System and method for service transaction brokering among distributed marketplaces

• US 6,922,675 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2000
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (RedPrairie Holding Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: McGehee, John H., Hilerio, Israel, Sagar, Ajit, Chatterjee, Pallab K., Brady, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/679,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system for service transaction brokering among distributed marketplaces includes a first marketplace (102) that provides at least a first service and a second marketplace (102) that provides at least a second service. The system also includes a service transaction broker (104) that is coupled to the first and second marketplaces (102) and that provides at least the second service of the second marketplace (102) to a user (200) that is coupled to the first marketplace (102) in response to the user (200) communicating a service request.

Claims

1. A system for computer-implemented service transaction brokering among distributed computer-implemented marketplaces, the system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units collectively supporting:

a computer-implemented first marketplace operable to provide at least a first service;

a computer-implemented second marketplace operable to provide at least a second service; and

a computer-implemented service transaction broker module coupled to the first and second computer-implemented marketplaces and operable to;

receive an electronic service registration request from the second computer-implemented marketplace, the electronic service registration request comprising information related to the second service provided by the second computer-implemented marketplace;

store the information in a master service database containing information related to a plurality of services provided by a plurality of computer-implemented marketplaces;

notify the first computer-implemented marketplace of the availability of the second service; and

provide at least the second service of the second computer-implemented marketplace to a user coupled to the first computer-implemented marketplace in response to the user communicating an electronic service request to the first computer-implemented marketplace.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction broker module is coupled to the first and second marketplaces using the Internet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is coupled to the first marketplace using the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first marketplace is operable to provide the first service to the user of the first marketplace in association with the second service.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local service database coupled to the first marketplace and containing information related to at least the first service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first marketplace comprises a process manager operable to receive the service request and determine whether the first marketplace is operable to provide the second service.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction broker module is further operable to:

receive a service request for the second service from the first marketplace;

determine the location of the second service; and

bind and invoke the second service for use by the user of the first marketplace.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a master service database coupled to the transaction broker module and containing information related to at least the first and second services.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the master service database contains one or more service objects each associated with one of the marketplaces and representing a service provided by that marketplace.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each service object is associated with one or more methods in the master service database, the methods defining how to access the service associated with the service object.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the transaction broker module is further operable to:

receive a service registration request from the second marketplace including information related to the second service; and

store the information in the master service database such that the second service may be available to the user of the first marketplace.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction broker module is further operable to communicate with the first and second marketplaces using a service description language common to both marketplaces.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction broker module is further operable to:

receive a service search request from the first marketplace;

determine the services provided by the second marketplace that satisfy the search request; and

communicate a list of these services to the first marketplace.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the service search request is selected from the group consisting of a registered services request and a matching services request.

15. A computer-implemented broker module for service transaction brokering among computer-implemented marketplaces:

the computer-implemented broker module coupled to a computer-implemented first marketplace and a computer-implemented second marketplace, the computer-implemented first marketplace operable to provide at least a first service and the computer-implemented second marketplace operable to provide at least a second service; and

the computer-implemented broker module operable to;

receive an electronic service registration request from the second computer-implemented marketplace the electronic service registration request comprising information related to the second service provided by the second marketplace;

store the information in a master service database containing information related to a plurality of services provided by a plurality of marketplaces;

notify the first marketplace of the availability of the second service; and

provide at least the second service of the computer-implemented second marketplace to a user coupled to the first computer-implemented marketplace in response to the user communicating an electronic service request.

16. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the broker module is coupled to the first and second marketplaces using the Internet.

17. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the first service is provided to the user of the first marketplace in association with the second service.

18. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the broker module is further operable to:

receive a service request for the second service from the first marketplace;

determine the location of the second service; and

bind and invoke the second service for use by the user of the first marketplace.

19. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the broker module is further operable to access a master service database containing information related to at least the first and second services.

20. The broker module of claim 19, wherein the master service database contains one or more service objects each associated with one of the marketplaces and representing a service provided by that marketplace.

21. The broker module of claim 20, wherein each service object is associated with one or more methods in the master service database, the methods defining how to access the service associated with the service object.

22. The broker module of claim 19, wherein the broker module is further operable to:

receive a service registration request from the second marketplace including information related to the second service; and

store the information in the master service database such that the second service may be available to the user of the first marketplace.

23. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the broker module is further operable to communicate with the first and second marketplaces using a service description language common to both marketplaces.

24. The broker module of claim 15, wherein the broker module is further operable to:

receive a service search request from the first marketplace;

determine the services provided by the second marketplace that satisfy the search request; and

communicate a list of these services to the first marketplace.

25. The broker module of claim 24, wherein the service search request is selected from the group consisting of a registered services request and a matching services request.

26. A computer-implemented first marketplace for providing distributed services using a computer-implemented service transaction broker module:

the computer-implemented first marketplace operable to provide at least a first service and to receive an electronic service request from a user;

the computer-implemented first marketplace coupled to a computer-implemented service transaction broker module; and

the computer-implemented first marketplace operable to provide, using the computer-implemented service transaction broker module, a second service of a computer-implemented second marketplace to the user in response to the electronic service request, the second computer-implemented marketplace having communicated an electronic service registration request comprising information related to the second service provided by the second marketplace, the computer-implemented service transaction broker module having stored the information in a master service database containing information related to a plurality of services provided by a plurality of marketplaces and notified the first marketplace of the availability of the second service.

