US6199068B1 — Mapping interface for a distributed server to tra…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 149 words

In a computer system, a canonical mapper to translate an input file from an input domain to an output domain, said canonical mapper comprising: a canons utility which builds a canon, said canon being a tree relating all data attributes within a domain of information, and said domain being a collection of data that has a same data format; a maps utility which creates input and output maps that specify the translation from said input domain to said output domain, said input map being a data structure that describes a format of said input domain, and said output map being a data structure that describes a format of said output domain; and a translator utility which performs the translation of said input file to an output file in accordance with said canon and aid input and output maps, wherein said input domain and said output domain have differing formats.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 149 words

In a computer system, a canonical mapper to translate an input file from an input domain to an output domain, said canonical mapper comprising: a canons utility which builds a canon, said canon being a tree relating all data attributes within a domain of information, and said domain being a collection of data that has a same data format; a maps utility which creates input and output maps that specify the translation from said input domain to said output domain, said input map being a data structure that describes a format of said input domain, and said output map being a data structure that describes a format of said output domain; and a translator utility which performs the translation of said input file to an output file in accordance with said canon and aid input and output maps, wherein said input domain and said output domain have differing formats.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 1 , wherein said canonical mapper converts files over at least two mapped subdomains, said at least two mapped subdomains having the same root domain.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 41 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 1 , wherein said input map and said output map are derivation trees, and said canonical mapper utilizes said input map and said output map to build a scanner/parser for said input file domain.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 3 , wherein said canonical mapper traverses said input map to parse data from said input file into a canonical list.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 51 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 4 , wherein said canonical mapper maps from said canonical list to said output domain to generate said output file by traversing said output map and re-interpreting a corresponding element in said canonical list such that said corresponding element conforms to said output domain.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 46 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 1 , wherein said canon comprises an abstract template that describes a structure of said domain of information, said canon being structured as a tree comprising canonical elements that are used to interpret data contained within said input file.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 6 , wherein each canonical element is an abstraction, and canonical elements nested below higher level canonical elements is subsequently defined in terms of less abstract elements until resolving to a concrete element.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 7 , wherein relationships exist when said domain contains data that is dependent upon other data in said domain.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 23 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 6 , wherein said canonical elements are assigned attributes that define qualities of said canonical elements.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 43 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 6 , wherein said input map and said output map are created in accordance with said canon, and wherein said input map and said output map describe the intended output in terms of said canonical elements.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 47 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 10 , wherein said input map defines a function of each component of said input file in terms of said canon, and said output map defines a function of each component of said output file in terms of said canon.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 11 , wherein said input and output maps farther comprise attributes that define said canonical elements, tokens that represent values, and actions that define the format said canonical elements.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 58 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 12 , wherein said attributes comprise element types and modifiers, wherein said element types include group elements that are canonical elements that have nested canonical elements and result elements contain a specific value, and wherein said modifiers are associated with said group elements and are conditional statements about said group element.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 20 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 13 , wherein said conditional statements comprise optional, repeating, group results, and mandatory.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 28 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 13 , wherein said tokens are defined for said result elements and represent said specific value based on said input file.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 50 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an interactive translator utility to test the actual translation of said input file to be mapped for the translation process, said test being performed in accordance with said canon, said input map, said output map, and said input file.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 18 words

The canonical mapper as recited in claim 1 , wherein said translator utility runs in a headless mode.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of mapping an input file having an input domain to an output file having an output domain using a canonical mapper, said canonical mapper comprising a canons utility, a maps utility and a translator utility, wherein a domain is a collection of data having a same format, said method comprising: creating a canon using said canons utility, said canon comprising canonical elements; creating input and output maps using said maps utility in accordance with said anon to perform the conversion of said input file to said output file; and mapping the information from said input map to said output map to create said output file using said translator utility.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of mapping an input file having an input domain to an output file having an output domain using a canonical mapper, said canonical mapper comprising a canons utility, a maps utility and a translator utility, wherein a domain is a collection of data having a same format, said method comprising: creating a canon using said canons utility, said canon comprising canonical elements; creating input and output maps using said maps utility in accordance with said anon to perform the conversion of said input file to said output file; and mapping the information from said input map to said output map to create said output file using said translator utility.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 59 words

The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein said creating a canon comprises: defining said canonical elements such that said canonical elements have a hierarchical structure, said hierarchical structure having a root and children nested under said root; defining children of said root, said children defining specific information about said root; and defining relationships of said canonical elements.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 76 words

The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein said creating input and output maps comprises: selecting each component of said input file and defining its function in terms of said canon; defining attributes about said canonical elements; defining tokens, said tokens specifying a format of the results of mapping said input file using said input and output maps; and defining actions to structure the appearance of portions of said input file or said output file.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 72 words

The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein said defining attributes about said canonical elements comprises: defining modifiers for said canonical elements, said modifiers determining if a value of a particular canonical element is required, if said value appears more than once, if said canonical element includes a series of said values, or if said canonical element is required; and defining identifiers, said identifiers being constant values within said input file.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein said mapping the information from said input map to said output map to create said output file further comprises testing the conversion.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 209 words

In a server residing within a multi-layered distributed software architecture that receives and processes data, said server comprising a data repository to store said data, at least one external interface to communicate with systems external of said server, a services subsystem comprising distributed services, said distributed services running on application servers within said distributed architecture, middleware software to facilitate scalability, transaction processing, and mapping of objects to said data repository, and application frameworks to facilitate access to said data repository and the creation of processes compliant with said middleware software, a canonical mapper server comprising: a canons utility which builds a canon, said canon being a tree relating all data attributes within a domain of information, and said domain being a collection of data that has a same data format; a maps utility which creates input and output maps that specify the translation from said input domain to said output domain, said input map being a data structure that describes a format of said input domain, and said output map being a data structure that describes a format of said output domain; and a translator utility to perform the translation of said input file to an output file, wherein said input domain and said output domain have differing formats.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 209 words

In a server residing within a multi-layered distributed software architecture that receives and processes data, said server comprising a data repository to store said data, at least one external interface to communicate with systems external of said server, a services subsystem comprising distributed services, said distributed services running on application servers within said distributed architecture, middleware software to facilitate scalability, transaction processing, and mapping of objects to said data repository, and application frameworks to facilitate access to said data repository and the creation of processes compliant with said middleware software, a canonical mapper server comprising: a canons utility which builds a canon, said canon being a tree relating all data attributes within a domain of information, and said domain being a collection of data that has a same data format; a maps utility which creates input and output maps that specify the translation from said input domain to said output domain, said input map being a data structure that describes a format of said input domain, and said output map being a data structure that describes a format of said output domain; and a translator utility to perform the translation of said input file to an output file, wherein said input domain and said output domain have differing formats.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 35 words

The server as recited in claim 23 , wherein said canonical mapper server resides in a mapping subsystem which provides for customization of file formats for exporting data from and importing data to said server.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 33 words

The server as recited in claim 24 , further comprising a mapping interface server that interfaces with said canonical mapper, wherein said mapping interface server provides middleware service requests from said services subsystems.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 55 words

The server as recited in claim 25 , wherein said mapping interface server interfaces with the canonical mapper server using a socket connection, and wherein said mapping interface server provides a service that allows a service in said services subsystem to specify said input file, said input map, said output file, and said output map.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 23 words

The server as recited in claim 23 , wherein said input map and said output map are created in accordance with said canon.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2004-03-05	2004-09-04	2005-03-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2008-03-05	2008-09-04	2009-03-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2012-03-05	2012-09-04	2013-03-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Mapping interface for a distributed server to translate between dissimilar file formats

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