Data communication with remote network node

• US 20060112188A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Henderson, James Roland, Barraclough, Keith, Philander, Rodrigo, Albanese, Michael J., Irvine, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,032,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 : by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging

Abstract

Data transfer between remote and base locations over a network is effected. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a data router controls the routing of data between base and remote network appliances as a function of metadata describing the data and capabilities of the remote network appliance.

Claims

1. A network communication system for communicating application-specific data between base and remote network appliances via the Internet, and for presenting the application-specific data at the remote network appliances, the system comprising:

a network server arrangement adapted to receive data transfer requests via the Internet, associate the received data transfer requests with a base network appliance, authenticate the associated data transfer requests as a function of authentication data for the base network appliance and data in the request, and to pass each authenticated data transfer request to an associated base network appliance via the Internet; and

at each associated base network appliance, a data router adapted to respond to authenticated requests received via the Internet from the network server arrangement by

using metadata at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request,

transcoding the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type, the second format type being compatible with one of the remote network appliances, and

sending the transcoded data to the one of the remote network appliances.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to access metadata created by a program application at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request, the application-specific data created by the program application, and to transcode the identified application-specific data from a first format type of the program application to the second format type.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data router is adapted to transcode the identified application-specific data from a first format type of the program application to the second format type by rasterizing the application-specific data into data viewable with a web browser application at the one of the remote network appliances.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to transcode the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type by transcoding the data into a MIME type format that is compatible with the one of the remote network appliances.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to load an asset space plug-in for each particular application to which the application-specific data applies, and to implement each asset space plug-in to access the metadata at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to load a data-formatting plug-in, for each particular application to which the application-specific data applies, to transcode data of the identified application-specific data type, the data router also adapted to implement each data formatting plug-in to transcode identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type that is compatible with the one of the remote network appliances.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data-formatting plug-in is a MIME handler plug-in adapted to transcode the identified application-specific data from a first MIME type to a second MIME type that is capable of being displayed at the one of the remote network appliances.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to send the transcoded data to a remote network appliance from which the authenticated request was sent.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to configure the identified application-specific data for presenting to a user at the one of the remote network appliances as a function of a program application available at the one of the remote network appliances.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to transcode the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type that is compatible for viewing with an Internet browser application at the one of the remote network access appliances.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to ascertain a program application available at the one of the remote network appliances and to transcode the identified application-specific data for use with the ascertained program application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the base network appliance and the network server arrangement is adapted to store data characterizing program applications available at the one of the remote network appliances, and wherein the data router is adapted to ascertain a program application available by accessing the stored data.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is further adapted to respond to authenticated requests specifying a metadata-based characteristic of data to be routed by identifying application-specific data having metadata that corresponds to the specified metadata-based characteristic.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is further adapted to present selections to a user at the one of the remote network appliances, the selections grouping stored application-specific data as a function of metadata for the stored application-specific data, the data router adapted to respond to authorized requests identifying one of the presented selections by identifying the application-specific data as the group of stored application-specific data corresponding to the selection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data router is further adapted to populate at least one asset space as a function of metadata characterizing the stored application-specific data, and to present the selections to a user at the one of the remote network appliances by presenting the at least one asset space as a selection.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the network server arrangement is adapted to both associate and authenticate the associated data transfer requests as a function of token data in the requests, and wherein the data router is adapted to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request by identifying application-specific data using metadata characterized in the token data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each remote network appliance is adapted to accept token data from a base network appliance user, and to pass the accepted token data to the network server arrangement as part of a data transfer request, the token data including information specifying application-specific data to be made available to the remote network appliance, wherein the data router is adapted to use metadata at the base network appliance to identify applications-specific data specified in the token data.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to facilitate the communication of data from a remote network appliance to the base network appliance and to direct the configuration and storage of the communicated data at the base network appliance as a function of metadata of a third-party program application at the base network appliance.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data router is adapted to direct the configuration and storage of the communicated data at the base network appliance as a function of metadata-based selections made for the data by a user at the remote network appliance.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the data router is adapted to assign metadata to the communicated data, the assigned metadata indicating that the communicated data was communicated from the remote network appliance.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to

present a display including metadata-based characterizations of data to a user at a particular remote network appliance, the metadata-based characterizations corresponding to metadata-based characterizations for data at the base network appliance, and

direct the configuration and storage of data communicated from the particular remote network appliance to the base network appliance as a function of metadata-based selections made by the user at the particular remote network appliance in response to the presented display.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the data router is adapted to present an interface to a user at a particular remote network appliance, the interface adapted to

enable the user to navigate through stored data at the base network appliance as a function of metadata for an application to which the stored data applies, and

generate a request for stored data presented via the navigation in response to user input at the particular remote network appliance.

23. A system for communicating application-specific data between base and remote network appliances via the Internet, and for presenting the application-specific data at the remote network appliances, the system comprising:

means for receiving data transfer requests at a network server via the Internet,

means for associating the received data transfer requests with a base network appliance,

means for authenticating the associated data transfer requests as a function of authentication data for the base network appliance and data in the request, and

means for passing each authenticated data transfer request to an associated base network appliance via the Internet; and

at each associated base network appliance, a data router arrangement for responding to an authenticated request received via the Internet from the network server arrangement, the data router arrangement including

means for using metadata at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request,

means for transcoding the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type, the second format type being compatible with one of the remote network appliances, and

means for sending the transcoded data to the one of the remote network appliances.

24. A method for communicating application-specific data between base and remote network appliances via the Internet, and for presenting the application-specific data at the remote network appliances, the method comprising:

at a network server,

receiving data transfer requests via the Internet, associating the received data transfer requests with a base network appliance,

authenticating the associated data transfer requests as a function of authentication data for the base network appliance and data in the request, and

passing each authenticated data transfer request to an associated base network appliance via the Internet; and

at each associated base network appliance, responding to an authenticated request received via the Internet from the network server arrangement by

using metadata at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request,

transcoding the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type, the second format type being compatible with one of the remote network appliances, and

sending the transcoded data to the one of the remote network appliances.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein using metadata at the base network appliance includes accessing metadata created by a program application at the base network appliance to identify application-specific data corresponding to the request, the application-specific data created by the program application, and wherein transcoding includes transcoding the identified application-specific data from a first format type of the program application to the second format type.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein transcoding includes rasterizing the identified application-specific data into data viewable with a web browser application at the one of the remote network appliances.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein transcoding includes transcoding the identified application-specific data into a MIME type format that is compatible with the one of the remote network appliances.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein transcoding includes configuring the identified application-specific data for presenting to a user at the one of the remote network appliances as a function of a program application available at the one of the remote network appliances.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein transcoding includes transcoding the identified application-specific data from a first format type to a second Internet-communication format type that is compatible for viewing with an Internet browser application at the one of the remote network access appliances.

30. A method for communicating data between base and remote network appliances, the method comprising:

storing metadata identifying application-specific characteristics of data stored at the base network appliance;

authenticating a user at a remote network appliance;

populating at least one asset space with an identification of data stored at the base network appliance as a function of the stored metadata and the authenticated user;

presenting the at least one asset space to the authenticated user for use in selecting stored data for transfer; and

in response to receiving a request for data identified in the asset space, transcoding the data from a first MIME type into a second MIME type as a function of an application program available at a remote network appliance identified in the request and facilitating the communication of the transcoded data to the remote network appliance.