Methods and systems for dynamic conversion of objects from one format type to another format type by selectively using an intermediary format type

• US 7,046,691 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Seinfeld, Marc E., Fishman, Neil, Kadyk, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US09/609,269
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The dynamic conversion of a data structure from an origin data format into a destination data format is described. Instead of using a single data conversion module to accomplish this data conversion, a gateway computer system identifies a sequence of format conversion modules that, when executed in sequence, converts the data structure from the origin to the destination data format. The conversion occurs dynamically during run time and reduces the amount of needed data conversion modules significantly, particularly when there is a large amount of possible origin data formats and destination data formats. This conversion is particularly useful when communicating over wireless networks since there is little standardization in wireless devices resulting in wireless devices having many different proprietary data formats.

Claims

1. In a gateway computer system coupled between at least one computer system and at least one remote wireless device, a method of the gateway computer system dynamically converting data from a first format as received at the gateway computer system from an originating computer system into a second data format compatible with a remote wireless device prior to transmitting the data to the remote wireless device so that the remote wireless device does not have to convert the data into the second data format, the method comprising:

receiving a message from an originating computing system that includes data in a first data format and that is intended for a remote wireless device that has an associated telephone number;

examining the message and identifying the telephone number of the remote wireless device, which is included as part of the message;

determining, based in part on the telephone number, that the wireless device only recognizes data in one or more formats that are different than the first data format;

identifying a sequence of format conversion modules that, when executed in sequence, converts the data from the first data format into a second data format that is recognized by the remote wireless device, wherein identifying is based on the telephone number associated with the remote wireless device;

converting the data from the first data format into an intermediate data format using a first format conversion module in the sequence of format conversion modules; and

converting the data from the intermediate data format into the second data format using at least one second format conversion module in the sequence of format conversion modules, each of the second format conversion modules converting the data into different formats;

upon converting the data to the second data format, transmitting the data to the remote wireless device having the associated telephone number.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further including identifying the first data format by reading a content type field associated with the data.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein identifying the sequence comprises:

an act of reading the telephone number from a destination address field associated with the data;

an act of querying a database for a data format recognized by the remote wireless device that is represented by the telephone number within the destination address field; and

an act of determining that the resulting data format returned from database is the second data format.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the originating computer system comprises a server computer system.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the originating computer system comprises a wireless device.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the remote wireless device comprises a server computer system.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first protocol module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second protocol module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second protocol module.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first network driver module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second network driver module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second network driver module.

9. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method recited in claim 1.

10. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a physical storage medium.

11. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 9, wherein the act of identifying the first data format comprises an act of reading a content type field associated with the data.

12. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 9, wherein identifying the second data format comprises:

an act of reading the telephone number from a destination address field associated with the data;

an act of querying a database for a data format recognized by the remote remote wireless device that is represented by the telephone number within the telephone number field; and

an act of determining that the resulting data format returned from database is the second data format.

13. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first protocol module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second protocol module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second protocol module.

14. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first network driver module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second network driver module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second network driver module.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of identifying the sequence is based on an amount of time it will take to convert the data from the first data format into the second data format.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second data format corresponds to a network protocol that is proprietary with the remote wireless device.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message that is converted from the first format into the second format traverses network OSI layers during the conversion of the message and such that network and protocol translation occurs to the message in addition to data conversion.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message that is converted from the first format into the second format is converted in a presentation level 6 of a standard OSI layers model.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile telephone.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted to the remote wireless device having the associated telephone number over a wireless network.

30. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method recited in claim 20.

31. A computer-program product in accordance with claim 30, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a physical storage medium.

21. In a gateway computer system coupled between at least one originating computer system and at least one remote wireless device, a method of the gateway computer system dynamically converting data in a first format as received at the gateway computer system from an originating computer system into a second data format compatible with a remote wireless device prior to transmitting the data to the remote wireless device so that the remote wireless device does not have to convert the data into the second data format, the method comprising the following:

receiving a message from from an originating computing system that includes data in a first data format and that is intended for a remote wireless device that has an associated telephone number;

examining the message and identifying the telephone number of the remote wireless device, which is included as part of the message;

determining, based in part on the telephone number, that the remote wireless device only recognizes data in one or more formats that are different than the first data format;

an act of identifying a plurality of sequences of format conversion modules that each, when executed in sequence, converts the data from the first data format into a second data format comprising a format that the remote wireless device recognizes, wherein identifying the plurality of sequences is based on the telephone number associated with the remote wireless device; and

a step for converting the data from the first data format into the second data format using one of the plurality of the sequences of format conversion modules; and

upon converting the data to the second data format, transmitting the data to the remote wireless device having the associated telephone number.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the step for converting the data from the first data format into the second data format comprises the following:

an act of converting the data from the first data format into an intermediate data format using the first format conversion module in the one of the plurality of sequences of data conversion modules; and

an act of converting the data from the intermediate data format into the second data format using at least the second format conversion module in the one of the plurality of sequences of data conversion modules.

23. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the first data format is identified from a content type field associated with the data.

24. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the act of identifying the second data format comprises the following:

an act of reading the telephone number from a destination address field associated with the data;

an act of querying a database for a data format recognized by the remote wireless device that is represented by the telephone number within the telephone number field; and

an act of determining that the resulting data format returned from database is the second data format.

25. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the originating computer system comprises a server computer system.

26. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the originating computer system comprises a wireless device.

27. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the originating computer system and the remote wireless device both comprise server computer systems.

28. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first protocol module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second protocol module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second protocol module.

29. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving the data using a first network driver module that is compatible with receiving data from the originating computer system; and

an act of determining a second network driver module that is compatible with delivering data to the remote wireless device; and

an act of transmitting the converted data to the remote wireless device using the second network driver module.

32. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the step for converting the data from the first data format into the second data format using one of the plurality of the sequences includes selecting the one of the plurality of sequences based on an amount of time it will take to convert the data from the first data format into the second data format.

33. A gateway computer system configured to be coupled between at least one originating computer system and at least one remote wireless device, the gateway computer system configured to receive data having a first data format from an originating computer system and then to subsequently transmit the data in a second format to a remote wireless device such that the remote wireless device does not have to convert the data into the second data format, the gateway computer system comprising:

means for receiving a message from an originating computing system that includes data in a first data format and that is intended for a remote wireless device and that has an associated telephone number;

means for examining the message and identifying the telephone number of the remote wireless device, which is included as part of the message;

means for determining, based in part on the telephone number, that the remote wireless device only recognizes data in one or more formats that are different than the first data format;

means for identifying an address of the remote wireless device to which the data is addressed;

a plurality of format conversion modules including;

a plurality of first format conversion modules configured to convert data having the first data format into intermediate data formats; and

a plurality of second format conversion modules configured to convert data having the intermediate data formats into a second data format comprising a format that the remote wireless device recognizes; and

means for identifying different sequences of first and second format conversion modules that are a subset of the plurality of format conversion modules and that, when executed in sequence, result in the data being converted from the first data format into the second data format, wherein identifying the different sequences is based upon the telephone number associated with the remote wireless device, and wherein the data, upon being converted, is transmitted to the wireless device having the associated telephone number.

34. The gateway computer system in accordance with claim 33, wherein the originating computer system comprises a server computer system.

35. The gateway computer system in accordance with claim 33, wherein the originating computer system comprises a wireless device.

36. The gateway computer system in accordance with claim 35, wherein the remote wireless device comprises a server computer system.

37. The gateway computer system in accordance with claim 33, wherein the originating computer system and the remote wireless device both comprise server computer systems.