US007693953B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7.693,953 B2 Middleton et al. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 6, 2010 (54) PROVIDINGWEB SERVICES FOR WIRELESS 2006/0072531 A1 4/2006 Ewing et al. COMMUNICATION DEVICES 2006/0209868 A1* 9/2006 Callaghan ................... 370,428 2006/0242073 A1 10, 2006 Padawer et al. (75) Inventors: Justin Middleton, San Francisco, CA 2007,0006277 Al 2007 Mills et al. (US); Alex Rainous, Redwood City, CA 2008/0172458 A1 7/2008 Middleton (US) OTHER PUBLICATIONS PCT Search Report mailed Jun. 26, 2008, 3 Pages. (73) Assignee: Msion Corporation, Redmond, WA Written Opinion mailed Jun. 26, 2008, 6 Pages. * cited by examiner (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Primary Examiner-un-Yi Lao U.S.C. 154(b) by 472 days. Assistant Examiner—Mong-Thuy Tran (21) Appl. No.: 11/653,661 (57) ABSTRACT (22) Filed: Jan. 12, 2007 A system and method a described for interfacing a wireless device with a plurality of web services including social net (65) Prior Publication Data working web services. For example, a system according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a system for US 2008/0172496 A1 Jul 17, 2008 interfacing a wireless device with a plurality of web services comprising a web service proxy having an API to allow other (51) Int. Cl. modules to interface with the web service proxy; a plurality of G06F 5/16 (2006.01) web services adapters interfaced with the web services proxy (52) U.S. Cl. ........................ 709/207; 455/466; 370/338 through the API, each one of the web services adapters CO (58) Field of Classification Search ................. 455/466; figured to communicate with a particular web service using 709/207; 370/338 the specific communication formats required by that web See application file for complete search history. service; wherein the web services adapters and the web ser vices proxy convert between the communication formats (56) References Cited employed to communicate with each of the web services and U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS a wireless communication format, the wireless communica ck tion format being a different format than the communication 2. 5. g f 2. E.et al - - - - - - - - - - - - - 709/250 formats required by each of the web services, thereby 20030004744 Al 1, 2003 GON et al. enabling bi-directional communication between the wireless 2004/0137921 A1 7/2004 Valloppillil et al. device and the plurality of web services. 2005/0091309 A1 4/2005 Bookman et al. ........... TO9,203 2006, OO23674 A1 2/2006 Goring et al. 13 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets 38 & Sociatewar:g Yaccess Services & Service are: &.g., Ky&saces: St: U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 1 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 &eyes: 30 Staticiare: 88:8: it:8:8: 88x8sis Aggsiata s $88 S&isite 3. U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 2 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 23. jet S:twice 8:a::ies :38 233 Staxis: Yasies: i: &rices 8te: $8wice 308 8 287 third party i&is Series Kofiastic: 8&isa stegiesion *roxy Froxy 3:38te:::::: Fig. 2 U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 3 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 ic: ::: S:8 wice:s 3. A ei: Servixes axy 3. s $x: Sq: Network:g 8twixkg 3efax8 Services ¥883. Sewice Agiasis: vie: Sixvices 88: Services liais: &:38:8; A:a:: 33; ki: Sey:& Six i --> is spatcher --- ; c. 38 praxy 333. Fig. 3 U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 4 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 Fig. 4 U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 5 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 Fig. 5c U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 6 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 i:8 8:888 gig::::::::::8: 88:8 U.S. Patent Apr. 6, 2010 Sheet 8 of 8 US 7.693,953 B2 8. Service receives seria is searchitg ic: cter users 8. Service receives iocation equirements 803 Service searches of uses teeting the citesia and exation extire eats Seiwice eit is804 site 888: 88sis- - - - - - - , Fig. 8 US 7,693.953 B2 1. 2 PROVIDINGWEB SERVICES FORWIRELESS nessmen will refer friends to other businessmen (e.g., COMMUNICATION DEVICES exchanging business cards). In casual life, persons will attend parties of a friend in order to connect and build relationships TECHNICAL FIELD with the friends friends. Within the last ten years, social networking through the This application relates generally to the field of data pro Internet has become popular. A variety of services are pro cessing systems and more particularly, to providing web ser vided by Social networking sites which allow users to com vices for wireless communication devices. municate and exchange information including, for example, Instant Messaging, E-Mail messaging, Message Boards, BACKGROUND 10 photo sharing