GENERIC APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE FOR READING INFORMATION

• US 20110173641A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Addonmail
• Original Assignee: Addonmail
• Inventors: Teyssieux, Gilles, Cisse, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new method and software related product (e.g., computer readable medium, a computer, a computer memory or a laser recording disk) presented for: using a generic application programming interface (GAPI) for reading information, e.g., multi-application files (i.e., files created by two or more applications) stored in devices, e.g., computers, computer network devices/workstations, communication network devices, servers, memories (e.g., archives, backup repositories), etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving by a generic application programming interface a request signal comprising a request for reading one or more files of a plurality of files for implementing a predetermined task, said plurality of the files being created using a plurality of applications and being stored in one or more devices, wherein said request signal or a part of said request signal does not comprise application-specific information;

converting, by the generic application programming interface, said request signal or said part of the request signal to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said plurality of the applications; and

providing said one or more application command signals to corresponding one or more application connectors of a plurality of application connectors comprised in said generic application programming interface for reading all or selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully or partially implement said predetermined task, each application connector of said plurality of the application connectors being configured to read files created using one application of said plurality of the applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein before said converting, the method comprising:

generating, in response to said request signal by said generic application programming interface, said application independent request signal corresponding to said request signal or to said part of the request signal, such that said converting to said one or more application command signals is performed in response to said application independent request signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said part of the request signal does not comprise said application-specific information and a remaining part of the request signal comprises the application-specific information for one or more applications of said plurality of the applications, such that said method further comprises:

generating, in response to said request signal by said generic application programming interface, an application independent request signal corresponding to said part of the request signal, such that said converting to said one or more application command signals is performed in response to said application independent request signal; and

generating one or more further application command signals in response to said remaining part of the request signal, and providing said one or more further application command signals to further corresponding one or more application connectors of the plurality of application connectors for reading all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully implement the predetermined task.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said request signal does not comprise any application-specific information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprising:

generating and sending, in response to said one or more application command signals by said corresponding one or more application connectors, corresponding one or more reading signals for reading said all or selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files; and

collecting, by said generic application programming interface, a raw information signal comprising application-specific raw information from said all or selected files in response to said corresponding one or more reading signals.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

converting said raw information signal into an information signal not comprising said application-specific raw information; and

forwarding said information signal to a sender of said request signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said generic application programming interface, a meta-data signal not comprising said application-specific information for creating or updating meta-data using said application-specific raw information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said part of the request signal does not comprise said application-specific information and a remaining part of the request signal comprises the application-specific information for one or more applications of said plurality of the applications, such that said method further comprises:

generating one or more further application command signals in response to said remaining part of the request signal, and providing said one or more further application command signals to further corresponding application connectors of the plurality of application connectors for reading all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully implement the predetermined task;

generating and sending, in response to said one or more further application command signals by said corresponding one or more application connectors, corresponding one or more further reading signals for reading said all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files; and

collecting, by said generic application programming interface, a further raw information signal comprising a further application-specific raw information from said all or further selected files in response to said corresponding one or more further reading signals.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

converting said raw information signal into an information signal not comprising said application-specific raw information; and

forwarding said information signal and said further raw information signal to a sender of said request signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises:

converting by said generic application programming interface said application-specific raw information into a meta-data signal not comprising said application-specific information for generating meta-data; and

generating by said generic application programming interface a further meta-data signal in response to said further raw information signal for generating further meta-data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more files are e-mails.

12. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions using a computer program code for performing a function of a generic application programming interface, said generic application programming interface comprises:

an application programming interface managing module, configured to receive a request signal comprising a request for reading one or more files of a plurality of files for implementing a predetermined task, said plurality of the files being created using a plurality of applications and being stored in one or more devices, wherein said request signal or a part of said request signal does not comprise application-specific information;

an abstract object conversion module, configured to perform converting said request signal or said part of the request signal to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said plurality of the applications; and

a plurality of application connectors, configured to read all or selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully or partially implement said predetermined task in response to said one or more application command signals provided to corresponding one or more application connectors of said plurality of application connectors, wherein each application connector of said plurality of the application connectors is configured to read files created using one application of said plurality of the applications.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said generic application programming interface further comprises:

an application switch, configured to receive said one or more application command signals from said abstract object conversion module and provide each of said one or more application command signals to a corresponding one application connector of said corresponding one or more application connectors of said plurality of the application connectors.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein, before said converting performed by said abstract object conversion module, said application programming interface managing module is configured to generate said application independent request signal corresponding to said request or to said part of the request in response to said request signal, such that said converting to said one or more application command signals by said abstract object conversion module is performed in response to said application independent request signal.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said part of the request signal does not comprise said application-specific information and a remaining part of the request signal comprises the application-specific information for one or more applications of said plurality of the applications, and said application programming interface managing module is configured:

to generate an application independent request signal corresponding to said part of the request signal, such that said converting to said one or more application command signals is performed in response to said application independent request signal; and

to generate one or more further application command signals in response to said remaining part of the request signal, and to provide said one or more further application command signals to further corresponding one or more application connectors of the plurality of application connectors for reading all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully implement the predetermined task.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said request signal does not comprise any application-specific information.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said corresponding one or more application connectors of said plurality of application connectors are configured to generate and send, in response to said one or more application command signals, corresponding one or more reading signals for reading said all or selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files, and to collect a raw information signal comprising application-specific raw information from said all or selected files in response to said corresponding one or more reading signals.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said abstract object conversion module is configured to convert said raw information signal into an information signal not comprising said application-specific raw information, and said application programming interface managing module is configured to forward information comprised in said information signal to a sender of said request signal.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said abstract object conversion module is configured to provide a meta-data signal not comprising said application-specific information for creating or updating meta-data using said application-specific raw information.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said part of the request signal does not comprise said application-specific information and a remaining part of the request signal comprises the application-specific information for one or more applications of said plurality of the applications, such that:

said application programming interface managing module is configured to provide one or more further application command signals in response to said remaining part of the request signal;

said generic application programming interface further comprises an application switch configured to provide said one or more further application command signals to further corresponding application connectors of the plurality of application connectors for reading all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully implement the predetermined task;

said corresponding one or more application connectors are configured to generate and send, in response to said one or more further application command signals, corresponding one or more further reading signals for reading said all or further selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files and configured to collect a further raw information signal comprising a further application-specific raw information from said all or further selected files in response to said corresponding one or more further reading signals.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said abstract object conversion module is configured to convert said raw information signal into an information signal not comprising said application-specific raw information, and said API managing module is configured to forward said information signal and said further raw information signal to a sender of said request signal.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said abstract object conversion module is configured to convert said application-specific raw information into a meta-data signal not comprising said application-specific information for generating meta-data, and said application switch is configured to generate a further meta-data signal in response to said further raw information signal for generating further meta-data.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more files are e-mails.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said two or more applications are MICROSOFT OUTLOOK, EUDORA, MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD and IBM LOTUS NOTES.

25. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon for execution a method comprising:

receiving by a generic application programming interface a request signal comprising a request for reading one or more files of a plurality of files for implementing a predetermined task, said plurality of the files being created using a plurality of applications and being stored in one or more devices, wherein said request signal or a part of said request signal does not comprise application-specific information;

converting, by the generic application programming interface, said request signal or said part of the request signal to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said plurality of the applications; and

providing said one or more application command signals to corresponding one or more application connectors of a plurality of application connectors comprised in said generic application programming interface for reading all or selected files of the one or more files of said plurality of files to fully or partially implement said predetermined task, each application connector of said plurality of the application connectors being configured to read files created using one application of said plurality of the applications.