Value-added network switching and object routing

• US 7,340,506 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lakshmi Arunachalam
• Original Assignee: WebXchange Incorporated
• Inventors: Arunachalam, Lakshmi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/238, 709/245, 719/313, 719/315, 719/316
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing real-time, two-way transactional capabilities on the network. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a configurable value-added network switch for enabling real-time transactions on the network. The configurable value added network switch comprises means for switching to a transactional application in response to a user specification from a network application, means for transmitting a transaction request from the transactional application, and means for processing the transaction request. Additionally, a method for enabling object routing is disclosed, comprising the steps of creating a virtual information store containing information entries and attributes associating each of the information entries and the attributes with an object identity, and assigning a unique network address to each of the object identities. Finally, a method is disclosed for enabling service management of the value-added network service, to perform OAM&P functions on the services network.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service over a digital network, the method comprising:

sending first display information from a first computer system to a user device, wherein the first display information includes a control associated with a commercial service;

accepting a first signal in response to a user input to activate the control;

associating an object identity with information entries and attributes, wherein the object identity represents a networked object;

storing said information entries and said attributes in a virtual information store;

assigning a unique network address to said object identity;

initiating, in response to the first signal, communication between the user device and a second computer system;

using the second computer system for

sending second display information to the user device, wherein the second display information includes a list of at least one commercial service;

accepting a second signal in response to a user input to select a commercial service from the list; and

completing a commercial transaction relating to the selected commercial service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer system includes an object router.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer system includes a virtual information store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer system includes a value-added network switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer system includes a legacy database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control includes a web page control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system is in a first corporate network and wherein the second computer system is in a second corporate network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first corporate network is operated by a first business entity and wherein the second corporate network is operated by a second business entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer system includes a legacy computing system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device includes a web browser.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the display information includes web page content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of at least one commercial service includes a payment service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a user is provided with access to a payment electronic back office system.

14. An apparatus for providing a service over a digital network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine-readable storage device including one or more instructions executable by the processor for

sending first display information from a first computer system to a user device, wherein the first display information includes a control associated with a commercial service;

accepting a first signal in response to a user input to activate the control; and

initiating, in response to the first signal, communication between the user device and a second computer system, wherein the second computer system acts to send second display information to the user device, wherein the second display information includes a list of at least one commercial service;

wherein the second computer system further acts to accept a second signal in response to a user input to select a commercial service from the list; and

to complete a commercial transaction relating to the selected commercial service;

associating an object identity with information entries and attributes, wherein the object identity represents a networked object;

storing said information entries and said attributes in a virtual information store; and

assigning a unique network address to said object identity.

15. A machine-readable storage device including instructions executable by a processor for providing a commercial service over a digital network, the machine-readable storage device including one or more instructions for:

sending first display information from a first computer system to a user device, wherein the first display information includes a control associated with a commercial service;

accepting a first signal in response to a user input to activate the control;

initiating, in response to the first signal, communication between the user device and a second computer system, wherein the second computer system acts to send second display information to the user device, wherein the second display information includes a list of at least one commercial service;

wherein the second computer system further acts to accept a second signal in response to a user input to select a commercial service from the list; and

to complete a commercial transaction relating to the selected commercial service;

associating an object identity with information entries and attributes, wherein the object identity represents a networked object;

storing said information entries and said attributes in a virtual information store; and

assigning a unique network address to said object identity.

16. A method for providing a commercial service over a digital network, the method comprising:

using first computing resources operated by a first business entity to send first display information to a user device, wherein the first display information includes first and second controls;

accepting a first signal in response to a user input to activate the first control;

first performing, in response to the first signal, a first commercial service associated with the first control, wherein the first performing is accomplished under the control of the first business entity interacting with the user device;

accepting a second signal in response to a user input to activate the second control;

second performing, in response to the second signal, a second commercial service associated with the second control, wherein the second performing is accomplished under the control of a second business entity operating second computing resources and interacting with the user device;

associating an object identity with information entries and attributes, wherein the object identity represents a networked object;

storing said information entries and said attributes in a virtual information store; and

assigning a unique network address to said object identity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

exchanging information between the first and second business entities in order to complete a transaction in response to one or more of the signals.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a three-way transaction is achieved between the first computing resources, the second computing resources and the user device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a plurality of computing resources are used, each on a separate corporate network, and each operated by one of a plurality of different business entities.