Data stream processing on networked computer system lacking format-specific data processing resources

• US 6,134,598 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Raman, Thiruvilwamalai V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUOC KHANH
• Application Number:
  US08/862,648
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.76, 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.33, 395/200.35, 395/200.48, 395/200.61, 340/825.52, 709/246, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

In a data network including server systems and client systems, a method of converting data from a first format unusable by a client system into a second format usable by the client system comprising the steps of sending the data to a parsing server capable of converting such data from the first format to the second format, parsing the data in the parsing server from the first format to the second format, and sending the data in the second format to the client system.

Claims

1. In a data network in which a multiplicity of data formats exist, a method for performing a particular function on data, the method comprising:

determining in a client system in what first data format the data is represented and then using the determined first data format to search the client system for a first resource for performing the function on the data in the first data format;

upon failing to locate a first resource on the client system for performing the function on the data in the first data format, searching the client system for a second resource for performing the function on the data in any other, second data format;

upon finding such a second resource, searching for a parsing server that can parse data from the first data format to the second data format and then transmitting the data to the parsing server;

parsing the data at the parsing server into the second data format;

receiving on the client system the data parsed into the second data format from the parsing server; and

using the second resource on the client system to perform the function on the parsed data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data resides on the client system and is transmitted by the client system to the parsing server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for a parsing server comprises:

providing a pre-existing list of parsing servers, each parsing server on the list being identified by a data structure including a convert-from data format identifier and a convert-to data format identifier; and

searching the list for a parsing server having a convert-from data format matching the first data format and a convert-to data format matching the second data format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-existing list of parsing servers is generated using information broadcast to the network by parsing servers.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-existing list of parsing servers is generated using information sent by parsing servers in response to messages broadcast to the network by the client system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of selecting the parsing server comprises:

identifying the first data format;

identifying which resources on the client system can perform the function;

identifying a set of data formats upon which the resources can perform the function;

identifying translation capabilities of parsing servers on the list;

identifying a set of parsing servers which are capable of translating data from the first data format to one of the identified set of data formats; and

choosing a parsing server from the set of parsing servers which is capable of translating from the first data format to a data format from the identified set of data formats.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying the translation capabilities of parsing servers comprises accessing data stored on the client system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying the translation capabilities of parsing servers comprises sending messages to parsing servers over the network requesting them to indicate their translation capabilities and receiving messages from parsing servers indicating their capabilities.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting a request to the network, the request comprising a convert-to field identifying the second data format and a convert-from field identifying the first data format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a wide area network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a local area network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request message from the client system to the parsing server before transmitting the data to the parsing server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request message comprises a Uniform Resource Locator specifying the location of the data on the network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the request message specifies the second data format.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the request message specifies the first data format.

16. In a network in which a multiplicity of data formats are recognized, a method for performing a particular function on data, the method comprising:

determining in a client system in what first data format the data is represented and then using the determined first data format to search the client system for a first resource to perform the function on the data in the first data format;

upon determining that the client system lacks a first resource to perform the function on the data in the first data format, identifying which resources on the client system can perform the function;

identifying a set of data formats other than the first data format upon which the identified resources can perform the function;

identifying a set of parsing servers which are capable of translating data from the first data format to any one of the identified set of data formats;

choosing a parsing server from the set of parsing servers;

sending a request message from the client system to the chosen parsing server, specifying a URL of the data, the first data format, and the second data format;

sending the data specified by the URL from a data server to the chosen parsing server;

parsing the data from the first data format to the second data format at the chosen parsing server;

sending the parsed data in the second data format from the chosen parsing server to the client system; and

using one of the identified resources on the client system to perform the function on the parsed data in the second data format.

17. In a data network, a method for performing a particular function on data, the method comprising:

determining in a client system in what first data format the data is represented and then using the determined first data format to search the client system for a first resource to perform the function on the data in the first data format;

upon failing to locate a first resource on the client system to perform the function on the data in the first data format, transmitting the data in the first data format to a first parsing server;

parsing the data at the first parsing server into a second data format;

transmitting the parsed data in the second data format to a second parsing server;

parsing the parsed data in the second data format into a third data format at the second parsing server; and

receiving on the client system the data parsed into the third data format from the second parsing server.

18. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium for performing a particular function on data, the program comprising instructions to:

determine in a client system in what first data format the data is represented and then search the client system for a first resource to perform the function on the data in the first data format;

upon failing to locate the first resource on the client system to perform the function on the data in the first data format, search the client system for a second resource for performing the function on the data in any other, second data format;

upon finding such a second resource, search for a parsing server that can parse data from the first data format to the second data format and then transmit the data to the parsing server;

parse the data at the parsing server into the second data format;

receive on the client system the data in the second data format from the parsing server; and

use the second resource on the client system to perform the function on the data received in the second data format.

19. In a network of computers, a method comprising:

receiving on a client system a request that a particular function be performed on particular data;

after the request is received, determining in a client system in what first data format the data is represented; and

after the request is received, comparing on the client system the requested function with the functions that can be performed by resources on the client system, and if a first resource on the client system can perform the function on data in the first data format then using the first resource to do so, and otherwise if a second resource on the client system can perform the function but only on data in a second format, then determining whether a parsing server exists on the network that can convert the first data format to the second data format and, if so, performing the actions of;

identifying one such parsing server and transmitting a request message from the client system to the identified parsing server;

transmitting the data to the identified parsing server;

parsing the data in the identified parsing server into the second data format;

transmitting the data in the second data format from the parsing server to the client system; and

using the identified second resource on the client system to perform the function on the received data in the second data format.

20. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium for execution on a client system, the program comprising instructions to:

receive on a client system a request that a particular function be performed on particular data;

determine in the client system, after the request is received, in what first data format the data is represented; and

compare the requested function on the client system, after the request is received, with the functions that can be performed by resources on the client system, and if a first resource on the client system can perform the function on data in the first data format then use the first resource to do so, and otherwise if a second resource on the client system can perform the function but only on data in a second format, then determine whether a parsing server exists on the network that can convert the first data format to the second data format and, if so, execute instructions of the program to;

identify one such parsing server and transmit a request message from the client system to the identified parsing server requesting the parsing server to parse the data into the second data format;

cause the data to be transmitted to the identified parsing server;

receive on the client system the data in the second data format from the parsing server; and

use the identified resource on the client system to perform the requested function on the received data in the second data format.