System and method for providing asynchronous notifications using synchronous data sources

• US 20070088790A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael, Fritsch, Brindusa, Kline, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method for providing access to one or more notification-based Web services using a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of transmitting to Web service proxy a subscription request for a requested Web service, the Web service proxy supporting asynchronous communication with the mobile device, storing a device identification and subscription request at the proxy, the proxy polling the Web service with the request, receiving at the proxy a response message determined by the Web service and in response to the polled request, continuing to poll the Web service and transmitting the response message to the mobile device only when the response message satisfies a predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to one or more notification-based Web services using a mobile device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a subscription request, received from a mobile device, for a requested Web service;

(b) polling said Web service in accordance with the subscription request;

(c) receiving a response message in response to said poll; and

(d) forwarding said response message asynchronously to said mobile device when said response message satisfies a predetermined criterion.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, including storing a device identification and the subscription request to facilitate said polling and said forwarding.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, said predetermined criterion comprising the presence of new content in the response and the method further comprising determining whether content is present in said Web service response message.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising scheduling said polling at predetermined time intervals in accordance with the subscription request.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, said Web service comparing content available at a data source with a subscription filter included in said subscription request.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, said notification-based Web service being a schema-defined service.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, said schema-defined service being an XML Web service.

8. A system for providing access to one or more notification-based Web services using a mobile device, comprising:

(a) a Web service proxy server for receiving a request for a requested Web service;

(b) a task scheduler associated with said proxy for issuing a polled request message to said Web service at predetermined time intervals;

(c) business logic associated with said Web service to generate a response message to said polled request; and

(d) a message push mechanism for forwarding by said proxy said response message to said mobile device upon said response message satisfying a predetermined criterion.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, said task scheduler including a table for storing device identifications and corresponding subscriptions to facilitate communication.

10. A system as defined in claim 9, said business logic comparing content available at a data source with a subscription filter included in said subscription request.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, said business logic transmitting a null message when said content available does not satisfy said subscription filter

12. A system as defined in claim 8, said predetermined criterion being a determination by said proxy whether content is present in said Web service response message and then forwarding the response to the device if content is present in the Web service response.

13. A system as defined in claim 8, said predetermined time interval being determined by said request message from said mobile device.

14. A system as defined in claim 8, said predetermined time interval being preset by said proxy.

15. A Web service proxy, comprising:

(a) a first set of ports for communicating asynchronously with a mobile device;

(b) a second set of ports for communicating synchronously with a Web service; and

(c) a task scheduler for coordinating communication between said first and second set of ports.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, said task scheduler including a table for storing device identifications and corresponding subscriptions to facilitate communication.

17. A device, comprising:

(a) a client module that receives an input from a user for a requested Web service; and

(b) a transmitter for forwarding the request to a Web services proxy, wherein the proxy generates a Web services request corresponding to the requested Web service and polls the Web service with the Web services request.

18. A device as defined in claim 17, said Web services proxy, upon receiving a response from the Web service in response to the polled request, and upon the received response having content requested by the user, sends the content to the user.