METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TASK BASED REMOTE SERVICES

• US 20140007113A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Collin, Richard Michael, Turvey, Simon Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,519,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided herein for enabling task based access to functionality provided by one or more remote services. One example method may include generating a task based query, the task based query suggestive of a task to be performed. A method may further include causing the task based query to be provided to a remote service discovery engine. A method may further include receiving an indication of a remote service of a plurality of remote services that is configured to perform the task from the remote service discovery engine, the indication comprising access instructions for querying the remote service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a task based query, the task based query suggestive of a task to be performed;

causing the task based query to be provided to a remote service discovery engine; and

receiving an indication of a remote service of a plurality of remote services that is configured to perform the task from the remote service discovery engine, the indication comprising access instructions for querying the remote service.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input, via a user interface, identifying at least one task to be performed, wherein the task based query is generated based on the input.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the task based query is generated in response to a current task being performed by at least one of a remote service of the plurality of remote services or a local software package of a plurality of local software packages.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

preprocessing the task based query such that the task based query is configured to be in a format for input by the remote service discovery engine.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the task to be performed is to be transmitted to the remote service discovery engine based on a determined functionality of a plurality of local software packages.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote service discovery engine comprises a registry that defines a functionality for the plurality of remote services and provides access instructions for the plurality of remote services.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

causing the task based query to be transmitted to the remote service based on the access instructions for querying the remote service;

receiving a response to the task based query; and

causing the response to be displayed in a user interface.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the user interface is generated by the remote service.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving more than one remote service of the plurality of remote services; and

selecting a remote service of the more than one remote services.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the remote service is selected based on a user interaction with a user interface.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the remote service is selected based on at least one of a cost to access, a user rating, a popularity, a last update time or a user preference.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

generate a task based query, the task based query suggestive of a task to be performed;

cause the task based query to be provided to a remote service discovery engine; and

receive an indication of a remote service of a plurality of remote services that is configured to perform the task from the remote service discovery engine, the indication comprising access instructions for querying the remote service.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that the task to be performed is to be transmitted to the remote service discovery engine based on a determined functionality of a plurality of local software packages.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the remote service discovery engine comprises a registry that defines a functionality for the plurality of remote services and provides access instructions for the plurality of remote services.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause the task based query to be transmitted to the remote service based on the access instructions for querying the remote service;

receive a response to the task based query; and

cause the response to be displayed in a user interface.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a task based query;

determining a remote service of a plurality of remote services that is configured to perform a task related to the task based query; and

generating access instructions for the remote service of the plurality of remote services, the access instructions comprising instructions for querying the remote service.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating a listing of the plurality of remote services by crawling one or more remote servers;

determining a functionality of a remote service of the listing; and

determining access instructions for the remote service of the listing.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the functionality of the remote service comprises a description of the functionality of the remote service.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the access instructions for the remote service comprise syntax information and a description of a format in which a response is provided.

20. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

causing the access instructions to be transmitted to a communication device.