USOO8606845B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,606,845 B2 Dickinson et al. (45) Date of Patent: *Dec. 10, 2013 (54) RSS FEED GENERATOR 2005/0094779 A1* 5/2005 Kleinfelter et al. ........ 379.88.12 2005/O131750 A1 6/2005 Kogan et al. 2005/O165615 A1 7, 2005 Minar (75) Inventors: Richard L. Dickinson, Seattle, WA 2005, 0198021 A1 9, 2005 Wilcox et al. (US); Michaeljon Miller, Bellevue, WA 2005/0267973 A1* 12/2005 Carlson et al. ................ TO9,228 (US) 2006/0173985 A1* 8, 2006 Moore ........... TO9,223 2006/0217126 A1* 9, 2006 Sohm et al. ... 455.454 (73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA 2007/0094390 A1* 4/2007 Nussey ......................... 709,225 (US) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 WO WO2005089.336 9, 2005 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1343 days. WO WO2005098675 10/2005 This patent is Subject to a terminal dis OTHER PUBLICATIONS claimer. Santo, Addy. "Santomania:Introducing BlogWave'. http://blogs. msdn.com/asanto/archive/2004/07/21/190667.aspx, Mar. 29, 2006.* (21) Appl. No.: 11/323,226 “Enterprise RSS: A Web Services Framework for Creating and Man aging RSS in the Enterprise', MyST Technological Partmers. Tech (22) Filed: Dec. 30, 2005 nical Brief, published: Mar. 2005.* Stone, Biz. “Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content”. New Riders Publishing, publication date: Sep. 11, 2002. ISBN-10: (65) Prior Publication Data O-7357-1299-9.* US 2007/O1568.09 A1 Jul. 5, 2007 “RSS 2.0 Specification (UserLand)'. UserLand Software. Address: http://www.rssboard.org/rss-2-0, publication date: Aug. 19, 2002.* (51) Int. Cl. (Continued) G06F 15/16 (2006.01) G06F 7/30 (2006.01) Primary Examiner — Ashok Patel (52) U.S. Cl. Assistant Examiner — Kevin Bechtel USPC ........................................... 709/203; 707/706 (58) Field of Classification Search (57) ABSTRACT USPC .......... 709/201 208, 217 219; 707/705 713, A really simple syndication (RSS) feed generator provides a 707/758 759 user access to a set of data in the form of an RSS feed See application file for complete search history. containing an object. The RSS feed generator allows the user to generate a feed definition using any of a user interface, a (56) References Cited web based application programming interface, and an HTTP request. The RSS feed generator uses the feed definition U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS provided by the user to generate the RSS feed and exposes the RSS feed in the form of RSS XML data. The RSS feed 6,807,558 B1 10/2004 Hassett et al. 2002/0115447 A1* 8, 2002 Martin et al. ................. 455,456 generator allows a business system to dynamically update the 2004/0225648 A1* 11/2004 Ransom et al. .. set of data contained in the RSS feed in a manner that allows 2004/0225,749 A1* 11/2004 Pavlik et al. .................. 709/245 a user to perform a plurality of functions on the RSS feed. 2005/0038717 A1 2/2005 McQueen et al. 2005.0075097 A1 4/2005 Lehikoinen et al. 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets 21 Database 200 RSS Feed Generator Publisher RSS Feed Definition Web Interface Module Client 208 US 8,606,845 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited “Urchin RSS Aggregator.” http://urchin. Sourceforge.net/. OTHER PUBLICATIONS “Introducing BlogWave!” Santomania, Jul. 2004. Addys, http:// “Traction Teampage and Communicator Features.” Traction Soft blogs.msdn.com/asanto/archive/2004/07/21/190667.aspx. ware, Inc., 2005, http://www.tractionsoftware.com/prod features. html. * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Dec. 10, 2013 Sheet 1 of 6 US 8,606,845 B2 FIG. 1 U.S. Patent Dec. 10, 2013 Sheet 2 of 6 US 8,606,845 B2 FIG. 2 110 1 O2 106 Storage Device ( ) CPU /O Controller 118 108 - Memory 104 112 - Form 114 1OO 116 U.S. Patent US 8,606,845 B2 U.S. Patent Dec. 10, 2013 Sheet 4 of 6 US 8,606,845 B2 250 252: Receive a Request - 254: Generate RSS Feed Definition 256: Generate Queryl Execute Query 258: Convert Query Results to RSS Feed 260: ProVide RSS Feed to Client FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Dec. 10, 2013 Sheet 5 of 6 US 8,606,845 B2 FIG. 5 300 asix Edit www.wn columns a Web Page DialogM 302 304 U.S. Patent Dec. 10, 2013 Sheet 6 of 6 US 8,606,845 B2 350 retrexplore welcome to the Microsoft CRM. We F Please select from are cr role of the fossing web ss : f Arnouncernert 8 Aerts tent 3. FG.6 US 8,606,845 B2 1. 