Computer-based communication system and method using metadata defining a control-structure

• US 6,345,288 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Onename Corporation
• Original Assignee: Onename Corporation
• Inventors: Oberlander, Jeffrey Todd, Jones, Kevin Benard, Heymann, Peter Earnshaw, Mushero, Steven Mark, Banay, Dan, Reed, Drummond Shattuck
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/570,675
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-203, 709/212, 709/216-219, 709/227-229, 709/232, 709/242, 709/244, 707/1, 707/9-10, 707/100-104, 707/200-204
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An automated communications system operates to transfer data, metadata and methods from a provider computer to a consumer computer through a communications network. The transferred information controls the communications relationship, including responses by the consumer computer, updating of information, and processes for future communications. Information which changes in the provider computer is automatically updated in the consumer computer through the communications system in order to maintain continuity of the relationship. Transfer of metadata and methods permits intelligent processing of information by the consumer computer and combined control by the provider and consumer of the types and content of information subsequently transferred. Object oriented processing is used for storage and transfer of information. The use of metadata and methods further allows for automating may of the actions underlying the communications, including communication acknowledgements and archiving of information. Service objects and partner servers provide specialized data, metadata, and methods to providers and consumers to automate many common communications services and transactions useful to both providers and consumers. A combination of the provider and consumer programs and databases allows for additional functionality, including coordination of multiple users for a single database.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a provider memory storing information to be transferred and instructions for transferring said information;

a consumer memory;

transfer means for transferring said information and said instructions from said provider memory to said consumer memory;

update determining means associated with said consumer memory for determining when information in said provider memory has been updated;

consumer control means associated with said consumer memory for causing a transfer of said information from said provider memory to said consumer memory when said determining means determines that said information has been updated.

2. Communications object for execution on a first node in a computer-based communications system, which includes multiple nodes arranged and adapted to intercommunicate via a communications network, to facilitate a transaction between said first node and a second node, said communications object comprising:

data, wherein at least a portion of said data is data for the transaction;

metadata associated with said data;

a first control operation element associated with said data, said first control operation element, when executed, controlling transfer of at least the portion of said data in either direction between the first node and the second node;

a second control operation element associated with said data, said second control operation element, when executed, controlling updates to at least one of said data and said metadata; and

a third control operation element associated with said data, said third control operation element, when executed, controlling transfer or receipt of acknowledgement data for the transaction.

3. The communications object of claim 2, wherein said communications object further comprises a fourth control operation element, said fourth control operation element, when executed, causing at least a portion of said data to be authenticated.

4. The communications object of claim 2, wherein said transaction is a financial transaction.

5. The communications object of claim 4, wherein said data includes at least one of:

credit card information, debit card information, electronic payment information, transaction requirements information, authentication information, and encryption information.

6. The communications object of claim 2, wherein said metadata includes encoding metadata and further comprising a fourth control operation element, said fourth control operation element, when executed, causing at least a portion of said data to be transferred to another node, using said encoding metadata to effectuate the encoding.

7. The communications object of claim 6, wherein said encoding is at least one of:

encryption, compression, digitally signing, file formatting, data translation, and language translation.

8. The communications object of claim 6, wherein said encoding includes asymmetric encoding in accordance with a key, and wherein said encoding metadata describes an association to a selected one of the plurality of keys.

9. The communications object of claim 8, wherein said key is one of a plurality of keys.

10. The communications object of claim 8, wherein said asymmetric encoding includes at least one of encryption and digital signing.

11. The communications object of claim 9, wherein said plurality of keys includes a plurality of key pairs, each key pair including a public key and a private key, and

wherein said fourth control operation element further selects one of the plurality of key pairs; and

wherein said metadata includes key selection metadata describing an association between said portions of data and said selected key pair.

12. The communications object of claim 2, further comprising a fourth control operation element, said fourth control operation element, when executed, generating unique system data uniquely identifying portions of said data in said system;

and

wherein said metadata includes unique identifier metadata describing associations between said unique system data and said portions of said data.

13. The communications object of claim 2, further comprising an associating control operation element, said control operation element, when executed, creating metadata which associates said communications object with at least one unique identifier from among a plurality of unique identifiers stored at said second node.

14. The communications object of claim 13, wherein said unique identifier is a representation of a human-language name.

15. The communications object of claim 2, wherein the metadata further comprises a maintenance control operation element, said maintenance control operation element, when executed, performing at least one of the following acts:

(a) initiating transfer of a request for data between said first node and said second node;

(b) receiving data from said second node and updating said metadata to reflect received new data; and

(c) initiating a database search on a database located on said second node for data corresponding to at least a portion of said data.

16. The communications object of claim 15, wherein act (c) further comprises transferring data from said second node to said first node if a match is found in said database search.

17. The communications object of claim 16, wherein said match is at least one of:

a registration key, a license agreement, a another communications object, a system component, a set of preferences, a request for data, and a data access rule.

18. The communications object of claim 2, further comprising a directory control operation element, said directory control operation element, when executed, creating metadata which associates portions of said data with at least one other object.

19. The communications object of claim 2, further comprising a directory control operation element, said directory control operation element, when executed, sending a request to at least one communications node in the system to create metadata which associates portions of data in said at least one communications node with said object.