Automated processing of service requests using structured messaging protocols

• US 8,700,781 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawyer, David B., King, Ronnie D. Jr., Srinivasan, Gopinath, Bice, Richard S., Brusseau, Jon P., LaCourse, Richard L., Raffaele, Herbert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US11/130,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,255 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709227-230, 709/236, 709204-207, 709/226, 709/246, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method for processing an incoming message in substantially real-time is provided. The method may include receiving the incoming message in response to a condition associated with a client device. The incoming message may be processed using a message handler and an approved rule. The approved rule may be operatively associated with an approved message structure that is compatible with a backend system. The processed message may be provided to the backend system in the approved message structure. The method may also include sending a reply message to a destination.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a schema module to;

provide a first message handling rule based on a first schema,

the first schema being defined by a client device,

the first message handling rule facilitating translation of a service request from the client device,

the service request including incoming information,

 

the incoming information including a plurality of tasks,

the first schema including;

a base information section for storing at least one of;

 

information associated with a sender of the service request,

 

information associated with a receiver of the service request, or

 

information identifying the first schema,

an account information section for storing at least one of;

 

identifier information associated with the client device, or

 

identifier information associated with a user of the client device,

an asset information section for storing;

 

data about hardware associated with the service request, or

 

data about software associated with the service request, and

an activity information section for storing information identifying activities associated with the service request, and

provide a second message handling rule based on a second schema,

the second schema being defined by the system,

the second message handling rule facilitating making a backend message available to a plurality of backend devices; and

a message handler including a processor to;

receive the service request,

obtain the first schema from the schema module,

translate the service request using the first message handling rule,

extract the incoming information,

publish the incoming information using the second message handling rule, and

send, to particular backend devices of the plurality of backend devices, only particular tasks, of the plurality of tasks, of the incoming information that are relevant to the particular backend devices.

2. The system of claim 1, where the service request comprises:

an externally generated service request associated with the sender.

3. The system of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

receive a message from the particular backend devices when the particular tasks have been processed, and

notify the sender that the service request has been processed.

4. The system of claim 1, where the first message handling rule uses a first extensible markup language (XML) compliant document type definition (DTD) and the second message handling rule uses a second XML compliant DTD.

5. The system of claim 4, where the first XML compliant DTD and the second XML compliant DTD are substantially the same.

6. The system of claim 1, where the processor is further to:

validate the service request using the first message handling rule prior to publishing the service request.

7. The system of claim 1, where the service request is received from a client device via a persistent connection.

8. The system of claim 1, where the plurality of backend devices are part of a backend system including an application server.

9. The system of claim 1, where the backend message is made available to the plurality of backend devices via a software agent operating in association with the plurality of backend devices.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a service request based on a condition of a client device,

the service request being generated using a schema,

the schema including;

a base information section for storing at least one of;

 

information associated with a sender of the service request,

 

information associated with a receiver of the service request, or

 

information identifying the schema,

an account information section for storing at least one of;

 

identifier information associated with the client device, or

 

identifier information associated with a user of the client device,

an asset information section for storing;

 

data about hardware associated with the service request, or

 

data about software associated with the service request, and

an activity information section for storing information identifying activities associated with the service request;

translating the service request using a client-defined rule to produce a translated message compatible with a backend system;

extracting information from the translated message to produce extracted information,

the extracted information including a plurality of tasks; and

providing, to particular backend devices of the backend system, only particular tasks, of the plurality of tasks, of the extracted information that are relevant to the particular backend devices using a rule defined by the backend system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a response from the backend system when the backend system has performed an action based on operating on the extracted information; and

using information in the response to produce a reply message,

the reply message informing a destination about the action.

12. The method of claim 11, where the destination comprises at least one of the client device, a third party, a help desk, a service ticket manager, a customer, or an application server.

13. The method of claim 11, where the destination operates on an external network with a third party device to facilitate a business transaction.

14. The method of claim 10, where the translating further comprises:

operating on the service request using the client-defined rule;

extracting client information from the service request using the client-defined rule;

transforming the client information into approved client information using the rule; and

including the approved client information in the translated message.

15. The method of claim 10, where the condition comprises at least one of a hardware problem, a software problem, an upgrade request, a maintenance request, a new service request, an account inquiry, a help desk inquiry, a status inquiry, or a request for information.

16. The method of claim 10, where the client-defined rule is extensible markup language (XML) compatible.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

validating the service request prior to the translating.

18. The method of claim 17, where the validating includes at least one of determining whether the client device is authorized to send the service request, determining whether information included in the service request is valid, determining whether a format of the service request is valid, determining whether the client device is associated with a valid account, determining if a message structure is valid, or determining whether the backend system is authorized to receive the particular tasks.

19. A message handler comprising:

a network interface to;

accept a service request,

the service request including client information and client data received from a sender,

the client information including a plurality of tasks, and forward a backend message;

a validator to;

validate the service request to determine whether the sender is authorized, and

determine whether the client information and the client data are valid;

a translator to;

translate the service request using a first schema that is defined by a client,

the first schema including;

a base information section for storing at least one of;

 

information associated with the sender,

 

information associated with a receiver of the service request, or

 

information identifying the first schema,

an account information section for storing;

 

identifier information associated with the client, or

 

identifier information associated with a contact associated with the client,

an asset information section for storing;

 

data about hardware associated with the service request, or

 

data about software associated with the service request, and

an activity information section for storing information identifying activities associated with the service request; and

parse the service request, using the first schema, to extract the client information and the client data; and

a publisher to;

provide the backend message to the network interface in a format defined by a backend schema, the backend message including valid client information and valid client data,

send the backend message to a database accessible to a backend system associated with operating on the valid client data, the backend system including a plurality of backend devices, and

send a notification only to particular backend devices, of the plurality of backend devices, informing the particular backend devices that the backend message has been sent to the database, the plurality of tasks being relevant to the particular backend devices.

20. The message handler of claim 19, where the first schema is operatively associated with a schema database.

21. The message handler of claim 19, where the translator includes a first translator portion residing on the message handler and a second translator portion residing on a backend device, of the plurality of backend devices.

22. The message handler of claim 21, where the second translator portion is implemented as an agent operatively coupled to the backend system.

23. The message handler of claim 19, where the translator is further to:

translate a reply message into a format compatible with the sender.

24. The message handler of claim 19, where the sender includes a client device associated with a user that has a business relationship with a backend device operating on a backend network.

25. The message handler of claim 19, where the service request complies with a markup language syntax.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more instructions for execution by one or more processors, the one or more instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a service request via a network interface;

access a first schema associated with an incoming format associated with the service request,

the incoming format being defined by a client device,

the first schema including;

a base information section for storing at least one of;

 

information associated with a sender of the service request,

 

information associated with a receiver of the service request, or

 

information identifying the first schema,

an account information section for storing;

 

identifier information associated with the client device, or

 

identifier information associated with a contact associated with the client device,

an asset information section for storing;

 

data about hardware associated with the service request, or

 

data about software associated with the service request, and

an activity information section for storing information identifying activities associated with the service request;

parse the incoming format to extract information from the service request,

the information including a plurality of tasks;

use the first schema for translating the incoming format into an outgoing format associated with a backend device,

the using the first schema for translating including converting the information into the outgoing format;

access a second schema associated with the outgoing format; and

publish an outgoing message using the second schema,

the outgoing message including the information in the outgoing format, the publishing making only particular tasks, of the plurality of tasks associated with the outgoing message, that are relevant to the backend device available to the backend device for processing.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, where the incoming format and the outgoing format are compatible with a markup language syntax.