2 RSS FEED GENERATOR request. The RSS feed generator uses the feed definition provided by the user to generate the RSS feed and exposes the BACKGROUND RSS feed in the form of RSS XML data. The RSS feed generator allows a business system to dynamically update the Computers and computer Software make up a very impor set of data contained in the RSS feed in a manner that allows tant part of modern life and business. In today's business a user to perform a plurality of functions on the RSS feed. The environment, for any organization to stay competitive, it is RSS feed generator may provide a Snapshot-in-time of a data imperative that it uses computers and Software applications to provides's instance data. A client may treat that instance data manage data, customers, employees, finances, etc. Business as something that may be modified and sent back to a system processes and workflows are typically managed using mul 10 of record. tiple forms of communications and organization. One method An alternate embodiment of the RSS feed generator allows used by business organizations to exchange data with their embedding an XSL style sheet processing instruction in the partners, customers, etc., is by use of websites to publish RSS XML data. A client using such RSS XML data may relevant information. Web sites and other types of interactive organize or view data using the embedded processing instruc systems commonly host electronic catalogs for assisting 15 tions. For example, using such an RSS feed generator a cus users in locating and evaluating various types of items. The tomer relationship management (CRM) software application items may, for example, include physical products, journal may provide up-to-date information about various clients to a articles, movie and music titles, downloadable Software, Ser number of partners in a Supply chain. vices, stock assets, businesses, and/or any other type of item An alternate embodiment of the RSS feed generator that may be represented in a database. Electronic catalog includes a security check module that is used to enforce user systems also commonly Support the ability for users to con level, class level and item level security in providing the RSS duct various types of item-related transactions, such as pur feed to the clients. Using the security module, the RSS feed chasing an item, downloading an item, or selling an item. generator may restrict data from the RSS feed to be available However, current business systems do not have an easy to only those clients who have relevant Security permission to way to update data and share data with users and other sys 25 access such RSS feed data. tems without implementing significant integration between Yet another embodiment of the RSS feed generator allows various systems. Generally speaking, business data is typi generating RSS feed definition using a user interface where a cally stored securely behind a proprietary application inter client may select scope and attributes of an object to be face or in a proprietary database. Access methods are avail included in the RSS feed. Alternatively, the scope and able for application developers that allow them to build data 30 attributes of Such an object may also be specified using an level integration and data-access applications. However, HTTP document or by using an application programming designing such data-level integration and data-access appli interface dynamically interacting with an RSS feed definition cations puts the burden on the end user to clearly specify module of the RSS feed generator. which business data they need access to, how often they need it, and in what format. Given the information technology (IT) 35 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS departments’ development backlogs it is unlikely that an internal salesperson, let alone an external Supplier, will ever The present patent is illustrated by way of examples and see this data feed produced. not limitations in the accompanying figures, in which like Typical Solutions for implementing closer data integration references indicate similar elements, and in which: include ad hoc query tools, ad hoc reporting tools, and direct 40 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network interconnecting a database access. However, there are three important problems plurality of computing resources; to keep in mind with respect to such ad hoc solutions. First, a FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer that may be typical user doesn't have the necessary skills to create these connected to the network of FIG. 1; queries and reports. This problem puts us back in the IT FIG.3 illustrates a block diagram of a RSS feed generation pipeline. Second, a semi-skilled user has enough knowledge 45 system; to be extremely dangerous to the application as a whole. FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart of an RSS feed generation There's usually nothing stopping the user from constructing program that may be used by the RSS feed generation system; Such expensive queries that the application goes to its knees.