27. The marketplace of claim 26, wherein the first marketplace is coupled to the transaction broker module using the Internet.

28. The marketplace of claim 26, wherein the first marketplace is coupled to the user using the Internet.

29. The marketplace of claim 26, comprising a process manager operable to receive the service request and determine whether the first marketplace is operable to provide the second service and, if not, to communicate with the transaction broker module regarding the second service.

30. A method of registering a service of a distributed marketplace with a service transaction broker, comprising:

receiving a service registration request from a first marketplace at the service transaction broker, the service registration request including information related to a first service provided by the first marketplace;

storing the information in a master service database containing information related to a plurality of services provided by a plurality of marketplaces; and

notifying a second marketplace of the availability of the first service.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the information related to the first service comprises attributes of and interfaces to the first service.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

extracting a service definition from the information related to the first service; and

storing the service definition in the master service database.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein storing the information comprises storing a service object representing the first service.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising determining that the second marketplace may be interested in the first service, the second marketplace being notified in response.

35. A computer-implemented method of subscribing to a service of a distributed marketplace through a service transaction broker module, the method performed using a computer system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:

using the computer system, receiving a subscription request from a first marketplace at the transaction broker module, the subscription request indicating a service provided by a second marketplace to which the first marketplace wishes to subscribe;

using the computer system, processing the subscription request at the transaction broker module; and

using the computer system, communicating information associated with the service from the transaction broker module to the first marketplace.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising recording the subscription to the service in a master service database, the master service database operable to store information related to the service provided by a plurality of marketplaces.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein recording the subscription comprises:

adding the first marketplace to a list of subscribers to the service; and

providing the first marketplace with access privileges to the information related to the service.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein communicating information associated with the service comprises communicating one or more process stub definitions associated with service.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

receiving the process stub definitions at the first marketplace; and

creating a process stub associated with the service at the first marketplace, the process stub providing users of the first marketplace with access to the service provided by the second marketplace through the transaction broker module.

40. A computer-implemented method of accessing a service of a distributed computer-implemented marketplace through a computer-implemented service transaction broker module, comprising:

at the computer-implemented transaction broker module;

receiving a subscription request from a second marketplace, the subscription request indicating a service provided by a first marketplace to which the second marketplace wishes to subscribe;

processing the subscription request;

communicating information associated with the service to the second marketplace; and

receiving an electronic service request for the service of the first computer-implemented marketplace from the second computer-implemented marketplace;

determining an electronic address location of the service; and

communicating an electronic message to the first computer-implemented marketplace to access the service in order to fulfill the electronic service request.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the location of the service is obtained from a master service database.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the message comprises a message to bind and invoke the first service.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving a service request at the second marketplace from a user coupled to the second marketplace;

determining that the service request should be fulfilled using the service; and

communicating a service request for the service to the transaction broker.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein determining that the service request should be fulfilled using the service comprises:

determining that the service is able to satisfy the service request based on one or more definitions of a process stub associated with the service and stored at the second marketplace; and

determining that the service is not provided by the second marketplace.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein determining that the service is not provided by the second marketplace comprises:

requesting a location of the service from a local service database, the local service database coupled to the second marketplace and containing information relating to services provided by the second marketplace; and

receiving a response from the local service database indicating that the location of the service is not stored in the local service database.

46. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving confirmation from the first marketplace that the service request has been fulfilled using the service; and

communicating the confirmation to the second marketplace.

47. Service transaction broker software embodied in a computer readable medium and when executed, operable to:

receive a subscription request from a second marketplace, the subscription request indicating a service provided by a first marketplace to which the second marketplace wishes to subscribe;

process the subscription request;

communicate information associated with the service to the second marketplace;

receive an electronic service request for a service of a first marketplace from a second marketplace;

determine an electronic address location of the service; and

communicate a message to the first marketplace to access the service in order to fulfill the electronic service request.

48. The service transaction broker software of claim 47, wherein the location of the service is obtained from a master service database.

49. The service transaction broker software of claim 47, wherein the message comprises a message to bind and invoke the first service.

50. The service transaction broker software of claim 47, further operable to:

receive confirmation from the first marketplace that the service request has been fulfilled using the service; and

communicate the confirmation to the second marketplace.

51. A computer-implemented system for computer-implemented service transaction brokering among distributed computer-implemented marketplaces, comprising:

computer-implemented first marketplace means for providing at least a first service;

computer-implemented second marketplace means for providing at least a second service; and

computer-implemented service broker means for;

receiving an electronic service registration request from the second computer-implemented marketplace, the electronic service registration request comprising information related to the second service provided by the second computer-implemented marketplace;

storing the information in a master service database containing information related to a plurality of services provided by a plurality of computer-implemented marketplaces;

notifying the first computer-implemented marketplace of the availability of the second service; and

providing at least the second service of the computer-implemented second marketplace means to a user coupled to the computer-implemented first marketplace means in response to the user communicating an electronic service request, the computer-implemented broker means coupled to the first and second computer-implemented marketplace means.