Content Integration Framework for Heterogeneous Protocol Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

The highly volatile and heterogeneous environment of information technology, characterized by diverse communication protocols, message exchange standards, and data formats, hampers efficient information exchange between disparate systems, necessitating a solution for adaptable, scalable, and maintainable interconnection of content provider platforms with clients.

Innovation Solution

A computer system with a client interface and a runtime module that maps content-provider-specific data formats and message flows to standardized formats, utilizing plug-ins to facilitate communication between clients and multiple content provider platforms, enabling transaction-oriented message exchange and supporting various proprietary protocols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If proprietary data exchange standards and communication protocols are used by content provider platforms, then each platform can maintain its own communication standards and data formats, but information exchange between disparate systems becomes hampered and system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatform independenceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an intermediary translation layer that sits between content provider platforms using proprietary protocols and the client interface. This translation layer automatically converts proprietary data formats and message flows into standardized formats, enabling communication between disparate systems without requiring each platform to change its own standards. The intermediary handles protocol translation, data format conversion, and message flow mapping transparently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a universal interface layer that can handle multiple proprietary protocols and data formats simultaneously. The translation mechanism is designed to be protocol-agnostic, supporting various content provider standards through a common architecture that provides unified access to clients regardless of the underlying platform's proprietary requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple content provider platforms with different protocols are integrated, then content variety and provider options increase, but integration difficulty and maintenance burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent varietyVSAvoidintegration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the integration challenge by creating independent, modular translation components for each content provider platform. Each proprietary protocol handler is implemented as a separate module that can be added, removed, or updated independently. This segmentation allows the system to support multiple content providers without requiring comprehensive reintegration, as each platform connection is handled by its own dedicated translation layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediary translation layer abstracts the complexity of multiple proprietary protocols, providing a unified interface to clients. The mediator handles all protocol-specific details, data format conversions, and message flow translations, shielding clients from the underlying complexity while enabling access to diverse content providers through a consistent interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If proprietary communication protocols are supported for each content provider, then provider-specific functionality is preserved, but response time and processing efficiency decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring translation rules and data format mappings for each proprietary protocol. The translation layer is pre-loaded with knowledge of various protocols' structures, required transformations, and expected message flows. This preliminary preparation enables the system to perform rapid conversions during actual communication, minimizing processing time while maintaining full protocol compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2897344B1Content integration framework
Publication Date: 2016.07.27 AMADEUS SAS
  • EP2897344B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2897344B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2897344B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A computer system for interconnecting content requesting clients (2) with a plurality of content provider platforms (3) offering content, the computer system comprising a client interface (5) arranged for transaction-oriented message exchange with the content requesting clients (2); a runtime module arranged to map content-provider-specific data formats and content-provider-specific message flows to data formats and message flows utilized by the client interface (5); and a plurality of content-provider-protocol-specific plug-ins (14), each content-provider-protocol-specific plug-in defining rules for a mapping between the content-provider-specific data formats and content-provider-specific message flows of at least one of the plurality of content provider platforms (3) and the data formats and message flows utilized by the client interface (5).