Communications system providing extensible protocol translation features and related methods

• US 7,644,170 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: TeamOn Systems Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Virk, Sarinderpaul S., Clarke, David James, Roy, Shaibal
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack; Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/777,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20050036498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709/227, 709/230, 709/236, 709/249, 715513-515, 715/864, 715/866, 715/239, 719/319
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communications system may include a plurality of data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, and a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for accessing the plurality of data storage devices. Each mobile wireless communications device may also use at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols. The system may further include a protocol interface device. In particular, the protocol interface device may include a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols, and a front-end proxy module coupled to the protocol engine. The front-end proxy module may include a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and at least one common core service module connected to the proxy modules.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols;

a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for accessing said plurality of data storage devices and each using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols; and

a protocol interface device comprising

a protocol engine module for communicating with said plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols, and

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine module and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module connected to said proxy modules and comprising a renderer module for cooperating with said proxy modules to format data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices;

said renderer module being configurable to define and implement an interface between said proxy modules and said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for supporting a new different operating protocol.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for accessing data from said plurality of data storage devices.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for rendering data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

6. The communications system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

7. The communications system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of handlers and said protocol engine module communicate using a common interface protocol.

8. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module further comprises an extensible markup language (XML) engine module coupled to said renderer module.

9. The communications system of claim 8 wherein said XIML engine module comprises an extensible stylesheet language transformations (XSLT) engine module.

10. The communications system of claim 8 wherein said at least one common core service module further comprises a memory coupled to said XML engine module for storing a plurality of templates corresponding to respective operating protocols.

11. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols; and

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine module and comprising

respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module connected to said proxy modules and comprising a renderer module for cooperating with said proxy modules to format data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices;

said renderer module being configurable to define and implement an interface between said proxy modules and said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for supporting a new different operating protocol.

12. The protocol interface device of claim 11 wherein said at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module, accessing data from said plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

13. The protocol interface device of claim 11 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

14. The protocol interface device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

15. The protocol interface device of claim 11 wherein said at least one common core service module further comprises an extensible mark-up language (XML) engine module coupled to said renderer module.

16. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols; and

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine module and comprising

respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module connected to said proxy modules and comprising a renderer module for cooperating with said proxy modules to format data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices;

said renderer module being configurable to define and implement an interface between said proxy modules and said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for supporting a new different operating protocol.

17. The protocol interface device of claim 16 wherein said at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between said proxy modules and said protocol engine module, accessing data from said plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of communications devices.

18. The protocol interface device of claim 16 wherein said at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy modules with said protocol engine module.

19. The protocol interface device of claim 18 wherein said plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein said front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from said plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

20. The protocol interface device of claim 16 wherein said at least one common core service module further comprises an extensible mark-up language (XML) engine module coupled to said renderer module.

21. A method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the method comprising:

providing a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols; and

coupling a front-end proxy module to the protocol engine module, the front-end proxy module comprising

respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module connected to the proxy modules and comprising a renderer module for cooperating with the proxy modules to format data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices;

the renderer module being configurable to define and implement an interface between the rosy modules and the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for supporting a new different operating protocol.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between the proxy modules and the protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy modules with the protocol engine module.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein the front-end proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer executable modules for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the computer-readable medium comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols; and

a front-end proxy module for communicating with the protocol engine module and comprising

respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module connected to the proxy modules and comprising a renderer module for cooperating with the proxy modules to format data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices;

the renderer module being configurable to define and implement an interface between the proxy modules and the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for supporting a new different operating protocol.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the at least one common core service module is for at least one of routing traffic between the proxy modules and the protocol engine module, accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices, and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the at least one common core service module comprises a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy modules with the protocol engine module.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the plurality of proxy modules convert access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

and wherein the front-end

proxy module further comprises a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the plurality of proxy modules and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.