Method and device utilizing polymorphic data in e-commerce

• US 7,895,079 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Jain, Mudita, Koistinen, Jari, Boyle, Charles, Hayes, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider; Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US11/343,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention includes a protocol for conveying data during an e-commerce session with a polymorphic response, comprising initiating a session with a message from a buyer application to a broker application and a session identifier assigned by the broker application; conducting the session between the buyer application and a supplier application; and concluding the session with a additional message which includes a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and a polymorphic response comprising a type and a version, wherein the polymorphic response includes additional data elements corresponding to values assigned to the type and version.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating brokered web services at an e-commerce routing hub, including:

receiving at an e-commerce routing hub a first request from a first computer to start a supplier service session with a service running on a second computer identified by a unique name that is not a routing address;

looking up the unique name in a directory, matching the unique name to a routing address and to send an additional request to start the supplier service session to the second computer, whereby the first and second computers are able to engage in the supplier service session by communicating directly between themselves, without routing a message exchange through the e-commerce routing hub;

to bring the message exchange to an end, receiving at the e-commerce routing hub first and second service session end messages from the first and second computers, matching the first and second service session end messages and recording results of the session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional request to start the service reiterates the first request to start the service.

3. The method of claim 1, further including, prior to the receiving, accepting registrations at the e-commerce hub including the address of the service that is identified by the unique name.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the second computer sending a polymorphic message including:

a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and

a polymorphic response including a message type and version that, in combination with the schema identifier, define one or more additional data elements of the message type and version.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the first computer sending a polymorphic message including:

a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and

a polymorphic response including a message type and version that, in combination with the schema identifier, define one or more additional data elements of the message type and version.

6. An e-commerce routing hub that facilitates brokered web services, including:

a processor, memory and at least one network adapter;

first logic running on the processor that receives a first request via the network adapter from a first computer to start a supplier service session with a service running on a second computer identified by a unique name that is not a routing address;

second logic running on the processor that looks up the unique name in a directory and matches the unique name to a routing address;

third logic running on the processor that sends an additional request to start the supplier service session via the network adapter to the second computer, whereby the first and second computers are able to engage in the supplier service session by communicating directly between themselves, without routing a message exchange through the e-commerce routing hub;

fourth logic running on the processor that, responsive to first and second service session end messages from the first and second computers, matches the first and second service session end messages and records results of the session.

7. A method of initiating, conducting and ending a brokered supplier session, including:

a buyer service sending to an e-commerce routing hub a first request to start a supplier service session with a supplier service identified by a unique name that requires resolution of the name into a routing address, in order for the e-commerce routing hub to broker the supplier service session;

the buyer service conducting a brokered supplier session including a direct message exchange with the supplier service that bypasses the e-commerce the buyer service sending the e-commerce routing hub a first service session end message and at least some report of results of the brokered supplier session, whereby the buyer service relies on the e-commerce routing hub to verify conclusion of the brokered supplier session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending is accomplished from a web browser by selecting a link on a web page.

9. The method of claim 7, further including, prior to the sending, the buyer service registering with the e-commerce hub and subscribing to the supplier service identified by the unique name.

10. The method of claim 7, further including receiving from the supplier service a polymorphic message including:

a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and

a polymorphic response including a message type and version that, in combination with the schema identifier, define one or more additional data elements of the message type and version.

11. The method of claim 7, further including sending to the supplier service a polymorphic message including:

a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and

a polymorphic response including a message type and version that, in combination with the schema identifier, define one or more additional data elements of the message type and version.