Compatibility checking between instruments, operations and protocols in electronic commerce
First Claim
1. A method for performing an operation in electronic commerce, comprising:
- receiving a request for the operation;
checking compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols;
checking compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments;
wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol; and
if the set of compatible instruments includes at least one instrument,selecting a compatible protocol and a compatible instrument,and performing the operation using the compatible protocol and compatible instrument.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a modular infrastructure for electronic commerce that allows electronic financial instruments to work with a variety of different protocols. One embodiment of the present invention receives a request for an operation, and checks compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols. Next, the system checks compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments. If the set of compatible instruments includes at least one instrument, the system selects a compatible instrument and a corresponding compatible protocol, and uses this instrument and protocol to perform the operation. In a variation on the above embodiment, the act of selecting the compatible protocol and the compatible instrument entails presenting the set of compatible protocols and the set of compatible instruments to a user, and allowing the user to select the compatible protocol and the compatible instrument for the operation.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for performing an operation in electronic commerce, comprising:
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receiving a request for the operation; checking compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols; checking compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol; and if the set of compatible instruments includes at least one instrument, selecting a compatible protocol and a compatible instrument, and performing the operation using the compatible protocol and compatible instrument. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for performing an operation in electronic commerce, comprising:
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receiving a request for the operation; checking compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols; checking compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol; and if the set of compatible instruments includes at least one instrument, selecting a compatible protocol and a compatible instrument, and performing the operation using the compatible protocol and compatible instrument.
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13. A method for determining compatibility between operations, protocols and instruments involved in electronic commerce transactions, comprising:
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receiving an object; if the object represents a protocol, determining compatibility between the protocol and a set of available instruments, determining compatibility between the protocol and a set of available operations, and recording any determined compatibilities in a lookup structure; and if the object represents an operation, determining compatibility between the operation and a set of available protocols, and recording any determined compatibilities in a lookup structure; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol.
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14. An apparatus that performs an operation in electronic commerce, comprising:
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a receiving mechanism that receives a request for the operation; a compatibility checking mechanism, coupled to the receiving mechanism that checks compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols, and that checks compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol; a selection mechanism, coupled to the compatibility checking mechanism, that selects a compatible protocol and a compatible instrument; and an execution mechanism, coupled to the selection mechanism, that executes the operation using the compatible protocol and compatible instrument for the operation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus that performs an operation in electronic commerce, comprising:
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a receiving means for receiving a request for the operation; a compatibility checking means, coupled to the receiving means, for checking compatibility between the operation and available protocols for the operation to determine a set of compatible protocols, and for checking compatibility between the set of compatible protocols and available instruments for the operation to determine a set of compatible instruments; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol; a selection means, coupled to the compatibility checking means, for selecting a compatible protocol and a compatible instrument; and an execution means, coupled to the selection means, that executes the operation using the compatible protocol and compatible instrument for the operation.
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25. A computer readable storage medium containing a data structure for storing compatibility information between instruments, operations and protocols involved in electronic commerce transactions, the data structure comprising:
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a computer-readable storage medium; a data storage area within the computer-readable storage medium for storing information on compatibility between instruments, protocols and operations involved in electronic commerce operations; an indexing structure within the computer-readable storage medium into the data storage area that receives an operation and looks up compatible protocols based upon the operation; and an indexing structure within the computer-readable storage medium into the data storage area that receives a protocol and looks up compatible instruments based upon the protocol; wherein a given instrument can be configured to operate with more than one protocol.
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Specification