METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEDIATING ENTERPRISE SERVICE ACCESS FOR SMART DEVICES

• US 20100030881A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Karnouskos, Stamatis, Savio, Domnic, Baecker, Oliver, Spiess, Patrik, Moreira Sa de Souza, Luciana
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Techniques are described for mediating enterprise service access for smart devices. A first message may be received at an enterprise service proxy device from a smart device via a first protocol associated with the smart device. It may be determined that the first message includes a smart device request for processing via an enterprise service located at a backend device. An enterprise service request and an associated enterprise request protocol may be determined based on the smart device request and a service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol. The enterprise service request may be sent to the backend device via the associated enterprise request protocol.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an enterprise service access mediator including;

an enterprise service proxy device including;

a virtual proxy device including;

a mediating receiver configured to receive a first message from a smart device via a first protocol associated with the smart device;

a parser configured to determine that the first message includes a smart device request for processing via an enterprise service located at a backend device; and

a mediating converter configured to determine an enterprise service request and an associated enterprise request protocol based on the smart device request and a service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol; and

a service adaptor configured to send the enterprise service request to the backend device via the associated enterprise request protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the enterprise service access mediator includes a service adaptation repository configured to store one or more service adaptation descriptions, and

the service adaptor is configured to obtain one or more protocol conversion rules based on one of the service adaptation descriptions and to compile the virtual proxy device and a service view engine including the mediating receiver, parser, and mediating converter based on the more protocol conversion rules and the one service adaptation description.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an enterprise service description repository configured to store enterprise service descriptions, including information describing enterprise services associated with the backend device, wherein the backend device includes one or more backend servers,

wherein the enterprise service access mediator includes a description manager configured to generate the one or more service adaptation descriptions based on one or more of the enterprise service descriptions,

wherein the service adaptation descriptions include information associated with conversion between messages associated with the first protocol and messages associated with one or more of the enterprise services.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual proxy device includes:

an emulation of another smart device communicating with other smart devices via the first protocol, wherein the first protocol includes a proprietary protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual proxy device includes:

a service view engine that includes the mediating receiver and the mediating converter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual proxy device includes:

a service announcement engine configured to send a message to the smart device indicating an availability of at least one enterprise service for mediated access by the smart device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mediating converter is configured to determine the enterprise service request based on translating the smart device request to obtain the enterprise service request based on a mapping included in the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mapping includes:

an extensible Markup Language (XML) mapping that includes an indication of a first term associated with the smart device request and an indication of a second term associated with the enterprise service request via translation from the smart device request to the enterprise service request.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mediating converter is configured to determine the enterprise service request based on obtaining at least one parameter associated with the enterprise service request based on the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the smart device includes one or more of an embedded device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an RFID-tagged item, a smart items device, a device within a sensor network, a sensor mote, a product embedded information device, a shop floor device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a portable computer, a wireless telephone, a power regulation device, a monitoring device, a production machine, a smart power meter, a wireless sensor node, a programmable logic controller, a telephone, a vehicle, a robot, a mobile phone, or a product control device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a first message at an enterprise service proxy device from a smart device via a first protocol associated with the smart device;

determining that the first message includes a smart device request for processing via an enterprise service located at a backend device;

determining an enterprise service request and an associated enterprise request protocol based on the smart device request and a service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol; and

sending the enterprise service request to the backend device via the associated enterprise request protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the first message includes receiving the first message at a virtual proxy device from an embedded device via a proprietary protocol associated with the embedded device, wherein the virtual proxy device includes an emulation of another embedded device communicating with other embedded devices via the proprietary protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining that the first message includes a smart device request includes parsing the first message at the enterprise service proxy device to obtain the smart device request for processing via the enterprise service located at the backend device, wherein the backend device includes one or more backend servers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining the enterprise service request includes translating the smart device request to obtain the enterprise service request based on a mapping included in the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining the enterprise service request includes translating the smart device request to obtain the enterprise service request based on an extensible Markup Language (XML) mapping included in the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol, wherein the XML mapping includes an indication of a first term associated with the smart device request and an indication of a second term associated with the enterprise service request via translation from the smart device request to the enterprise service request.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining the enterprise service request includes obtaining at least one parameter associated with the enterprise service request based on the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

sending the enterprise service request to the backend device includes sending the enterprise service request to a backend device interface based on the associated enterprise request protocol.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the associated enterprise request protocol includes one or more of a web service interface, a Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI), or a Remote Function Call (RFC) interface.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the smart device includes one or more of an embedded device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an RFID-tagged item, a smart items device, a device within a sensor network, a sensor mote, a product embedded information device, a shop floor device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a portable computer, a wireless telephone, a power regulation device, a monitoring device, a production machine, a smart power meter, a wireless sensor node, a programmable logic controller, a telephone, a vehicle, a robot, a mobile phone, or a product control device.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a response message from the backend device via the enterprise request protocol;

determining a smart device response based on the response message and the service adaptation description; and

sending a second message including the smart device response from the enterprise service proxy device to the smart device via the first protocol.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein:

sending the enterprise service request to the backend device via the associated enterprise request protocol includes verifying a permission to access the enterprise service based on the service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol.

22. A computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and being configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a first message at an enterprise service proxy device from a smart device via a first protocol associated with the smart device;

determine that the first message includes a smart device request for processing via an enterprise service located at a backend device;

determine an enterprise service request and an associated enterprise request protocol based on the smart device request and a service adaptation description associated with the enterprise service and the first protocol; and

send the enterprise service request to the backend device via the associated enterprise request protocol.