US5329619A — Cooperative processing interface and communicatio…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 159 words

A communication system for managing communication of messages among a plurality of participants in a computing environment, the participants including a server residing on a first computer, and a client residing on a second computer, the first and second computers being heterogeneous, the client and server sending messages to each other, the messages including a request from the client for a service, and the server providing a service, the participants being connected by a physical network with a network protocol, said system comprising: a protocol independent communications transport layer, said transport layer having a low level application programming interface (LAPI) and accepting messages from the participants via the LAPI and said transport layer communicating with the physical network via the network protocol; and a service broker, said service broker receiving the service request from the client and determining if the service provided by the server matches the service request, and, if so, communicating the service request to the server.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 159 words

A communication system for managing communication of messages among a plurality of participants in a computing environment, the participants including a server residing on a first computer, and a client residing on a second computer, the first and second computers being heterogeneous, the client and server sending messages to each other, the messages including a request from the client for a service, and the server providing a service, the participants being connected by a physical network with a network protocol, said system comprising: a protocol independent communications transport layer, said transport layer having a low level application programming interface (LAPI) and accepting messages from the participants via the LAPI and said transport layer communicating with the physical network via the network protocol; and a service broker, said service broker receiving the service request from the client and determining if the service provided by the server matches the service request, and, if so, communicating the service request to the server.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 27 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for storing and forwarding the messages to provide asynchronous communication between the client and the server.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 47 words

The system of claim 2 wherein said store and forward means includes a message queue maintained by said service broker, said message queue storing the messages and associating with each message the identity of the participant to which the message is to be communicated by said broker.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for conducting a conversational communication session between the client and the server, said conversational communication session comprising a plurality of messages from the client to the server, including the service request, and a corresponding plurality of responsive messages from the server to the client.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 4 wherein said conversational communication means includes means for enabling the server to conduct concurrently a plurality of asynchronous conversational communication sessions with the client.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 4 wherein said service broker includes means for monitoring a conversational communication session and terminating the session upon the passage of a predetermined time without message activity by the participants.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

The system of claim 4 wherein the computing environment further includes a second client and wherein said conversational communication means includes means for enabling the server to conduct concurrently a plurality of conversational communication sessions with the client and the second client.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

The system of claim 4 wherein the computing environment further includes a second server and wherein said conversational communication session means includes means for enabling the client to conduct concurrently a plurality of conversational communication sessions with the server and the second server.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 55 words

The system of claim 8 wherein said concurrent session means comprises means for uniquely identifying each communication session with a session identification, and a message queue for storing messages to be communicated between the participants, each message in said message queue having associated therewith the session identification of the communication session to which it pertains.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 40 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for, establishing a reliable communication session that can be recovered without loss of any messages upon interruption caused by termination of the client or server of said service broker.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 82 words

The system of claim 10 wherein said reliable communication means comprises means for uniquely identifying each communication session with a session identification, and a message queue for storing messages to be communicated between the participants, each message in said message queue having associated therewith the session identification of the communication session to which it pertains, each message in said message queue being stored on a reliable medium until communicated by said service broker to the participant to which the message is addressed.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the service request is in a higher-level format than the LAPI and further including means for converting the higher-level format service request to the LAPI.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 14 words

The system of claim 12 wherein said higher-level format is a parameter string format.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 112 words

The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication data structure including a participant control block (PCB) for the client and a PCB for the server, each of said client PCB and said server PCB including information identifying the respective participant, and a service control block (SCB) for the service offered by the server, said SCB including information identifying the offered service and being linked to said server PCB, wherein the service request identifies the service requested and said service broker determines whether the service request matches the service offered by the server by determining if the service identified in the service request is the same as that identified in said SCB.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 54 words

The system of claim 14 further comprising a set of user functions, said user functions including a REGISTER function, said REGISTER function including the identity of the server and the identity of the offered service, said service broker creating said SCB in response to receiving a message including said REGISTER function from the server.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 62 words

