Dynamic extensible lightweight access to web services for pervasive devices

• US 8,499,028 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shu, Chen, Van Der Meulen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woolcock, Madhu
• Application Number:
  US11/063,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,079 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/218, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/232, 709/244, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A Generic Mobile Web Services (GMWS) manager provides mobile clients with access to Web Services. The GMWS manager provides an interface between Web Services and mobile clients (hand held PDAs for example). The GMWS manager maintains a registry of supported Web Services and metadata attributes about the Web Services and the mobile client. Information is transferred between a client and a registered web service by way of the GMWS manager based on attributes available to the GMWS manager.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing Web Services to clients by way of a Mobile Web Services manager (MWSM), the method comprising:

based on receiving, by a processor at the MWSM, a list request from a client, sending information for accessing Web Services of a first plurality of Web Services to the client, wherein the information for accessing Web services comprises a list of items and metadata for accessing the Web Services using a fastpath request and an XML request, the list of items comprising a first item corresponding to a name of a Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services and at least a second item corresponding to a command keyword associated with the Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, wherein the command keyword auto-generates a command to be performed by the Web Service,

wherein the information for accessing Web Services indicates a set of information required by a given Web Service to be included by the client when creating each of an XML request and a fastpath request accepted by the given Web Service, and wherein the set of information required by the given Web Service when creating an XML request comprises at least a name of the given Web Service as indicated by the first item in the list of items, and wherein the set of information required by the given Web Service when creating a fastpath request comprises at least the command keyword, as indicated by the second item in the list of items, supported by the given Web Service,

wherein the metadata comprises a structure of a dynamic graphical user interface structure, specific to at least one Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, and configures the client to generate the dynamic graphical user interface based on the structure,

wherein the structure comprises at least a name of an input field of the at least one Web Service, and a type of the input field of the at least one Web Service;

wherein based on receiving an XML request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a selection of a Web Service and a service request associated with the selected Web Service,

forwarding a corresponding XML request to the selected Web Service identified by the received XML request; and

based on forwarding the corresponding XML request, forwarding a response from the selected Web Service to the client; and

wherein based on receiving a fastpath request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a command keyword and a service request associated with a Web Service,

parsing the fastpath request to identify the Web Service associated with the fastpath request and corresponding request attributes associated with the service request, wherein the identified Web Service is identified based on the command keyword, and wherein the fastpath request comprises the set of information required by the identified Web Service to perform the service request;

determining that the identified Web Service accepts XML requests;

based on determining that the identified Web Service accepts XML requests, creating an XML request, wherein the created XML request includes the corresponding request attributes associated with the service request that have been parsed from the fastpath request and converted into an XML format;

forwarding the created XML request to the identified Web Service; and

based on forwarding the created XML request, forwarding a response from the identified Web Service to the client.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transforming the response from the identified Web Service to audio, wherein the audio is forwarded in the forwarding the response from the identified Web Service to the client.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

discovering the first plurality of web services;

storing a registered indication of the first plurality of Web Services in a local registry of the MWSM, the registered indication identifying the first plurality of Web Services supported by the MWSM, the first plurality of Web Services comprising a second plurality of Web Services;

storing attributes of each of the first plurality of Web Services, the attributes comprising information describing interfaces of corresponding Web services; and

using the stored attributes and the registered indication to create the information for accessing Web Services of the first plurality of Web Services.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list request further comprises a set of user credentials further comprising:

determining the list based on a user predefined profile corresponding to the set of user credentials.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

based on not having a saved permission for the client to use the identified Web Service, negotiating client permission to use a second Web Service; and

based on obtaining permission, saving the negotiated permission for the client to use the second Web Service.

6. A computer program product for providing Web Services to clients by way of a Mobile Web Services manager (MWSM), the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

based on receiving at the MWSM a list request from a client, sending information for accessing Web Services of a first plurality of Web Services to the client, wherein the information for accessing the Web services comprises a list of items and metadata for accessing the Web Services using a fastpath request and an XML request, the list of items comprising a first item corresponding to a name of a Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services and at least a second item corresponding to a command keyword associated with the Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, wherein the command keyword auto-generates a command to be performed by the Web Service;

wherein the information for accessing Web Services indicates a set of information required by a given Web Service to be included by the client when creating each of an XML request and a fastpath request accepted by the given Web Service, wherein the set of information required by a the given Web Service when creating an XML request comprises at least a name of the given Web Service as indicated by the first item in the list of items, and wherein the set of information required by the given Web Service when creating a fastpath request comprises at least the command keyword, as indicated by the second item in the list of items, supported by the given Web Service,

wherein the metadata comprises a structure of a dynamic graphical user interface structure, specific to at least one Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, and configures the client to generate the dynamic graphical user interface based on the structure,

wherein the structure comprises at least a name of an input field of the at least one Web Service, and a type of the input field of the at least one Web Service;

wherein based on receiving an XML request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a selection of a Web Service and a service request associated with the selected Web Service, forwarding a corresponding XML request to the selected Web Service identified by the received XML request; and

based on forwarding the corresponding XML request, forwarding a response from the selected Web Service to the client; and

wherein based on receiving a fastpath request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a command keyword and a service request associated with a Web Service,

parsing the fastpath request to identify the Web Service associated with the fastpath request and corresponding request attributes associated with the service request, wherein the identified Web Service is identified based on the command keyword, and wherein the fastpath request comprises the set of information required by the identified Web Service to perform the service request;

determining that the identified Web Service accepts XML requests;

based on determining that the identified Web Service accepts XML requests, creating an XML request, wherein the created XML request includes the corresponding request attributes associated with the service request that have been parsed from the fastpath request and converted into an XML format;

forwarding the created XML request to the identified Web Service; and

based on forwarding the created XML request, forwarding a response from the identified Web Service to the client.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein based on receiving a fastpath request further comprises:

receiving an audio (voice) fastpath request from the client; and

transforming the received audio into a fastpath text request comprising fastpath text.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

returning the fastpath text request to the client, the returned fastpath text request enabling the client to edit the fastpath text to send an edited fastpath text request.

9. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

transforming the response from the identified Web Service to audio, wherein the audio is forwarded in the forwarding the response from the identified Web Service to the client.

10. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

discovering the first plurality of web services;

storing a registered indication of the first plurality of Web Services in a local registry of the MWSM, the registered indication identifying the first plurality of Web Services supported by the MWSM, the first plurality of Web Services comprising a second plurality of selected Web Services;

storing attributes of each of the first plurality of Web Services, the attributes comprising information describing interfaces of corresponding Web services; and

using the stored attributes and the registered indication to create the information for accessing Web Services of the first plurality of Web Services.

11. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the MWSM comprises a voice transcription service for transforming audio into text, a fastpath parsing service for parsing fastpath text requests, a web service dispatcher for communicating between the client and web services of the first plurality of web services and a web service registry for storing a registered indication identifying the first plurality of Web Services supported by the MWSM.

12. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the list request further comprises a set of user credentials, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the list based on a user predefined profile corresponding to the set of user credentials.

13. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

based on not having a saved permission for the client to use the identified Web Service, negotiating client permission to use a second Web Service; and

based on obtaining permission, saving the negotiated permission for the client to use the second Web Service.

14. A system for providing Web Services to clients by way of a Mobile Web Services manager (MWSM), the system comprising:

one or more networks;

a mobile web service manager computer system in communication with one or more Web Service computer systems by way of a network of the one or more networks, the mobile web service manager computer system further in network communication with one or more mobile client computer systems, wherein the mobile client computer system comprises a MWSM, wherein the mobile web service manager computer system is capable of performing a method comprising;

based on receiving at the MWSM a list request from a client, information for accessing Web Services of a first plurality of Web Services to the client, wherein the information for accessing the Web services comprises a list of items and metadata for accessing the Web Services using a fastpath request and an XML request, the list of items comprising a first item corresponding to a name of a Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services and at least a second item corresponding to a command keyword associated with a the Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, wherein the command keyword auto-generates a command to be performed by the Web Service;

wherein the information for accessing Web Services indicates a set of information required by a given Web Service to be included by the client when creating each of an XML request and a fastpath request accepted by the given Web Service, wherein the set of information required by the given Web Service when creating an XML request comprises at least a name of the given Web Service as indicated by the first item in the list of items, and wherein the set of information required by the given Web Service when creating a fastpath request comprises at least the command keyword, as indicated by the second item in the list of items, supported by the given Web Service,

wherein the metadata comprises a structure of a dynamic graphical user interface, specific to at least one Web Service in the first plurality of Web Services, and configures the client to generate the dynamic graphical user interface based on the structure,

wherein the structure comprises at least a name of an input field of the at least one Web Service, and a type of the input field of the at least one Web Service;

wherein based on receiving an XML request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a selection of a Web Service and a service request associated with the selected Web Service, forwarding a corresponding XML request to the selected Web Service identified by the received XML request; and

based on forwarding the corresponding XML request, forwarding a response from the selected Web Service to the client; and

wherein based on receiving a fastpath request from the client at the MWSM comprising both a a command keyword and a service request associated with a Web Service,

parsing the fastpath request to identify the Web Service associated with the fastpath request and corresponding request attributes associated with the service request, wherein the identified Web Service is identified based on the command keyword, and wherein the fastpath request comprises the set of information required by the identified Web Service to perform the service request;

determining that the identified Web Service accepts XML requests;

based on the parsed fastpath request, creating an XML request;

forwarding the XML request to the identified Web Service, the XML request comprising the corresponding request attributes including the set of information required by the identified Web Service to perform the service request; and

based on forwarding the XML request, forwarding a response from the identified Web Service to the client.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein based on receiving a fastpath request further comprises:

receiving an audio (voice) fastpath request from the client; and

transforming the received audio into a fastpath text request comprising fastpath text.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

returning the fastpath text request to the client, the returned fastpath text request enabling the client to edit the fastpath text to send an edited fastpath text request.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

transforming the response from the identified Web Service to audio, wherein the audio is forwarded in the forwarding the response from the identified Web Service to the client.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

discovering the first plurality of web services;

storing a registered indication of the first plurality of Web Services in a local registry of the MWSM, the registered indication identifying the first plurality of Web Services supported by the MWSM, the first plurality of Web Services comprising a second plurality of Web Services;

storing attributes of each of the first plurality of Web Services, the attributes comprising information describing interfaces of corresponding Web services; and

using the stored attributes and the registered indication to create the information for accessing Web Services of the first plurality of Web Services.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the MWSM comprises a voice transcription service for transforming audio into text, a fastpath parsing service for parsing fastpath text requests, a web service dispatcher for communicating between the client and web services of the first plurality of web services and a web service registry for storing a registered indication identifying the first plurality of Web Services supported by the MWSM.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the list request further comprises a set of user credentials further comprising:

determining the list based on a user predefined profile corresponding to the set of user credentials.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

based on not having a saved permission for the client to use the identified Web Service, negotiating client permission to use a second Web Service; and

based on obtaining permission, saving the negotiated permission for the client to use the second Web Service.