Web Services Data Transfer for Freight Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current freight management systems are inefficient and cumbersome due to their reliance on physical servers, which consume network bandwidth and hardware resources, require physical space, and incur additional expenses for maintenance and upkeep.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for web services-based data transfers that translates freight management service requests from SOAP format to JSON format compatible with mainframe databases, eliminating the need for intermediary physical servers and enabling direct communication between client devices and mainframe computing devices via cloud-based data power components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a physical freight management server is used to communicate with store computing systems and backend mainframe devices, then freight data can be processed and stored, but network bandwidth and hardware resources are consumed, physical space is occupied, and additional expenses for purchase and maintenance are incurred

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefreight data processing capabilityVSAvoidsystem infrastructure requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the freight management functionality from the physical server infrastructure and relocates it to the mainframe computing device. The mainframe directly receives service requests from store computing systems and loads freight data into its own databases, eliminating the need for the intermediary physical freight management server and reducing system infrastructure complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the freight management functions with the mainframe computing device by having the mainframe directly handle service requests, process freight data, and manage databases. This consolidation eliminates separate physical servers and reduces the overall system infrastructure while maintaining full freight data processing capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If a physical freight management server is deployed, then freight management functions can be performed, but physical space and additional expenses for purchase and maintenance are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefreight management function deliveryVSAvoidphysical hardware resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts freight management operations from physical server hardware and relocates them to the mainframe computing device's software environment. The mainframe directly performs service request handling, data processing, and database management without requiring separate physical servers, thereby delivering full freight management functionality while eliminating the need for additional physical hardware resources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses virtualization to create a virtual freight management environment within the mainframe computing device. Instead of deploying physical servers, the mainframe hosts virtual instances that provide the same freight management functions, eliminating the need for physical hardware while maintaining operational capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If a freight management server acts as middleware between store computing systems and backend mainframe devices, then data translation and communication can be facilitated, but network bandwidth is consumed and hardware resources are utilized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata format translation capabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the data translation function from the intermediary freight management server and relocates it to the mainframe computing device. The mainframe directly receives service requests from store computing systems, translates the data formats internally, and loads the processed data into its databases, eliminating the need for the intermediary server and reducing network bandwidth consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the freight management process into distinct functional components: service request reception at the mainframe, data translation within the mainframe environment, and database loading operations. This segmentation allows each function to be performed efficiently by the mainframe without requiring additional network communication through intermediary servers, thereby reducing overall network bandwidth consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10878031B2Web services-based data transfers for item management
Publication Date: 2020.12.29 WALMART APOLLO LLC
  • US10878031B2 patent drawing
  • US10878031B2 patent drawing
  • US10878031B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system and method is provided for a web services-based data transfers. A data power component translates a service request in a first format received from a first computing device into a translated service request in a second format compatible with a web service. The translated service request includes converted freight data associated with a set of items structured for storage within one or more database(s) associated with a second computing device. The translated service request is a request to load the freight data onto the database(s). The translated service request is transmitted to the web service. In response, the data power component receives a response from the web service indicating whether the freight data is successfully loaded onto the database(s). The data power component translates the response from the second format into the first format. The translated response is returned to the first computing device.