Method of communicating data between computers having different record formats

• US 20040139076A1
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Pendleton, William W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method of communicating data between databases having different formats includes providing a first computer (4), a second computer (14), and a server (22) in a distributed computer network (2) where the server (22) is configured to send, receive, and process data packets including records having different formats to and from the first computer (4) and the second computer (14). The server (22) converts a first record in a first format (26a) into the first record in a second format (26b) and converts a second record in the second format (26b) into the first format (26a). The second computer is configured to receive data packets having the first record in the second format (26b), and to send data packets having the second record in the second format (26b).

Claims

1. A method of communicating data between databases having different formats, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first database on a first computer connected to a distributed computer network, the first computer configured to send a data packet having a first record in a first format, and the first computer configured to receive a data packet having a second record in the first format;

(b) providing a second database on a second computer connected to the distributed computer network, the second computer configured to receive a data packet having the first record in a second format, and the second computer configured to send a data packet having the second record in a second format; and

(c) providing a server in the distributed computer network, the server configured to send, receive, and process data packets including records between the first computer and the second computer, wherein the server converts the first record in the first format into the first record in the second format and/or converts the second record in the second format into the second record in the first format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer is configured to send a data packet to the server and the second computer is configured to send a data packet to the server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each data packet is comprised of a record, a transmitter-receiver layer, and an IP header.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the transmitter-receiver layer identifies a transmitter and a receiver of the data packets;

when the server receives the data packet from the transmitter, the IP header includes an IP address of the transmitter and an IP address of the server; and

when the server transmits the data packet to the receiver, the IP header includes the IP address of the server and an IP address of the receiver.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the record is comprised of patient data.

6. A method of communicating data between databases having different formats, the method comprising the step of providing a first computer, a second computer, and a server in a distributed computer network, the server configured to send and receive data packets including records having different formats between the first computer and the second computer, the server configured to convert a record format of a record received from the first computer into a record format of a record of the second computer, and vice versa.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the server includes:

a packet sniffer configured to separate from a first data packet a first record in a first format and a first transmitter-receiver layer, the packet sniffer also configured to separate from a second data packet a second record in a second format and a second transmitter-receiver layer;

a transmitter-receiver conversion matrix configured to scan the first transmitter-receiver layer and the second transmitter-receiver layer; and

a convert function configured to use at least one conversion routine for converting the first record in the first format into a first record in a second format and/or for converting the second record in the second format into the second record in the first format, with each conversion based on the scanning of the first transmitter-receiver layer and/or the second transmitter-receiver layer, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitter-receiver conversion matrix includes a first conversion routine configured to convert the first record in the first format into the first record in the second format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitter-receiver conversion matrix selects the first conversion routine based upon the first transmitter-receiver layer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitter-receiver conversion matrix includes a second conversion routine configured to convert the second record in the first format into the second record in the second format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter-receiver conversion matrix selects the second conversion routine based upon the second transmitter-receiver layer.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the convert function applies the first conversion routine to the first record in the first format to convert the first record in the first format to the first record in the second format.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the convert function applies the second conversion routine to the second record in the second format to convert the second record in the second format to the second record in the first format.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the server is configured to send a first data packet to the second computer and a second data packet to the first computer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first data packet includes the first record in the second format, a first transmitter-receiver layer, and a first IP header.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second data packet includes the second record in the second format, a second transmitter-receiver layer, and a second IP header.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the server includes:

a packet sniffer configured to separate from a first data packet a first record in a first format and a first transmitter-receiver layer, the packet sniffer also configured to separate from a second data packet a second record in a second format and a second transmitter-receiver layer, and

a convert function configured to use at least one conversion routine for converting the first record in the first format into a first record in a second format and/or for converting the second record in the second format into the second record in the first format, wherein the conversion routine is used to convert the records between formats.