Scalable address resolution in a communications environment

• US 20090319683A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radius Networks, inc.
• Original Assignee: 4DK Technologies, Inc. (Radius Networks, inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45

Abstract

A generic address resolution system facilitates communications among multiple network applications with heterogeneous addressing mechanisms, thereby allowing the network applications to interoperate with each other and/or with modules for providing enhanced functionalities. The address resolution system includes a resource mapping module that modularizes the components needed for address resolution and abstracts content from the underlying address types and content used by the network applications. The address resolution system includes a context engine that analyzes the addressing data to be resolved, selects one or more appropriate destination network applications based on contextual rules, and creates the application mapping template for the end-end routing of the communications among the network applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating communications between network applications in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a transmission from a source network application, the transmission comprising metadata and content;

extracting the metadata from the transmission, the extracted metadata including a destination address formatted according to a first address type;

determining routing for the transmission to one or more destination network applications, the routing determination being based on the metadata extracted from the transmission and being independent of the first address type;

selecting a destination network application to receive the transmission, wherein the selected destination application uses a second address type that is incompatible with the first address type;

formatting a new destination address for the destination network application using the metadata, the new destination address formatted according to the second address type; and

routing the transmission to the destination network application using the new destination address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a destination network application to receive the transmission comprises searching for records matching the destination address in a data store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein searching for records matching the destination address comprises comparing the destination address with records in the data store using a set of routing rules and a set of user directories.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein comparing the destination address with records in the data stores comprises comparing the address type using the set of routing rules and comparing the address content using the user directories, in parallel.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein comparing the destination address with records in the data stores comprises comparing the address type using the set of routing rules and comparing the address content using the user directories, in sequence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first address type is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone call from a Public Telephone Network;

a Short Message Service;

an electronic mail;

an Enterprise PBX;

an open standard Instant Messaging service (XMPP); and

a proprietary Instant Messaging service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second address type is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone call from a Public Telephone Network;

a Short Message Service;

an electronic mail;

an Enterprise PBX;

an open standard Instant Messaging service (XMPP); and

a proprietary Instant Messaging service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein formatting a new destination address for the destination network application comprises transforming the first address type to the second address type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transforming the first address type to the second address type comprises transforming a telephone number to an electronic mail.

10. A system for facilitating communications between network applications in a communications network, the method comprising:

a resource mapping module configured to receive a transmission from a source network application, the transmission comprising metadata and content, wherein the metadata includes a destination address formatted according to a first address type;

a set of resource adapters configured to determine routing for the transmission to one or more destination network applications, the routing determination being based on the metadata extracted from the transmission and being independent of the first address type;

a context engine configured to select a destination network application to receive the transmission, wherein the destination application uses a second address type and is incompatible with the first address type;

a content destination selection module configured to format a new destination address for the destination network application using the metadata, the new destination address formatted according to the second address type; and

an application switching engine configured to route the transmission to the destination network application using the new destination address.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the context engine is configured search for records matching the destination address in a data store.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the context engine is configured to compare the destination address with records in the data store using a set of routing rules and a set of user directories.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein the context engine is configured to compare the address type using the set of routing rules and to compare the address content using the user directories, in parallel.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein the context engine is configured to compare the address type using the set of routing rules and to compare the address content using the user directories, in sequence.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first address type is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone call from a Public Telephone Network;

a Short Message Service;

an electronic mail;

an Enterprise PBX;

an open standard Instant Messaging service (XMPP); and

a proprietary Instant Messaging service.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second address type is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone call from a Public Telephone Network;

a Short Message Service;

an electronic mail;

an Enterprise PBX;

an open standard Instant Messaging service (XMPP); and

a proprietary Instant Messaging service.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the content destination selection module is configured to transform the first address type to the second address type.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the content destination selection module is configured to transform a telephone number to an electronic mail.

19. A computer program product for facilitating communications between network applications in a communications network, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code for:

receiving a transmission from a source network application, the transmission comprising metadata and content;

extracting the metadata from the transmission, the extracted metadata including a destination address formatted according to a first address type;

determining routing for the transmission to one or more destination network applications, the routing determination being based on the metadata extracted from the transmission and being independent of the first address type;

selecting a destination network application to receive the transmission, wherein the selected destination application uses a second address type that is incompatible with the first address type;

formatting a new destination address for the destination network application using the metadata, the new destination address formatted according to the second address type; and

routing the transmission to the destination network application using the new destination address.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein selecting a destination network application to receive the transmission comprises computer program code for searching for records matching the destination address in a data store.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein searching for records matching the destination address comprises computer program code for comparing the destination address with records in the data store using a set of routing rules and a set of user directories.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein comparing the destination address with records in the data stores comprises computer program code for comparing the address type using the set of routing rules and comparing the address content using the user directories, in parallel.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the destination address comprises an address type and address content, and wherein comparing the destination address with records in the data stores comprises computer program code for comparing the address type using the set of routing rules and comparing the address content using the user directories, in sequence.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein formatting a new destination address for the destination network application comprises computer program code for transforming the first address type to the second address type.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein transforming the first address type to the second address type comprises computer program code for transforming a telephone number to an electronic mail.