Integrated request-response system and method generating responses to request objects formatted according to various communication protocols

• US 5,706,434 A
• Filed: 07/06/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bradbury Press LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Electric Classified Incorporated
• Inventors: Kremen, Gary, Ong, Peng Tsin, Shah, Piyush Bansidhar, Fraize, Scott M., Kunzelman, Kevin Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/498,943
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.18, 395/500, 395/831, 395/285, 395/200.09, 395/200.14, 395/610
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided to accomplish creation and serving of data objects among various communication protocols. The method and apparatus can be used in such applications as an on-line classified advertising system on the Internet involving the World Wide Web and electronic mail. In the apparatus, a request decoder receives an incoming request, decodes the request using configurations from a configuration database in order to identify which protocol was used to transmit the request, and generates from the request a corresponding abstract data object. A data processor merges data from a main database with the abstract data object. An object formatter formats the abstract data object including the merged data. An object deliverer formats the object for outgoing transmission according to a protocol of an intended recipient. The functions of object deliverer may be performed by the object formatter.

Claims

1. An integrated request-response system, comprising:

(a) decoding means for decoding a received request object to determine which of a plurality of communication protocols was used to transmit the request object;

(b) parsing means for parsing at least one request from the request object based on the determined communication protocol;

(c) selecting means for selecting a message template from a plurality of message templates based on a type of the at least one parsed request; and

(d) merging means, operatively coupled to the selecting means, for merging data selected as a function of the at least one parsed request with the message template to generate a protocol-independent response.

2. The integrated request-response system of claim 1, wherein the decoding means comprises means for determining properties of an entity selected from a group consisting of:

a requester client and an intended recipient of an automated response message.

3. The integrated request-response system of claim 1, further comprising means for determining properties of a user client, the user client properties being selected from a group consisting of:

geographic location, gender, age interests, and other demographic information.

4. The integrated request-response system of claim 1, wherein the decoding means further comprises means for determining if the communication protocol used to transmit the request object is selected from a group consisting of:

a PRODIGY MAIL protocol and an AMERICA ONLINE Mail protocol.

5. The integrated request-response system of claim 1, further comprising receiving means, operatively coupled to the decoding means, for receiving the request object according to one of the plurality of communication protocols, the one protocol being selected from a group consisting of:

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Request For Comments 822 (RFC822), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

6. For Use in an integrated request-response system, a response system for generating responses to various types of requests received according to various communication protocols, the response system comprising:

(a) selecting means for selecting a message template from a plurality of message templates based on a type of a request within a request object received by the integrated request-response system in response to determining from the request object which of the various communication protocols was used to transmit the request object;

(b) merging means, operatively coupled to the selecting means, for merging data selected as a function of the request with the message template to generate a protocol-independent response; and

(c) formatting means, operatively coupled to the merging means, for formatting an automated response message in a format compatible with a client as a function of the determined communication protocol and the protocol-independent response.

7. The response system of claim 6, further comprising decoding means, operatively coupled to the selecting means, for decoding the request object to determine properties of the client, the client being selected from a group consisting of:

a requester client and an intended recipient of the automated response message.

8. The response system of claim 6, wherein the properties are selected from a group consisting of:

geographic location, gender, age, interests, and other demographic information.

9. The response system of claim 6, wherein the decoding means comprises means for identifying which of the various communication protocols was used to transmit the request object.

10. The response system of claim 9, wherein the decoding means further comprises means for determining if the communication protocol used to transmit the request object is selected from a group consisting of:

a Prodigy Mail protocol and an America Online Mail protocol.

11. The response system of claim 6, wherein the merging means further comprises means for inserting data at particular locations within the message template.

12. The response system of claim 6, wherein the merging means further comprises means for performing predetermined functions in order to generate the data being merged with the message template.

13. The response system of claim 12, wherein the merging means further comprises means for specifying the predetermined functions using codes embedded within the message template.

14. The response system of claim 6, further comprising:

(a) means for retrieving rules that correlate properties of the client to the various communication protocols; and

(b) means for applying the retrieved rules to the request object in order to determine the properties of the client.

