System and method for transparently registering and updating information over the internet

• US 6,023,698 A
• Filed: 12/05/1996
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murray, Sean T., Loftin, Rex Lavon, Pisello, John M., Lavey, Anthony M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/759,580
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104, 379/93, 379/12, 364/514 A, 395/200.12, 370/104, 380/49, 380/24, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for retrieving information from an online database. The system includes a server computer that is connected to a computer network, such as the Internet or an IP-based computer network. The server computer includes a server memory that stores token handler instructions, and a server processor that is responsive to the token handler instructions. A client computer includes a client memory that stores client application instructions and a client processor connected to the client processor. The client application instructions include a set of dynamic link libraries of code and information for each of a plurality of Internet service providers. The client processor is responsive to the client application instructions by establishing a connection with the server computer over the Internet through a selected Internet service provider and by sending tokens to the server computer. The connection to the Internet through the selected Internet service provider is based on a set of dynamic link libraries of code and information for the selected Internet service provider.

Claims

1. A system for interfacing an application program in a computer with a selected one of a plurality of ISPs on the Internet, comprising:

a memory in the computer storing a client application in the OSI Application Layer, said application providing a generic ISP accessing method as a native token format;

a plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries of code in said memory, each storing details for accessing a respective one of a plurality of ISPs on the Internet; and

an interface program in said memory in the OSI Session Layer transforming a token from said application in said native format into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer.

2. A system comprising:

a memory storing application instructions, the application instructions including a client application in the OSI Application Layer, said application providing a generic ISP accessing method as a native token format;

a plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries of code in said memory, each storing details for accessing a respective one of a plurality of ISPs on the Internet;

an interface program in said memory in the OSI Session Layer transforming a token from said application in said native format into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer;

a processor connected to the memory and being responsive to the application instructions establishing a connection with an online database through said selected ISP.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the memory includes at least one of a storage device and a CD-ROM.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the online database is stored and accessed via a server that is coupled to the Internet.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the online database is coupled to the Internet through an IP-based computer network.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further responsive to the application instructions by converting the URL-encoded format token into a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further responsive to the application instructions by converting the URL-encoded format token into a token formatted in a protocol selected from a group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Mail, Telnet, Gopher, Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), Chat, and Forums.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a display showing status of the information retrieved from the online database.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the display displays the status graphically.

10. A system comprising:

an IP-based computer network;

a server computer coupled to the IP-based computer network and receiving a token from the IP-based computer network, the server computer including,

a server memory storing token handler instructions for the token, and

a server processor responsive to the token and the token handler instructions by processing the token; and

a client computer including,

a client memory storing client application instructions, the client application instructions including a set of dynamic link libraries of code and information for each of a plurality of IP-based computer network service providers, and

an interface program in said memory in the OSI Session Layer transforming a token from said application in said native format into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer;

a client processor connected to the client memory, and being responsive to the client application instructions, establishing a connection with the server computer over the IP-based computer network through a selected IP-based computer network service provider.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the IP-based computer network is the Internet, and the selected IP-based computer network service provider is an Internet Service Provider.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server computer is coupled to the Internet through another IP-based computer network.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server computer further includes at least one database connected to the server processor, and

wherein the token requests an object stored in one of the databases,

the server processor being responsive to the token by accessing one of the databases for the object and sending the object to the client computer.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the client computer further includes a display showing a status of the object sent to the client computer.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the display displays the status graphically.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the client memory includes at least one of a storage device and a CD-ROM.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the client processor is further responsive to the client application instructions by converting the URL-encoded format token into the token sent to the server computer, the token sent to the server computer being a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the client processor is further responsive to the client application instructions by converting the URL-encoded format token into the token sent to the server computer, the token sent to the server computer being formatted in a protocol selected from a group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Mail, Telnet, Gopher, Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), Chat, and Forums.

