Method and apparatus for managing Internet transactions

• US 20070113193A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Next Software Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Next Software Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ong, Bruce, D'Harcourt, Charles, Popp, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

The object-oriented approach used by the present invention provides the ability to develop and manage Internet transactions. Local applications can be accessed using any workstation connected to the Internet regardless of the workstation'"'"'s configuration. Some or all of a Web page can be generated dynamically using input received in a returned page, generated at runtime, or retrieved from an external data source (e.g., database or electronic mail system). When the Web page definition is rendered, the information contained in template(s), declaration file(s), and object(s) are used to generate standard definitions. State information is maintained across transactions. Using state information, virtual applications, sessions, transactions, and pages can be implemented. Self-contained modules, or components, provide the ability to share implementations and create multi-content documents. Event objects can be used to assist in event handling management.

Claims

1. A method for processing data, comprising:

retrieving data from a received web page; and

storing said data persistently in a storage space.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said web page is received from a client.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising activating control logic for retrieving said data and storing said data.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said storage space comprises one or more objects and wherein storing said data in said storage space comprises loading said data into one or more properties of said one or more objects.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising pushing said data stored in said storage space into an external data source.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said external data source comprises a database.

7. A method for handling a web page, comprising:

receiving from a client a returned page containing a request;

activating one or more objects associated with said returned page; and

processing said returned page using said one or more objects.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether a response is needed; and

performing the following when a response is needed;

identifying a response page;

activating one or more objects associated with said response page;

generating said response page; and

transmitting said response page to said client.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein generating said response page comprises generating using at least one of said one or more objects associated with said response page at least one definition for an element of said response page and wherein transmitting said response page to said client comprises transmitting said at least one definition for an element to said client.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said element comprises an HTML element.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein generating at least one definition for an element comprises:

accessing a template for said at least one definition for an element; and

making one or more modifications to said template.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein an external data source object contains data for said response page and wherein making one or more modifications to said template comprises:

retrieving data from said external data source object; and

including said data in said at least one definition for an element.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein activating one or more objects associated with said response page comprises:

activating one or more control objects for managing the generation of said response page;

activating a response object for managing information about said response page; and

activating one or more context objects for maintaining state information.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating said response page comprises:

creating one or more element objects; and

transmitting a “

generate”

message to said one or more control objects;

p1 wherein said one or more control objects transmit said “

generate”

message to said one or more element objects and wherein said one or more element objects generate one or more definitional statements for said response page.

15. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

verifying said request; and

terminating said request if said request is not valid.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising setting state information.

17. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising verifying said request and wherein verifying said request comprises:

obtaining a first verification string associated with said request;

retrieving a session associated with said client;

retrieving a session key from said session;

generating a second verification string using said session key and a subset of information contained in said request; and

comparing said first verification string with said second verification string.

18. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

determining a response web page;

creating a page object for said response web page; and

invoking a script associated with said response web page.

19. A method for controlling data contained in a web page having an element definition, comprising:

associating an element of a web page with an object containing data for said element;

retrieving data from an external data source into said object; and

generating said element definition for said element using said object data.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein a declaration contains binding information that associates said element with said data object.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said element definition is updated when said web page is displayed and input data is entered and further comprising:

retrieving input data from said updated definition;

storing said input data in said object; and

updating said external data source with said object data.

22. A system for processing data, comprising:

a processor configured to;

retrieve data from a received web page; and

store said data persistently in a storage space; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor.

23. A computer program product for processing data, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

retrieving data from a received web page; and

storing said data persistently in a storage space.