Distributed universal communication module for facilitating delivery of network services to one or more devices communicating over multiple transport facilities

• US 6,938,087 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Abu-Samaha, Mamoun
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US09/660,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/230, 370/465, 370/469, 370/535, 379/10.03, 379/201.03, 455/410
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A system for providing remote electronic services includes an agent, a communication module, and an access file. The agent receives request for-service-calls in any format selected from a voice format, an internet format, an e-mail format, and a wireless format, and transmits a request-for-service call to the access file in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol for each of the received request-for-service calls. The access file invokes at least one service module in response to a given request-for-service call received from the agent. The at least one service module performs a prescribed function to produce a service deliverable requested in the given request-for-service call, accesses an instance of the communication module, and passes the one or more control parameters and the service deliverable to the communication module. The communication module transmits the service deliverable received from the at least one service module to the destination network node specified in the given request-for-service call in any format selected from a voice format, an internet format, an e-mail format, and a wireless format.

Claims

1. A system for providing remote electronic services, comprising an agent, an access file, and a communication module, wherein:

the agent receives request-for-service calls in any format selected from a voice format, an internet format, an e-mail format, and a wireless format, each request-for-service call incorporating one or more control parameters including a destination node address, the agent transmits a request-for-service call to the access file in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol for each of the received request-for-service calls;

the access file invokes at least one service module in response to a given request-for-service call received from the agent, the at least one service module performs a prescribed function to produce a service deliverable requested in the given request-for-service call, accesses an instance of the communication module, and passes the one or more control parameters and the service deliverable to the communication module in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol; and

the communication module transmits the service deliverable received from the at least one service module to the destination network node specified in the given request-for-service call in any format selected from a voice format, an internet format, an e-mail format, and a wireless format.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an origination agent configured to transmit a request-for-service call to the agent receiving request-for-service calls.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the origination agent is configured to transmit the request-for-service call in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the access file is an active server page.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the access file is configured to obtain one or more control parameters from the given request-for-service call and to pass the control parameters to the at least one service module.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one service module is configured to pass the control parameters to the communication module as a function call to a COM (Component Object Model) interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the destination network node over any one of the following transport facilities:

a voice network, the Internet, an electronic mail (e-mail) network, and a wireless network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to establish a communication link with the destination network node based upon the destination node address.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to format the service deliverable produced by the service module in accordance with an identified node type classification for the destination network node.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication module is configured to identify a node type classification for the destination network node based upon a communication received from the destination network node.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication module transmits the formatted service deliverable to the destination network node.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a destination agent residing at the destination network node and configured to communicate with the communication module.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service module resides on a first server computer, and further comprising a second service module residing on a second server computer and configured to access a second instance of the communication module.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one service module and the second service module are configured to cooperatively perform respective functions to produce the service deliverable and to communicate through the respective instances of the communication module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instances of the communication module are configured to communicate with each other in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each service module is registered in a common configuration database.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service module is configured to produce an available services list to be presented by the communication module to a device initiating the given request-for-service call and residing at an origination network node.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication module is configured to format the available services list in accordance with a received device type classification for the device at the origination network node.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit a request for one or more control parameters to a device initiating the given request-for-service call and residing at an origination network node.

20. The system of claim 2, wherein the origination agent is configured to transmit one or more of the following control parameters with the request-for-service call:

an origination address, a security profile identifier, a service identifier, an output type identifier, a destination device address, and data.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent is operable to receive a voice request-for-service call in a voice format, convert the voice request-for-service call into a hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call, and transmit the hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call to the access file.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the agent is operable to receive the voice request-for-service call in a VoxML format.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the agent is operable to transmit a VoxML service request form in response to receipt of the request for service call.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent is operable to receive an e-mail request-for-service call in an e-mail format, convert the e-mail request-for-service call into a hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call, and transmit the hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call to the access file.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent is operable to receive a wireless request-for-service call in a wireless format, convert the wireless request-for-service call into a hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call, and transmit the hypertext transfer protocol request-for-service call to the access file.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the agent is operable to receive the wireless request-for-service call in a WML format.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the agent is operable to transmit a WML service request form in response to receipt of the request for service call.