Structured Data Schemas for Dynamic API Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems between computing devices require extensive documentation and knowledge of APIs to perform thorough testing, which becomes cumbersome when APIs change or are updated, limiting the ability to perform extensive testing without knowing the internal functioning of the device.
Innovation Solution
A provider device transmits structured data schemas, such as JSON schemas, that specify how to utilize APIs, allowing requestor devices to generate and execute API commands without needing separate documentation, enabling dynamic and self-updating communication based on the structured data schemas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive documentation and knowledge of APIs are required for thorough testing, then testing completeness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to the cumbersome nature of maintaining and updating documentation
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service testing by having the provider device automatically generate and transmit structured data schemas that contain all necessary API information. Requestor devices can autonomously retrieve these schemas and generate test commands without requiring external documentation or expert knowledge, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining testing completeness
Solution Approach 2:
Structured data schemas act as an intermediary between the provider device's APIs and the requestor device's testing functionality. These schemas translate complex API specifications into an accessible format that requestor devices can automatically process, eliminating the need for separate documentation while preserving thorough testing capabilities
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate documentation is used to describe API functionality, then adaptability to API changes is improved, but loss of time increases due to the need to update and synchronize documentation with API changes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the API specification and its documentation into a single structured data schema that is dynamically generated from the actual API definitions. This eliminates the separate documentation layer that requires synchronization, allowing the system to adapt to API changes automatically without time-consuming updates, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The provider device performs preliminary action by pre-generating and transmitting structured data schemas that contain complete API information before any testing occurs. When APIs change, new schemas are automatically generated and transmitted in advance, ensuring requestor devices always have current information without requiring manual documentation updates
3Measurement precision
If internal knowledge of device functioning is required for extensive testing, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for detailed internal understanding
Solution Approach 1:
Structured data schemas serve as an intermediary that provides precise API specifications without requiring requestor devices to understand internal device complexity. The schemas contain all necessary information for precise testing while abstracting away the complex internal workings of the provider device, thus maintaining measurement precision without increasing apparent complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A provider device includes structured data schemas, which may be JSON schemas, that correspond to APIs. A requestor device connects to the provider device and the provider device transmits available schemas. The requestor device receives the available schemas and transmits a communication request that asks for one or more of the available schemas. The provider device receives the communication request, formats information regarding APIs according to the specified schemas, and transmits the formatted information. The formatted information specifies how the requestor device can utilize the APIs. The requestor device generates one or more API commands by processing the formatted data and transmits the API commands to the provider device. The provider device then receives and performs the API commands. Subsequently, the provider device may transmit results to the requestor device, which may evaluate the results.