Client intermediation of server applications
First Claim
1. A method for providing a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
- receiving, at the client computer system, a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system;
examining type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message;
using the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message;
wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system;
using the address to engage an access mechanism through which the remote application on the second server computer system can be accessed; and
forwarding the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for providing a client-side intermediary that communicates with an application on a second server computer system. The method operates by receiving a composite message at a client computer system from a first server computer system, and examining type information from the composite message. This type information specifies how the composite message is formatted, and can be used to select an application that is capable of processing the composite message. The method uses the type information to look up a network address of the application residing on the second server computer system. This address is used to forward the composite message to the application on the second server computer system. The above embodiment can be implemented within a browser on the client computer system, or within a separate application on the client computer system. A return communication can be facilitated by receiving a return composite message at the client computer system from the second server computer system, and examining type information from the return composite message. This type information is used to look up an address of a source application on the network, and this address is used to forward the return composite message to the source application.
32 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for providing a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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receiving, at the client computer system, a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; examining type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; using the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; using the address to engage an access mechanism through which the remote application on the second server computer system can be accessed; and forwarding the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for providing a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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receiving, at the client computer system, a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; examining type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted according to the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; using the type information to lookup the a Universal Resource Locator (URL) for the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an URL for the remote application on the second server computer system; using the URL to engage an access mechanism through which the remote application on the second server computer system can be accessed; and forwarding the composite message to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism;
wherein the remote application on the second server computer system implements an electronic wallet.
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11. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for providing a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, method comprising:
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receiving, at the client computer system, a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; examining type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; using the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; using the address to engage an access mechanism through which the remote application on the second server computer system can be accessed; and forwarding the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system.
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12. An apparatus that provides a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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a receiving mechanism that receives a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; a reading mechanism, in communication with the receiving mechanism, that reads type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; an access mechanism, in communication with the reading mechanism, that uses the type information to trigger an access to the remote application on the second server computer system; wherein the access mechanism is configured to use the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; and a forwarding mechanism, in communication with the receiving mechanism, that forwards the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer system that provides a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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a client computer system; a first server computer system; a network coupled to the first server computer system, the second server computer system and the client computer system; a receiving mechanism that receives a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; a reading mechanism, in communication with the receiving mechanism, that reads type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; an access mechanism, in communication with the reading mechanism, that uses the type information to trigger an access to the remote application on the second server computer system; wherein the access mechanism is configured to use the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; and a forwarding mechanism, in communication with the receiving mechanism, that forwards the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access mechanism so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system.
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22. An apparatus that provides a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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a receiving means, for receiving a composite message from a first server computer system directed to the application on the client computer system; a reading means, in communication with the receiving means, for reading type information from the composite message, the type information specifying how the composite message is formatted and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; an access means, in communication with the reading means, that uses the type information to trigger an access to the remote application on the second server computer system; wherein the access means uses the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; and a forwarding means, in communication with the receiving means, for forwarding the composite message and subsequent composite messages of the same type to the remote application on the second server computer system using the access means so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system.
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23. A method for providing a client-side intermediary that redirects communications directed to an application on a client computer system to a remote application on a second server computer system, comprising:
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receiving commands from a user at a client computer system; allowing the user to interact with a first server computer system through the client computing system; in response to interactions by the user, receiving a communication directed to the client computer system from the first server computer system; examining the communication to determine what type of information is contained in the communications and thereby implicitly specifying applications that are capable of processing the composite message; using the type information to lookup the address of the remote application one the second server computer system that is capable processing the composite message; wherein the lookup is performed using at least one table that translates the type information into an address of the remote application on the second server computer system; using the address to engage an access mechanism through which the remote application on the second server computer system can be accessed; and if the type of information in the communication can be processed by the remote application on a second server computer system, forwarding the communication to the remote application on the second server computer system so that the remote application appears to exist on the client computer system in spite of the fact that the remote application actually exists on the second server computer system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification