Web Services API Translation Layer for Collaboration Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Collaboration systems that use proprietary communication protocols restrict access to content items, limiting the ability of third-party developers to create client components that can interact with collaboration server components.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a computing system that uses a web services API to invoke methods of a language-dependent API of a client component in a collaboration system, allowing it to communicate with a collaboration server component using a proprietary protocol, and subsequently sending a web services response with data obtained from the server component, enabling access to content items while maintaining protocol exclusivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a proprietary communication protocol is used between collaboration server components and client components, then security and control over the collaboration system is maintained, but access to content items is restricted and third-party developers cannot freely develop new client components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidaccessibility to content items

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a translation layer that acts as an intermediary between the proprietary collaboration protocol and standard web services protocols. This translation layer receives requests in one protocol format, translates them to the collaboration system's proprietary protocol, and translates responses back to web services format, enabling third-party access while maintaining the original proprietary protocol's security and control mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal interface layer that enables multiple protocols (proprietary collaboration protocol and standard web services protocols) to access the same content items. This universal interface allows both internal collaboration clients and external third-party applications to access content items through a common mechanism, enhancing versatility without compromising the underlying proprietary protocol

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a proprietary communication protocol is used between collaboration server components and client components, then control over the collaboration system is maintained, but new client components cannot be freely developed by other software developers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol over systemVSAvoiddevelopment of client components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The translation layer serves as an intermediary that abstracts the proprietary protocol details from third-party developers. Developers can use standard web services protocols to access content items without needing to understand or implement the proprietary collaboration protocol, significantly easing client component development while maintaining the original protocol's control mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a virtual copy or representation of the proprietary protocol interface in terms of standard web services protocols. This allows third-party developers to work with familiar standard protocols while the translation layer handles the actual communication using the proprietary protocol, making development easier without sacrificing control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If access to content items is restricted through proprietary protocols, then security is maintained, but interoperability between different systems is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidinteroperability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The translation layer acts as a security-preserving intermediary that enables interoperability between systems using different protocols. It allows external systems using standard web services protocols to access content items stored by the collaboration system while maintaining the security controls of the original proprietary protocol through the translation mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8701127B2Web services access to content items stored by collaboration systems

Publication Date: 2014.04.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A computing system receives a web services request to invoke a method of web Application Programming Interface (API). In response to receiving the web services request, the computing system invokes a method of a language-dependent API of a client component in a collaboration system. The client component communicates with a collaboration server component in the collaboration system using a proprietary communications protocol. The method of the language-dependent API is a method to obtain data from the collaboration server component. After invoking the method, the computing system sends a web services response whose contents depend on the data obtained from the collaboration server component.