Computer language for defining business conversations

US7165113B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P. · US

Inventors

• Alan H. Karp · Palo Alto, US
• Kannan Govindarajan · Fremont, US
• Gregory Pogossiants · Palo Alto, US
• Scott Williams · San Anselmo, US
• Claudio Bartolini · Palo Alto, US
• Shamik Sharma · Sunnyvale, US
• Arindam Banerji · Sunnyvale, US
• Dorothea Beringer · Portola Valley, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 28, 2001
• Grant date: Jan 16, 2007
• Expiry date: Jan 2, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L69/329
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A conversation definition language (CDL) is disclosed that programmers may use to define sequences of interactions for communicating with a web service to facilitate use of the web service. CDL enables web services provided by different entities to engage in flexible and autonomous interactions. Using CDL, services can communicate by exchanging messages, and the message exchanges are expected to follow a specific pattern (i.e., a conversation). CDL is used to define the conversation, such that a service may expect a particular message in response to transmitting a particular message. CDL includes document type descriptions, interactions and transitions for describing a conversation. The document type descriptions describe the messages that may be exchanged. The interactions describe the type of actions (e.g., receive and/or transmit a message) that may be performed, and the transitions describe the possible sequences of the interactions.