The system of claim 14 wherein said service broker establishes a communication session between the client and the server in response to the service request and associates therewith a unique session identification, and wherein said communication data structure further includes a communication control block (CCB) linked to said client PCB, said server PCB, said SCB, and said CCB including said session identification.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system of claim 1 further comprising a set of user functions, said user functions including a SEND function, the client making the service request by sending a message to said service broker including said SEND function.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 17 wherein said SEND function has a WAIT parameter and a communication identification (CONVID) parameter.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 18 wherein said service broker initiates a conversational communication session when the client sends a message to said service broker including said SEND function and setting said CONVID parameter to a first value, said service broker assigning a unique communication session identification to said conversational communication session.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 49 words

The system of claim 19 wherein said service broker conveys said communication session identification to the client and the client identifies a further message relating to said communication session by including in said further message said SEND function with said CONVID parameter set to equal said communication session identification.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system of claim 18 wherein said service broker initiates a non-conversational communication session when the client sends a message to said service broker including said SEND function and setting said CONVID parameter to a second value and sets said WAIT parameter to a first value.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 55 words

The system of claim 18 wherein said service broker conveys a message from the client to the server without establishing a communication session when the client sends said message to said service broker including said SEND function and setting said CONVID parameter to a second value and sets said WAIT parameter to a second value.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 17 further comprising a communication data structure including a message queue to store the service request and other messages for communication to the participants.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 157 words

The system of claim 23 wherein said set of user functions further includes a REGISTER function, said REGISTER function including the identity of the server and the identity of the offered service, said communication data structure further including a participant control block (PCB) for the client and a PCB for the server, each of said client PCB and said server PCB including information identifying the respective participant, and a service control block (SCB) for the service offered by the server, said SCB including information identifying the offered service and being linked to said server PCB, said service broker creating said SCB in response to receiving a message including said REGISTER function from the server, wherein the service request identifies the service requested and said service broker determines whether the service request matches the service offered by the server by determining if the service identified in the service request is the same as that identified in said SCB.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 165 words

A method for managing communication among participants in a computing environment, the participants including a server residing on a first computer and a client residing on a second computer, the first and second computers being heterogeneous, the client and server sending messages to each other, the messages including a request from the client for a service, and the server providing a service, the participants being connected by a physical network with a network protocol, said method comprising the steps of: disposing between the participants and the physical network a protocol independent communications transport layer having a lower level application interface (LAPI) and communicating with the physical network via the network protocol; placing a service broker in communication with the participants by said transport layer; communicating the service request from the client to said service broker; said service broker determining whether the requested service is provided by the server and, if so; said service broker communicating the service request from said service broker to the server.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 165 words

A method for managing communication among participants in a computing environment, the participants including a server residing on a first computer and a client residing on a second computer, the first and second computers being heterogeneous, the client and server sending messages to each other, the messages including a request from the client for a service, and the server providing a service, the participants being connected by a physical network with a network protocol, said method comprising the steps of: disposing between the participants and the physical network a protocol independent communications transport layer having a lower level application interface (LAPI) and communicating with the physical network via the network protocol; placing a service broker in communication with the participants by said transport layer; communicating the service request from the client to said service broker; said service broker determining whether the requested service is provided by the server and, if so; said service broker communicating the service request from said service broker to the server.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 107 words

The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of creating a communication data structure, said data structure including a participant control block (PCB) for the client and a PCB for the server, said client PCB and said server PCB including information identifying the respective participants, and a service control block (SCB) for the service offered by the server, said SCB including information identifying the offered service and being linked to said server PCB, wherein the service request identifies the service requested, said determining step comprising said service broker determining if the service identified in the service request is the same as that identified in said SCB.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-07-11	1998-01-10	1998-07-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-07-11	2002-01-10	2002-07-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-07-11	2006-01-10	2006-07-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Cooperative processing interface and communication broker for heterogeneous computing environments

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