19. A method of accessing online data comprising the steps of:

storing application instructions in a memory, the application instructions including a a client application in the OSI Application Layer, said application providing a generic ISP accessing method as a native token format;

storing a plurality of dynamic link libraries of code in said memory, each storing details for accessing a respective one of a plurality of ISPs on the Internet;

selecting an Internet service provider from the plurality of Internet service providers;

converting a native format token of the application into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer;

data;

establishing a connection with an online database through the selected Internet service provider; and

retrieving information from the online database.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the memory includes at least one of a storage device and CD-ROM.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the online database is a node on the Internet.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of converting the URL-encoded format token into a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of converting a URL-encoded format token into a token formatted in a protocol selected from the group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Mail, Telnet, Gopher, Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), Chat, and Forums.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of displaying a status of the information retrieved from the online database.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of displaying the status displays the status graphically.

26. A method for accessing online information comprising the steps of:

storing token handler instructions in a server memory of a server computer coupled to an IP-based computer network;

storing application instructions in a client memory at a client computer, the application instructions including a client application in the OSI Application Layer, said application providing a generic ISP accessing method as a native token format;

storing a plurality of dynamic link libraries of code in said memory, each storing details for accessing a respective one of a plurality of plurality of IP-based computer network service providers on the Internet;

selecting an IP-based computer network service provider from the plurality of IP-based computer network service providers;

converting a native format token of the application into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer;

data;

establishing a connection with the server computer over the IP-based computer network through the selected IP-based computer network service provider;

sending a token to the server computer over the IP-based computer network;

receiving the token at the server computer; and

processing the token based on the token handler instructions stored in the server memory.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the IP-based computer network is the Internet, and the selected IP-based computer network is an Internet service provider.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the server computer is coupled to the Internet through another IP-based computer network.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the token requests an object stored in a database connected to the server computer, the method further comprising the steps of:

accessing the database for the object in response to the token; and

sending the object to the client computer over the Internet.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the token contains at least one of user registration information, identification information, or other information, and

the method further comprises the step of modifying a state of the server based on the information contained in the token.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the token further contains a request for an object stored in the database,

the method further comprising the steps of:

accessing the database for the object in response to the token; and

sending the object to the client computer.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of displaying a status of the object sent to the client computer.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the status is displayed graphically.

34. The method according to claim 26, wherein the client memory includes at least one of a storage device and a CD-ROM.

35. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of converting the URL-encoded format token into the token sent to the server computer, the token sent to the server computer being a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

36. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of converting the URL-encoded format token into the token sent to the server computer, the token sent to a server computer being formatted in a protocol selected from the group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Mail, Telnet, Gopher, Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), Chat, and Forums.

37. A program storage device comprising:

a storage area; and

information stored in the storage area, the information being readable by a machine, and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing method steps comprising;

storing application instructions in a memory, the application instructions including a client application in the OSI Application Layer, said application providing a generic ISP accessing method as a native token format;

storing a plurality of dynamic link libraries of code in said memory, each storing details for accessing a respective one of a plurality of ISPs on the Internet;

selecting an Internet service provider from the plurality of Internet service providers;

converting a native format token of the application into a URL-encoded object request token by taking details of a selected ISP from one of said plurality of ISP-specific dynamic link libraries, and passing said URL-encoded object request token to an output program in the OSI Transport Layer;

data;

establishing a connection with an online database through the selected Internet service provider; and

retrieving information from the online database.

38. The program storage device according to claim 37, wherein the memory includes at least one of a storage device and a CD-ROM.

39. The program storage device according to claim 38, wherein the online database is a node on the Internet.

40. The program storage device according to claim 37, wherein the method steps further comprise the step of converting the URL-encoded format token into a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

41. The program storage device according to claim 37, wherein the method further comprises the step of converting the URL-encoded format token into a token formatted in a protocol selected from a group consisting of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Mail, Telnet, Gopher, Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), Chat, and Forums.

42. The program storage device according to claim 37, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying a status of the in format ion retrieved from the online database.

43. The program storage device according to claim 42, wherein the step of the method of displaying the status displays the status graphically.