Adaptive gateway for switching transactions and data on unreliable networks using context-based rules
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a transaction in a first format from a merchant point of sale device at a gateway;
determining application level information for the transaction, wherein the application level information comprises information used in processing the transaction;
determining a rule based on the application level information, wherein determining the rule comprises determining the merchant point of sale device from the application level information and determining merchant point of sale device-specific rules for processing the transaction in a database or based on one or more merchant point of sale device subscriptions to services provided by a service provider, and wherein the merchant point of sale device-specific rules include one or more dynamic and static conditions for switching the transaction across a plurality of networks, wherein different service providers are accessible through the plurality of networks;
applying the rule to the application level information;
determining a service for the transaction based on the application of the rule to the application level information, wherein rules for the different service providers are stored at the gateway;
based on a set of service provider rules associated with the service provider for the determined service;
translating the transaction from the first format into a second format specified by the service provider for the determined service, andprocessing the transaction in the second format; and
sending the processed transaction to the merchant point of sale device.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Application level switching of transactions at a gateway is provided. The gateway is configured to switch the transaction based on the application level content, a current state of a transport environment, and/or dynamic rules for switching transactions. For example, several possible service providers can be selected for the type of transaction, and the gateway can monitor not only the round-trip time through the network(s) to different possible service providers, but also the time required to complete the transaction at the application level and return a response. The application is chosen on the sending side of the network, and application level formatting is done on the sending side as well. The gateway uses modular code and data, and separate instances of processing code to allow dynamic updating. Rules for application service selection can be selectively uploaded to the gateway from a client. The rules for different available application services can be distributed across different gateways.
143 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
receiving a transaction in a first format from a merchant point of sale device at a gateway; determining application level information for the transaction, wherein the application level information comprises information used in processing the transaction; determining a rule based on the application level information, wherein determining the rule comprises determining the merchant point of sale device from the application level information and determining merchant point of sale device-specific rules for processing the transaction in a database or based on one or more merchant point of sale device subscriptions to services provided by a service provider, and wherein the merchant point of sale device-specific rules include one or more dynamic and static conditions for switching the transaction across a plurality of networks, wherein different service providers are accessible through the plurality of networks; applying the rule to the application level information; determining a service for the transaction based on the application of the rule to the application level information, wherein rules for the different service providers are stored at the gateway; based on a set of service provider rules associated with the service provider for the determined service; translating the transaction from the first format into a second format specified by the service provider for the determined service, and processing the transaction in the second format; and sending the processed transaction to the merchant point of sale device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A gateway comprising:
-
a request handler connected to a merchant point of sale device to receive a transaction comprising application level information from the merchant point of sale device in a first format, wherein the application level information comprises information used by a service provider in processing the transaction; an adaptive route handler connected to a message stream parser to determine application level data from the transaction in a second format; a rules database connected to the adaptive route handler; wherein the adaptive route handler accesses the rules database to determine rules specified by the merchant point of sale device for processing the transaction and to determine a service for the transaction based on an application of the determined rules to the application level information, wherein rules for different service providers are stored at the gateway, and further to route the transaction to a service provider that can provide the determined service, and wherein the rules specified by the merchant point of sale device for processing the transaction include one or more dynamic and static conditions for switching the transaction across a plurality of networks, wherein the different service providers are accessible through the plurality of networks; the message stream parser connected to the request handler to convert the transaction in the first format to the second format specified by the service provider that can provide the determined service; and a flow handler connected to the adaptive route handler to send the transaction in the second format to the service provider. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification