Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for establishing and maintaining conversational status among communicating endpoints in a transaction processing system, said system including a plurality of terminals, a data communication component (DCC) connected to the terminals, and a transaction processor (XP) for exchanging message data with the DCC for transmission to selected terminals, comprising the steps of: ascertaining, at the DCC, whether a transaction initiated by a message produced at a terminal and forwarded to the XP through the DCC is synchronous or asynchronous; passing said ascertained transaction from the DCC to the XP for generation of a response; and processing the responses to synchronous transactions in progress while buffering the responses to asynchronous transactions until said responses to said synchronous transactions are extinguished.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for establishing and maintaining conversational status among communicating endpoints in a transaction processing system, said system including a plurality of terminals, a data communication component (DCC) connected to the terminals, and a transaction processor (XP) for exchanging message data with the DCC for transmission to selected terminals, comprising the steps of: ascertaining, at the DCC, whether a transaction initiated by a message produced at a terminal and forwarded to the XP through the DCC is synchronous or asynchronous; passing said ascertained transaction from the DCC to the XP for generation of a response; and processing the responses to synchronous transactions in progress while buffering the responses to asynchronous transactions until said responses to said synchronous transactions are extinguished.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
106 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said processing and buffering step includes, for each response: identifying a terminal to which said response is to be transmitted; ascertaining whether said response has been generated as a result of a synchronous transaction initiated by said terminal; and passing said response to said DCC for transmission to said identified terminal before transmission of another response to said identified terminal if said response has been generated as a result of a synchronous transaction; otherwise queuing said response to said DCC for transmission to said identified terminal after transmission of a response generated as a result of any in-process synchronous transaction.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for synchronous transaction processing in an asynchronously-operated transaction processing system in which a plurality of terminals exchange messages with a transaction processor (XP) through a data communication component (DCC), said XP including plural application processes which support terminal-initiated transactions by generating responses to message-borne transaction codes, comprising the steps of: ascertaining at the DCC whether a message from a terminal will initiate a transaction which is synchronous or asynchronous; when a transaction is determined to be synchronous, executing against a data object associated with said terminal to provide an indication in said data object of said synchronous transaction; passing said ascertained transactions to the XP from the DCC for generation of responses; and in reaction to each response generated for said terminal by the XP: examining said data object to ascertain whether a synchronous transaction has been initiated; and if a synchronous transaction has been initiated, transmitting only a response included in said synchronous transaction to the terminal, and buffering all other responses for transmission to said terminal after the completion of said synchronous transaction; otherwise transmitting said response to the terminal.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for synchronous transaction processing in an asynchronously-operated transaction processing system in which a plurality of terminals exchange messages with a transaction processor (XP) through a data communication component (DCC), said XP including plural application processes which support terminal-initiated transactions by generating responses to message-borne transaction codes, comprising the steps of: ascertaining at the DCC whether a message from a terminal will initiate a transaction which is synchronous or asynchronous; when a transaction is determined to be synchronous, executing against a data object associated with said terminal to provide an indication in said data object of said synchronous transaction; passing said ascertained transactions to the XP from the DCC for generation of responses; and in reaction to each response generated for said terminal by the XP: examining said data object to ascertain whether a synchronous transaction has been initiated; and if a synchronous transaction has been initiated, transmitting only a response included in said synchronous transaction to the terminal, and buffering all other responses for transmission to said terminal after the completion of said synchronous transaction; otherwise transmitting said response to the terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 3, wherein said buffering includes placing said other responses in an asynchronous message queue.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of Claim 4 further including, after transmitting any response, inspecting said asynchronous message queue and, if said asynchronous message queue contains at least one response, dequeuing and transmitting a response from said asynchronous message queue.