Remote customisation module and system comprising said module

• US 20080208641A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Inventors: Pelissier, Marc, Noblet, David, Campora, Marc, Masson, Sylvain
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A remote customisation module for a logic engine, running upon a server remote from said logic engine, comprises a communication interface arranged to communicate with the logic engine and with an application running upon said server. The module also comprises a logic element arranged to receive an incoming request for data from the logic engine via the communication interface. The logic element is arranged to interrogate the application in order to extract data required to fulfil said request. The logic element is also arranged to process said extracted data to generate response data and to pass said response data to the logic engine.

Claims

1. A remote customisation module for a logic engine, running upon a server remote from said logic engine, comprising;

a communication interface arranged to communicate with the logic engine and with an application running upon said server;

a logic element arranged to receive an incoming request for data from the logic engine via the communication interface and being further arranged to interrogate the application in order to extract data required to fulfil said request, wherein the logic element is arranged to process said extracted data to generate response data and to pass said response data to the logic engine.

2. A module according to claim 1 comprising an API.

3. A module according to claim 2 wherein the API is coded within coding for a website.

4. A module according to claim 2 wherein the API is coded within an existing web service.

5. A module according to claim 2 wherein the API comprises a data structure comprising data entries corresponding to rules, which when executed result in the generation of said response data.

6. A module according to claim 5 wherein the rules govern the interrogation of the application and the calculation of the response data.

7. A module according to claim 2 wherein the API is described by means of procedure oriented description (POD) data.

8. A module according to claim 7 wherein the POD data comprises Extensible Mark Up Language (XML).

9. A module according to claim 7 wherein the POD data comprises Web Service Description Language (WSDL).

10. A module according to claim 3 wherein the module is arranged to receive interrogation from a plug located at the logic engine.

11. A module according to claim 1 wherein the logic engine comprises a business logic engine.

12. A module according to claim 11 wherein the business logic engine comprises a booking engine.

13. A module according to claim 12 wherein the booking engine comprises a travel booking engine.

14. A business system comprising a logic engine, a client server, the logic engine and the client server being arranged to be in communication via a network, the logic engine comprising data structures corresponding to business logic, and the server hosting a remote customisation module according to claim 1, wherein the remote customisation module is arranged to provide response data derived from data stored on the client server to the logic engine in response to interrogation data received from a plug located at the logic engine.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein the logic engine comprises an adapter arranged to format interrogation data into a format compatible with the server hosting the remote customisation module.

16. A system according to claim 14 wherein the logic engine comprises a business logic engine.

17. A module according to claim 16 wherein the business logic engine comprises a booking engine.

18. A module according to claim 17 wherein the booking engine comprises a travel booking engine.

19. A system according to claim 14 wherein the logic engine defines an error condition.

20. A system according to claim 19 wherein the logic engine is arranged return to a default mode should the error condition occur.

21. A system according to claim 19 wherein the logic engine is arranged return a time out response to a user should the error condition be a time out period, which is exceeded.

22. Software which, when executed upon a processor causes the processor to act as the remote customisation module of claim 1.

23. Software which, when executed upon a processor causes the processor to act as the plug of claim 15.

24. A method of increasing the functionality of a logic engine by providing a remote customisation engine according to claim 1 wherein the remote customisation engine is arranged to return response data corresponding to a parameter required to fulfil a user request received at the logic engine where the logic engine is not programmed to provide data corresponding to the parameter data.