Software and method for monitoring a data stream and for capturing desired data within the data stream

• US 8,825,872 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TMI Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Reisman, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Farrukh
• Application Number:
  US12/400,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/230, 709/238, 709/250, 705/14.23
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/18 Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Software stored on a computer-readable storage medium at a user station provides a plurality of functions including an online service selector function that enables a user at the user station to select any one of a plurality of available online service providers, and a communications function that establishes a communication link between the user station and the selected one of the available online service providers. Corresponding methods for operating a user station are also described.

Claims

1. Software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium at a user station, comprising:

an online service selector function that enables a user at the user station to select any one of a plurality of available online service providers;

a communications function that establishes a communication link between a plurality of translator modules of the user station and the selected one of the available online service providers by mimicking a proprietary protocol of the selected one of the available online service providers, wherein each of the plurality of translator modules is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of available online service providers, and wherein the proprietary protocol is distinct from a protocol of at least one other of the available online service providers; and

a user interface that repackages and presents content from the plurality of available online service providers and that is independent of a user interface provided by the selected one of the available online service providers.

2. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a set of translators and protocol drivers that facilitate establishment of the communication link between the user station and the selected one of the online service providers.

3. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a protocol translation function that facilitates establishment of the communication link between the user station and the selected one of the online service providers.

4. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an application programming interface configured to interconnect the online service selector function and the communications function through use of a plug-in comprising instructions for communicating using the proprietary protocol.

5. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a data transport function that effectuates data transfers between the user station and the selected one of the online service providers via the established communication link.

6. The software as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data transport function uses an object manifest to effectuate data transfers.

7. The software as set forth in claim 6, further comprising an application programming interface through which the object manifest can be modified.

8. The software as set forth in claim 7, wherein the application programming interface interconnects the data transfer function and a higher-level software entity that can be invoked to modify the object manifest.

9. The software as set forth in claim 7, wherein the application programming interface interconnects the data transfer function and a high-level user interface that enables the user at the user station to modify the object manifest.

10. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a generic user interface function that is not dependent upon which of the available online service providers is selected by the user.

11. The software as set forth in claim 10, further comprising an application programming interface that interconnects the generic user interface function and the communications function.

12. The software as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a user interface function that enables the user to submit functional requests to the selected online service provider.

13. The software as set forth in claim 12, further comprising an application programming interface that interconnects the user interface function and the data transport function.

14. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a set of translators and protocol drivers that facilitate communication using the proprietary protocol of the selected one of the available online service providers.

15. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a protocol translation function that facilitates communication using the proprietary protocol of the selected one of the available online service providers.

16. The software as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a user interface function that presents the user with a customized user interface for each different online service provider.

17. The software as set forth in claim 1, wherein the online service selector function presents the user with a list of the available online service providers.

18. The software as set forth in claim 1, wherein the user station is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, and further comprises a data transport function that effectuates data transfers between the user station and a selected one of the independently-operated data sources via the non-proprietary network.

19. The software as set forth in claim 18, wherein the non-proprietary network comprises the Internet.