated with the identified business components to a data repository, the metadata representing the format of the data that is being used by the enterprise backend systems.

22. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of configuring a mobile agent further comprises the steps of:

a. selecting a mobile device;

b. selecting the language that is to be used by the wireless application gateway solution for interacting with the mobile device;

c. defining screen elements that are to be displayed on screen of the mobile device for the wireless application gateway solution;

d. defining menus and menu items for the wireless application gateway solution;

e. creating messages that are to be displayed to the user on the screen of the mobile device.

23. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of defining business logic further comprises the steps of:

a. defining steps in a business process;

b. selecting at least one screen element including at least one action key for at least one mobile device;

c. selecting one or more business process steps to be assigned to the at least one action key for a backend system.

24. The method for developing a wireless application gateway solution as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of testing further comprises simulating the wireless application gateway solution in an execution environment.

25. A method for executing a wireless application gateway solution, the method comprising the steps of:

a. authenticating a user who wants to remotely access an Enterprise Backend System, the user accessing the enterprise backend systems using mobile devices;

b. transferring a request made by the user to a mobile agent;

c. mapping the user request to backend systems, the backend systems being database systems or applications in the enterprise backend systems, the step of mapping comprising the steps of;

i. identifying the backend systems on the basis of profile of the user and the request made by the user; and

ii. mapping the request made by the user into input parameters of metadata, the metadata representing the format of the data that is being used by the enterprise backend systems;

d. extracting data from the backend systems;

e. filtering the extracted data;

f. presenting the filtered data to the user.