15. The response system of claim 6, further comprising transmitting means, operatively coupled to the formatting means, for transmitting the automated response message to an intended recipient of the automated response message according to one of the various communication protocols, the one protocol being selected from a group consisting of:

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Request For Comments 822 (RFC822), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

16. An integrated request-response method, comprising:

(a) decoding a received request object to determine which of a plurality of communication protocols was used to transmit the request object;

(b) parsing at least one request from the request object based on the determined communication protocol;

(c) selecting a message template from a plurality of message templates based on a type of the at least one parsed request; and

(d) merging data selected as a function of the at least one parsed request with the message template to generate a protocol-independent response.

17. The integrated request-response method of claim 16, wherein decoding the received request object comprises decoding properties of an entity selected from a group consisting of:

a requester client and an intended recipient of the automated response message.

18. The integrated request-response method of claim 16, further comprising determining properties of a user client, the user client properties being selected from a group consisting of:

geographic location, gender, age, interests, and other demographic information.

19. The integrated request-response method of claim 16, wherein decoding the received request object comprises determining if the communication protocol used to transmit the request object is selected from a group consisting of:

a PRODIGY Mail protocol and an AMERICA ONLINE Mail protocol.

20. The integrated request-response method of claim 16, further comprising receiving the request object according to one of the plurality of communication protocols, the one protocol being selected from a group consisting of:

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Request For comments 822 (RFC822), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

21. For use in an integrated request-response method, a response method for generating responses to various types of requests received according to various communication protocols, the response method comprising:

(a) selecting a message template from a plurality of message templates based on a type of a request within a request object in response to determining from the request object which of the various communication protocols was used to transmit the request object;

(b) merging data with the message template to generate a protocol-independent response; and

(c) formatting an automated response message in a format compatible with a client as a function of the determined communication protocol and the protocol-independent response.

22. The response method of claim 21, further comprising decoding the request object to determine properties of the client, the client being selected from a group consisting of:

a requester client and an intended recipient of the automated response message.

23. The response method of claim 21, wherein the properties are selected from a group consisting of:

geographic location, gender, age, interests, and other demographic information.

24. The response method of claim 21, wherein decoding the request object comprises identifying which of the various communication protocols was used to transmit the request object.

25. The response method of claim 24, wherein decoding the request object comprises determining if the communication protocol used to transmit the request object is selected from a group consisting of:

a PRODIGY Mail protocol and an AMERICA ONLINE Mail protocol.

26. The response method of claim 21, wherein merging data with the message template comprises inserting the data at particular locations within the message template.

27. The response method of claim 21, wherein merging data with the message template comprises performing predetermined functions to generate the data being merged with the message template.

28. The response method of claim 27, wherein merging data with the message template further comprises specifying the predetermined functions using codes embedded within the message template.

29. The response method of claim 21, further comprising:

(a) retrieving rules that correlate properties of the client to the various communication protocols; and

applying the retrieved rules to the request object in order to determine the properties of the client.

30. The response method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting the automated response message to an intended recipient of the automated response message according to one of the various communication protocols, the one protocol being selected from a group consisting of:

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Request For Comments 822 (RFC822), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

31. An integrated request-response system, comprising:

(a) receiving means for receiving a request object according to any one of a plurality of communication protocols;

(b) decoding means, operatively coupled to the receiving means, for decoding the request object to determine which of the plurality of communication protocols was used to transmit the request object;

(c) parsing means for parsing at least one request from the request object based on the determined communication protocol;

(d) selecting means, operatively coupled to the decoding means, for selecting a message template from a plurality of message templates based on a type of the at least one parsed request;

(e) merging means, operatively coupled to the selecting means, for merging data selected as a function of the at least parsed request with the message template to generate a protocol-independent response;

(f) formatting means, operatively coupled to the decoding means and the merging means, for formatting an automated response message in a format compatible with a client as a function of the determined communication protocol and the protocol-independent response; and

(g) transmitting means, operatively coupled to the formatting means, for transmitting the automated response message to an intended recipient of the automated response message according to a particular protocol of the plurality of communication protocols.