METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR MODIFYING A MESSAGE

• US 20090125905A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stanford-Clark, Andrew J., Chessell, Amanda E.
• Application Number:
  US12/266,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

There is disclosed a method, apparatus and computer program for modifying a message. A message is received from a first entity. The message contains a first level of detail appropriate to the first entity and the message is for communication to a second entity. It is determined whether the message contains a scope sensitive field. Once it has been determined that the message does contain a scope sensitive field, information is accessed indicating how to transform the scope sensitive field to a second level of detail appropriate to the second entity. The scope sensitive field is then transformed to produce the second level of detail.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a message, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a first entity, the message containing a first level of detail appropriate to the first entity, the message for communication to a second entity;

determining whether the message contains a scope sensitive field;

responsive to determining that the message does contain a scope sensitive field, accessing information indicating how to transform the scope sensitive field to a second level of detail appropriate to the second entity; and

transforming the scope sensitive field to produce the second level of detail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the message contains a scope sensitive field comprises:

identifying a message type; and

accessing a message schema for the identified message type, the message schema indicating whether the message contains any scope sensitive fields.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the message including the transformed scope sensitive field to the second entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming the scope sensitive field comprises one of:

deleting;

modifying;

or replacing the scope sensitive field.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the message includes a tracking number; and

responsive to determining that the message does include a tracking number, using that tracking number to transform an associated scope sensitive field.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of using the tracking number to transform an associated scope sensitive field comprises:

retrieving scope sensitive field information associated with the tracking number.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

responsive to identifying a field as scope sensitive and responsive to determining that that the message does not include a tracking number, assigning the message a tracking number and associating the scope sensitive field'"'"'s information with the tracking number.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting the message including the assigned tracking number.

9. An apparatus for modifying a message, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a message from a first entity, the message containing a first level of detail appropriate to the first entity, the message for communication to a second entity;

means for determining whether the message contains a scope sensitive field;

means, responsive to determining that the message does contain a scope sensitive field, for accessing information indicating how to transform the scope sensitive field to a second level of detail appropriate to the second entity; and

means for transforming the scope sensitive field to produce the second level of detail.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for determining whether the message contains a scope sensitive field comprises:

means for identifying a message type; and

means for accessing a message schema for the identified message type, the message schema indicating whether the message contains any scope sensitive fields.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

means for transmitting the message including the transformed scope sensitive field to the second entity.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for transforming the scope sensitive field is operable to perform on e of the following:

deleting;

modifying;

or replacing the scope sensitive field.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

means for determining whether the message includes a tracking number; and

means, responsive to determining that the message does include a tracking number, for using that tracking number to transform an associated scope sensitive field.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for using the tracking number to transform an associated scope sensitive field comprises:

means for retrieving scope sensitive field information associated with the tracking number.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

means, responsive to identifying a field as scope sensitive and responsive to determining that that the message does not include a tracking number, for assigning the message a tracking number and associating the scope sensitive field'"'"'s information with the tracking number.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

means for transmitting the message including the assigned tracking number.

17. A computer program comprising program code means operable to perform a method for modifying a message when said program is run on a computer, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a first entity, the message containing a first level of detail appropriate to the first entity, the message for communication to a second entity;

determining whether the message contains a scope sensitive field;

responsive to determining that the message does contain a scope sensitive field, accessing information indicating how to transform the scope sensitive field to a second level of detail appropriate to the second entity; and

transforming the scope sensitive field to produce the second level of detail.