Methods, systems, and products for converting between legacy systems

• US 7,376,704 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wellons, David L., Turcan, Diane Brown
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US10/253,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/208, 709/225, 709/227, 709/238, 709/203, 709/217, 709/224, 709/228, 379/88.19, 705/10, 713/103, 713/170, 707/3, 707/203, 707/104
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for enabling a telecommunications network-based information system (NBIS). A data connection is established with a rule-based application dataserver of a telecommunications network facility to control access, sharing, notification, security, and/or management of electronic data exchanged between or among different legacy systems of NBIS participants. Typically, the rule-based application dataserver is associated with a central office (“CO”), a mobile telephone switching center (“MTSO”), or a combination CO/MTSO.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a sender system and a receiver system with an integrated delivery system that enables an exchange of selected data;

receiving an electronic message from a sender'"'"'s address, the electronic message destined for a recipient'"'"'s address, the electronic message having an attached object that is associated with a sender legacy system;

associating the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address to a list of addresses;

when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of addresses, then sending the electronic message to a rule-based engine that interprets the attached object using a set of rules;

categorizing the attached object as at least one of (1) data associated with an access agent, (2) data associated with a security agent, (3) data associated a messaging agent, (4) data associated with a transactional agent, and (5) data associated with a troubleshooting agent;

based on the category, converting the object from a first legacy data format associated with the sender legacy system to a second legacy data format compatible with a receiver legacy system before receipt thereof by the receiver legacy system;

when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of addresses, then receiving an identifier that associates the electronic message with another legacy system;

processing the converted object according to the category selected by the rule-based engine; and

splitting a display screen into two viewing areas, with the electronic message presented in a first viewing area and the converted objected presented in a second viewing area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the attached object is categorized using a sender reply rule, then selecting a transaction reply for delivery to a sender communication device associated with the sender system and routing the transaction reply to the sender communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the attached object is categorized using a receiver notification rule, then selecting a transaction notification for delivery to a receiver communication device associated with the receiver legacy system and routing the transaction notification to the receiver communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing at least one rule-based application data server associated with a central office of a telecommunications network, the rule-based application data server providing the rule-based engine; and

utilizing the rule-based application data server to categorize the object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the rule-based application data server comprises an application server having at least one of an access agent, a security agent, a messaging agent, a transactional agent, and a troubleshooting agent.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

verifying the object meets authenticity requirements associated with at least one of the receiver system and the sender system; and

verifying the object meets security requirements associated with at least one of the receiver system and the sender system.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

managing the rule-based application data server associated with a central office of a telecommunications network to control access to at least one of the receiver legacy system and the sender legacy system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first legacy data format is one of a printed text format, a voice data format, a video data format, a dual tone multi-frequency data format, and a digital data format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second legacy data format is a second digital data format.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second digital data formats are ASCII.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the converted object further comprises at least one of (i) sending the converted object to a storage device associated with the telecommunications service provider, (ii) archiving the converted object, (iii) encrypting the converted object, (iv) copying the converted object, and (v) associating the converted object with related data in the receiver system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating the converted object via means for optically transmitting data.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating the converted object via means for wirelessly transmitting data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein categorizing the attached object comprises accessing at least one rule-based application data server.

15. A memory device storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

associating a sender system and a receiver system with an integrated delivery system that enables an exchange of selected data;

receiving an electronic message from a sender'"'"'s address, the electronic message destined for a recipient'"'"'s address, the electronic message having an attached object that is associated with a sender legacy system;

associating the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address to a list of addresses;

when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of addresses, then sending the electronic message to a rule-based engine that interprets the attached object using a set of rules;

categorizing the attached object as at least one of (1) data associated with an access agent, (2) data associated with a security agent, (3) data associated a messaging agent, (4) data associated with a transactional agent, and (5) data associated with a troublesbooting agent;

based on the category, converting the object from a first legacy data format associated with the sender legacy system to a second legacy data format compatible with a receiver legacy system before receipt thereof by the receiver legacy system;

when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of addresses, then receiving an identifier that associates the electronic message with another legacy system;

processing the converted object according to the category selected by the rule-based engine; and

splitting a display screen into two viewing areas, with the electronic message presented in a first viewing area and the converted objected presented in a second viewing area.

16. The memory device of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

if the attached object is categorized using a sender reply rule, then selecting a transaction reply for delivery to a sender communication device associated with the sender system and routing the transaction reply to the sender communications device; and

if the attached object is categorized using a receiver notification rule, then selecting a transaction notification for delivery to a receiver communication device associated with the receiver legacy system and routing the transaction notification to the receiver communications device.

17. A method, comprising:

associating a sender system and a receiver system with an integrated delivery system that enables an exchange of selected data;

receiving an electronic message from a sender'"'"'s address, the electronic message destined for a recipient'"'"'s address, the electronic message having an attached object that is associated with a sender legacy system;

associating the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address to a list of addresses;

when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of addresses, then sending the electronic message to a rule-based engine that interprets the attached object using a set of rules;

categorizing the attached object as (1) data associated with an access agent, (2) data associated with a security agent, (3) data associated a messaging agent, (4) data associated with a transactional agent, and (5) data associated with a troubleshooting agent;

based on the category, converting the object from a first legacy data format associated with the sender legacy system to a second legacy data format compatible with a receiver legacy system before receipt thereof by the receiver legacy system;

when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of addresses, then receiving an identifier that associates the electronic message with another legacy system;

processing the converted object according to the category selected by the rule-based engine; and

splitting a display screen into two viewing areas, with the electronic message presented in a first viewing area and the converted objected presented in a second viewing area.

18. A system, comprising:

means for associating a sender system and a receiver system with an integrated delivery system that enables an exchange of selected data;

means for receiving an electronic message from a sender'"'"'s address, the electronic message destined for a recipient'"'"'s address, the electronic message having an attached object that is associated with a sender legacy system;

means for associating the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address to a list of addresses;

when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of addresses, then means for sending the electronic message to a rule-based engine that interprets the attached object using a set of rules;

means for categorizing the attached object as at least one of (1) data associated with an access agent, (2) data associated with a security agent, (3) data associated a messaging agent, (4) data associated with a transactional agent, and (5) data associated with a troubleshooting agent;

based on the category, means for converting the object from a first legacy data format associated with the sender legacy system to a second legacy data format compatible with a receiver legacy system before receipt thereof by the receiver legacy system;

when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of addresses, then means for receiving an identifier that associates the electronic message with another legacy system;

means for processing the converted object according to the category selected by the rule-based engine; and

means for splitting a display screen into two viewing areas, with the electronic message presented in a first viewing area and the converted objected presented in a second viewing area.