Point-of-sale system including isolation layer between client and server software

• US 5,987,426 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US08/949,410
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/21, 709/203
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A system and method of transferring information between a first software application and a second software application which employ an isolation layer. The system includes a client computer system provided by a first seller of computer systems, including a client software application, and a server computer system provided by a second seller of computer systems different from the first seller of computer systems, including a server software application which provides information from the server computer system to the client computer system. The system additionally includes isolation layer software, either at the client computer system or at the server computer system, which facilitates communication between the client software application and the server software application to transfer the information.

Claims

1. A transaction system comprising:

a client computer system provided by a first seller of computer systems, including a client software application;

a server computer system provided by a second seller of computer systems different from the first seller of computer systems, including a server software application which provides information from the server computer system to the client computer system and isolation layer software which facilitates communication between the client software application and the server software application to transfer the information.

2. A transaction system comprising:

a server computer system provided by a first seller of computer systems, including a server software application;

a client computer system provided by a second seller of computer systems different from the first seller of computer systems, including a client software application which obtains information from the server computer system and isolation layer software which facilitates communication between the client software application and the server software application to transfer the information.

3. A method of transferring information between a first software application and a second software application comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the first software application by a first company;

(b) providing the second software application by a second company different from the first company;

(c) executing the first software application by a first computer;

(d) executing the second software application by a second computer different from the first computer;

(e) providing an isolation layer having hooks into the second software application;

(f) executing the isolation layer; and

(g) establishing communication between the first software application and the second software application by the isolation layer to transfer the information.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein step f comprises the substep of:

(f) executing the isolation layer by the first computer.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein step f comprises the substep of:

(f) executing the isolation layer by the second computer.

6. A method of transferring information between a client software application and a server software application comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a client computer by a first company;

(b) providing and installing the client software application by the first company;

(c) installing a server computer by a second company different from the first company after installation of the client computer and the client software by the first company;

(d) providing and installing the server software application by the second company;

(e) providing and installing an isolation layer having hooks into the server software application by the second company;

(f) executing the client software application by the client computer;

(g) executing the server software application and the isolation layer by the server computer; and

(h) establishing communication between the client software application and the server software application by the isolation layer to transfer the information.

7. A method of transferring information between a client software application and a server software application comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a server computer by a first company;

(b) providing and installing the server software application by the first company;

(c) installing a client computer by a second company different from the first company after installation of the server computer and the server software by the first company;

(d) providing and installing the client software application by the second company;

(e) providing and installing an isolation layer having hooks into the server software application by the second company;

(f) executing the client software application and the isolation layer by the client computer;

(g) executing the server software application by the server computer; and

(h) establishing communication between the client software application and the server software application by the isolation layer to transfer the information.

8. A method of obtaining information for a client software application from a server software application comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the client software application from a first company;

(b) providing a server software application for accessing the information by a second company different from the first company;

(c) providing an isolation layer between the client software application and the server software application;

(d) sending a call for the information to the isolation layer by the client software application;

(e) sending a request message for the information to the server software application by the isolation layer;

(f) instructing control software to obtain the information by the server software application;

(g) sending the information to the isolation layer by the server software application; and

(h) sending the information to the client software application by the isolation layer.