PARAMETER DRIVEN DATA FORMAT CONVERSION IN CLIENT/SERVER ARCHITECTURES

• US 20130311546A1
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GradeCam, LLC
• Original Assignee: GradeCam, LLC
• Inventors: Fischer, Martin, Schmidt, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A system and method for parameter driven data format conversion in a client/server architecture are disclosed. A format conversion framework is provided in a protocol layer between the client and the server. The format conversion framework passes a format conversion identifier (ID) with a request from the client from the client to the server. A conversion module is looked up by the format conversion framework based on the format conversion ID, the conversion module providing a conversion routine. The format conversion framework then executes the conversion routine on a result returned from the server to the client based on the request, the conversion routine converting a format of the result into a format used by the client.

Claims

1. A method for parameter driven data format conversion in a client/server architecture, the method comprising:

providing a format conversion framework in a protocol layer between the client and the server;

passing, by the format conversion framework from the client to the server, a format conversion identifier (ID) with a request from the client;

looking up a conversion module by the format conversion framework based on the format conversion ID, the conversion module providing a conversion routine; and

executing, by the format conversion framework, the conversion routine on a result returned from the server to the client based on the request, the conversion routine converting a format of the result into a format used by the client.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising sending, to the client, the result in the format used by the client.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein looking up the conversion module includes accessing a format conversion registry.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the conversion module is selected from the format conversion registry based on the format conversion ID.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein executing the conversion routine further comprises calling the conversion routine from the conversion module.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein passing the format conversion ID with the request further comprises passing the request through a protocol handler.

7. A system for parameter driven data format conversion in a client/server architecture, the system comprising:

a protocol handler at the server that handles a result from the server based on a request from the client, the result being provided according to a server protocol;

a format conversion framework provided between the client and the server, the format conversion framework comprising;

a format conversion registry that stores a plurality of conversion identifiers (IDs) that specifies a conversion routine needed for the request from the client;

a format converter interface that calculates a format conversion registered according to one of the plurality of conversion identifiers; and

a format converter handler communicating with the protocol handler to look up a conversion module from a plurality of conversion modules that specify executable conversion routines, the format converter handler executing the conversion routine from the conversion module on the result from the server needed for the request from the client.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the format converter handler further sends, to the client, the result in the format used by the client.

9. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the conversion module is selected from the format conversion registry based on the format conversion ID.

10. A computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

provide a format conversion framework in a protocol layer between the client and the server;

pass, by the format conversion framework from the client to the server, a format conversion identifier (ID) with a request from the client;

look up a conversion module by the format conversion framework based on the format conversion ID, the conversion module providing a conversion routine; and

execute, by the format conversion framework, the conversion routine on a result returned from the server to the client based on the request, the conversion routine converting a format of the result into a format used by the client.

11. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 10, further comprising sending, to the client, the result in the format used by the client.

12. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 10, wherein looking up the conversion module includes accessing a format conversion registry.

13. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 10, wherein the conversion module is selected from the format conversion registry based on the format conversion ID.

14. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 13, wherein executing the conversion routine further comprises calling the conversion routine from the conversion module.

15. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 10, wherein passing the format conversion ID with the request further comprises passing the request.