Method and system for implementing URL scheme proxies on a computer system

• US 7,509,432 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Peacock, Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheema; Umar
• Application Number:
  US10/995,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method and system for implementing URL scheme proxies. Embodiments of the invention allow URL schemes that are not natively supported by a computer to be supported via proxy, e.g., using a URL scheme that is native to the computer to forward the non-native transport. More specifically, embodiments of the invention allow a first computer system to support a first URL scheme by encapsulating its transport information into another URL scheme that is natively supported by the first computer. The encapsulated information is then forwarded to a second computer system or server which can provide support for the first URL scheme transport. For instance, if the first computer supports http but does not support ftp, then an ftp transport can be encapsulated inside an http transport and then forwarded to an ftp server which can then extract and process the ftp transport. The ftp response can be handled in an analogous fashion. The invention increases the native URL scheme capabilities of a computer system by proxy. In one embodiment, a system registry is used in order to determine which helper code to use for a particular URL scheme. The selection of helper code and whether native or proxy support is selected are tasks that are transparent to the application. The invention can allow a device with no Internet access to act, transparently, as if it has Internet access.

Claims

1. A communication system for electronic devices, comprising:

a first electronic system comprising a processor associated with a memory wherein said memory comprises an application program and a system registry, said system registry having registered therein information regarding a plurality of URL schemes and associated helper code for transparently implementing URL schemes and wherein a first URL scheme is natively implemented and wherein a second URL scheme is implemented by proxy; and

a second electronic system communicatively coupled to said first electronic system and for receiving first information forwarded from said first electronic system, said first information being of said first URL scheme and having encapsulated therein second information being of said second URL scheme and wherein said second electronic system recognizes and processes said second information natively.

2. A communication system for electronic devices, as described in claim 1, wherein said first electronic system is a personal digital assistant.

3. A communication system for electronic devices, as described in claim 1, wherein said first URL scheme is a hot sync scheme.

4. A communication system for electronic devices, as described in claim 3, wherein said second URL scheme is an http scheme.

5. A communication system for electronic devices, as described in claim 3, wherein said second URL scheme is an email scheme.

6. A communication system for electronic devices, as described in claim 1, wherein said first URL scheme is an http scheme and wherein said second URL scheme is an ftp scheme.

7. A communication method for electronic devices, comprising the steps of:

a) maintaining, in a first electronic device, a system registry having registered therein information regarding a plurality of URL schemes and associated helper code for transparently implementing each registered URL scheme and wherein a first URL scheme is natively implemented and wherein a second URL scheme is implemented by proxy;

b) an application of said first electronic device requesting a communication of said second URL scheme;

c) in response to step b), indexing said system registry to determine that said first URL scheme is a proxy for said second URL scheme;

d) encapsulating said communication of said second URL scheme into a proxy communication of said first URL scheme; and

e) forwarding said proxy communication to a second electronic device that natively implements said second URL scheme.

8. A method as described in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

f) said second electronic device receiving and unpacking said proxy communication to obtain said communication of said second URL scheme;

g) said second electronic device processing said communication of said second URL scheme; and

h) said second electronic device generating a response to said first electronic device, said response being encapsulated into a communication of said first URL scheme.

9. A method as described in claim 7, wherein said first electronic device is a portable electronic device.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said second electronic device is a web hosted server.

11. A method as described in claim 7, wherein said first URL scheme is a hot sync scheme.

12. A method as described in claim 11, wherein said second URL scheme is an http scheme.

13. A method as described in claim 11, wherein said second URL scheme is an email scheme.

14. A method as described in claim 7, wherein said first URL scheme is an http scheme and wherein said second URL scheme is an ftp scheme.

15. An electronic system having a processor and a memory unit and comprising:

a memory resident system registry having registered therein information regarding a plurality of URL schemes and associated helper code for transparently implementing URL schemes and wherein a first URL scheme is natively implemented and wherein a second URL scheme is implemented by proxy, said proxy being said first URL scheme;

an application for requesting a communication of said second URL scheme; and

a system task for indexing said system registry in response to said request and for determining that said first URL scheme is a proxy for said second URL scheme;

said system task also for encapsulating said communication of said second URL scheme into a proxy communication of said first URL scheme; and

said system task also for forwarding said proxy communication to a second electronic device that natively implements said second URL scheme.

16. An electronic system as described in claim 15, wherein said second electronic device is for receiving and unpacking said proxy communication to obtain said communication of said second URL scheme;

said second electronic device for processing said communication; and

said second electronic device for generating a response to said first electronic device, said response being encapsulated into a communication of said first URL scheme.

17. An electronic system as described in claim 15, wherein said first electronic device is a portable electronic device.

18. An electronic system as described in claim 17, wherein said second electronic device is a web hosted server.

19. An electronic system as described in claim 15, wherein said first URL scheme is a hot sync scheme.

20. An electronic system as described in claim 19, wherein said second URL scheme is an http scheme.

21. An electronic system as described in claim 19, wherein said second URL scheme is an email scheme.

22. An electronic system as described in claim 15, wherein said first URL scheme is an http scheme and wherein said second URL scheme is an ftp scheme.