Method and apparatus for brokering server and device communications and computer-readable storage medium for executing the method

• US 9,485,321 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Man-seok, Kim, Tae-jeoung, Kim, Tae-wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US13/558,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20130125206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/2, 726/12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A method and apparatus for brokering a communication connection between a device and a push server for providing a push service irrespective of a protocol difference between the device and the push server, and a computer readable storage medium for executing the method. The method includes: authenticating a connection between at least one device and a brokering apparatus based on protocol information relating to the at least one device; and if data is received from the server when the at least one device is connected to the brokering apparatus, modifying the data received from the server based on a protocol relating to the at least one device, and transmitting the modified data to the at least one device, wherein the brokering apparatus performs the modifying.

Claims

1. A method for brokering a communication connection between at least one device and a server, the method comprising:

authenticating a connection between the at least one device and a brokering device based on protocol information relating to the at least one device;

connecting the at least one device and the brokering device based on a result of the authenticating;

if the brokering device receives data from the server, determining a target device among the at least one device connected to the brokering device based on the data;

determining, based on the protocol information relating to the target device, whether a protocol relating to the server is different from a protocol of the target device; and

in response to a determination being made that the protocol relating to the server is different from the protocol of the target device, modifying, by the brokering device, the data based on the protocol of the target device and transmitting the modified data to the target device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the brokering device, a selection signal which indicates at least one user device of a plurality of user devices connected to the brokering device from the at least one device; and

setting, by the brokering device, at least one target user device based on the received selection signal,

wherein the modifying of the data and the transmitting of the modified data to the target device comprise;

modifying the data received from the server based on a protocol relating to the at least one target user device and transmitting the modified data to the at least one target user device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

registering first device identification information received from the at least one device for which the connection to the brokering device is authenticated and application identification information in the brokering device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registering of the first device identification information and the application identification information is performed for each user,

wherein the at least one user device indicated by the selection signal relates to the first device identification information and the application identification information registered in the brokering device for each user.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if a request signal which includes second device identification information is received from the at least one device, modifying, by the brokering apparatus, the second device identification information based on a protocol relating to the server and transmitting, by the brokering device, the modified data to the server; and

if second device identification information allocated to the at least one device is received from the server, managing, by the brokering device, the received second device identification information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the managing of the received second device identification information comprises:

storing the received second device identification information in the brokering device, modifying the received second device identification information based on the protocol relating to the at least one device, and transmitting the modified data to the at least one device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the managing of the second device identification information comprises:

storing the received second device identification information in the brokering device, and transmitting the received second device identification information to an application server relating to the application identification information.

8. A brokering device for brokering a communication connection between at least one device and a server, the brokering device comprising:

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the at least one device;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the server and to receive data transmitted from the server; and

a processor configured to authenticate a connection with the at least one device via the first communication unit based on protocol information relating to the at least one device, to connect the at least one device and the brokering device based on a result of the authenticating, to determine a target device among the at least one device connected to the brokering device based on the data, and to determine, based on the protocol information relating to the target device, whether a protocol relating to the server is different from a protocol of the target device,

wherein in a determination being made that the protocol relating to the server is different from the protocol of the target device, the processor modifies the data based on the protocol of the target device and transmits, via the first communication unit, the modified data to the target device.

9. The brokering device of claim 8, wherein, if a selection signal which indicates at least one user device of a plurality of user devices connected to the first communication unit is received from the at least one device, the processor sets at least one target user device based on the received selection signal, and

if the data is received from the server via the second communication unit, the processor modifies the received data based on a protocol relating to the at least one target user device and transmits the modified data to the at least one target user device via the first communication unit.

10. The brokering device of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store at least one quantum of protocol information,

wherein the processor registers first device identification information received from the at least one device for which the connection via the first communication unit is authenticated and application identification information, and stores the registered information in the storage unit.

11. The brokering device of claim 10, wherein the processor registers the first device identification information and the application identification information for each user, and stores the registered information in the storage unit.

12. The brokering device of claim 10, wherein, if a request signal which includes second device identification information is received from the at least one device, the processor modifies the received second device identification information based on a protocol relating to the server and transmits the modified data to the server via the second communication unit;

and

if second device identification information is received from the server via the second communication unit, the processor manages the received second device identification information.

13. The brokering device of claim 12, wherein the processor manages the received second device identification information by storing the received second device identification information in the storage unit, modifying the second device identification information based on the protocol relating to the at least one device, and transmitting the modified data to the at least one device via the first communication unit.

14. The brokering device of claim 13, further comprising:

a third communication unit configured to communicate with an application server,

wherein the processor manages the received second device identification information by storing the received second device identification information in the storage unit, and transmitting the received second device identification information to the application server via the third communication unit.

15. The brokering device of claim 10, wherein the brokering device is embedded in the server, and the second communication unit is configured as an interface for transmitting and receiving data between the server and the brokering device.

16. A push service system comprising:

at least one device which receives push data;

an application server which provides the push data based on at least one application;

a push server which transmits the push data provided from the application server to the at least one device based on identification information allocated to the at least one device; and

a brokering device which brokers a communication connection between the at least one device and the push server by intercepting the transmitted push data, determining a target device among the at least one device connected to the brokering device, and determining, based on protocol information relating to the target device, whether a protocol relating to the push server is different from a protocol of the target device, and in response to a determination being made that the protocol relating to the server is different from the protocol of the target device, causes the push data to be transmitted from the push server to the target device irrespective of a protocol difference between the target device and the push server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the brokering device modifies the push data based on the protocol of the target device.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a program which, when executed by a computer, performs operations of:

causing a brokering device to authenticate a communication connection between at least one device and the brokering device based on protocol information relating to the at least one device, to connect the at least one device and the brokering device based on a result of the authenticating, to determine a target device among the at least one device connected to the brokering device based on data, when the data is received from the server, and to determine, based on the protocol information relating to the target device, whether a protocol relating to the server from which the data is being directed to the target device is different from a protocol of the target device; and

in response to a determination being made that the protocol relating to the server is different from the protocol of the target device, causing the brokering device to modify the data based on the protocol of the target device, and causing the brokering device to transmit the modified data to the target device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the program, when executed by the computer, further performs an operation of:

causing the brokering device to use a selection signal, which is received from the at least one device and which indicates at least one user device which is connected to the brokering device, for setting at least one target user device based on the received selection signal,

wherein the modifying of the data comprises modifying the data received from the server based on a protocol relating to the at least one target user device, and wherein the transmitting of the modified data comprises transmitting the modified data to the at least one target user device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the program, when executed by the computer, further performs an operation of causing the brokering device to register application identification information and first device identification information relating to the at least one device.