services, etc. Recently, social networking sites such as MySpace(R), LinkedIn R, and Yahoo! (R. Local have Many people access Internet content and Web Services become a popular choice for Social networking. To improve from a wireless communication device (e.g., a cellular tele Social networking, MySpace(R) includes, for example, per phone or PDA) so that they are not restricted to a personal Sonal Web pages for each user including profiles, blogs, pic computer with an Internet connection. Most wireless com 15 tures, videos, a “shoutbox,” instant messaging, a list of munication devices retrieve Internet content and Web Ser “friends' (other users on the MySpace(R) network that allow vices in one of two different ways: use of a Web browser or each other communications between the two users), e-mail use of a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) application. capabilities, bulletin boards, and calendars. To use the Social High power wireless communication devices often include networking services, a user logs into the services website a Web browser (e.g., Windows(R) Explorer) so that informa (e.g., MySpace.com) from his or her personal computer. tion can be retrieved from an Internet site on the device just as Mobile devices currently provide access to social networking if the user was at a personal computer. One problem with the sites through a Web browser or WAP application. use of Web browsers on wireless devices, though, is that the devices require a lot of processing power and bandwidth to SUMMARY handle and convert the large amount of data exchanged so as 25 to be compatible with the Internet site and the wireless device. Providing web services for wireless communication In order to overcome processing and network bandwidth devices is described for interfacing a wireless device with a restraints posed by a Web browser, many wireless communi plurality of web services including Social networking web cation devices retrieve Internet content and Web Services services. For example, a system according to one embodi using an application that follows the Wireless Application 30 ment of providing web services for wireless communication Protocol (WAP). WAP applications allow devices to connect devices comprises a system for interfacing a wireless device to a Web server, but require less processing power and use less with a plurality of web services comprising a web service network bandwidth than a typical Web browser. For example, proxy having an API to allow other modules to interface with the social networking site MySpace(R) currently provides a the web service integration proxy; a plurality of web services Web Services proxy that can be connected to through the use 35 adapters interfaced with the web services proxy through the of a WAP application in order for a user of a wireless com API, each one of the web services adapters configured to munication device to connect to MySpace(R). communicate with a particular web service using the specific A Web Services proxy may be updated to add new features communication formats required by that web service; the for Web applications and/or to fix problems. One problem, wireless communication format being a different format than though, with current WAP applications is that they become 40 the communication formats required by each of the web ser useless if the associated Web Services proxy is updated. That vices; wherein the web services adapters and the web services is, the WAP application is hard coded so as to be compatible proxy convert between the communication formats employed with the previous version of the Web Services proxy. Hence, to communicate with each of the web services and the wire when the Web Service proxy is updated the WAP application less communication format, thereby enabling bi-directional may be unable to connect to the new version of the Web 45 communication between the wireless device and the plurality Services proxy. As a result, the WAP application on a device of web services. must typically be updated when a Web Services proxy is updated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Updating every WAP application (e.g., updating every cel lular telephone of a Cellular Telephone Service Provider) can 50 A better understanding of providing web services for wire be very costly and consume large portions of network band less communication devices can be obtained from the follow width. In addition, device applications implemented through ing detailed description in conjunction with the following WAP applications can require multiple requests from the drawings, in which: device to the Web Services proxy, tying up valuable band FIG. 1 illustrates a service communicating with a data width. Furthermore, the communication protocol employed 55 processing device according to one embodiment of the inven to allow a WAP application and a Web Services proxy to tion. communicate is an inefficient (“chatty”) format based on the FIG.