System and method for providing asynchronous notifications using synchronous data sources

Abstract

A method for providing access to one or more notification-based Web services using a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of transmitting to Web service proxy a subscription request for a requested Web service, the Web service proxy supporting asynchronous communication with the mobile device, storing a device identification and subscription request at the proxy, the proxy polling the Web service with the request, receiving at the proxy a response message determined by the Web service and in response to the polled request, continuing to poll the Web service and transmitting the response message to the mobile device only when the response message satisfies a predetermined criteria.

1 . A Web service proxy server comprising:
 a notification module accepting a subscription request message carrying a subscription filter from a mobile device and storing the subscription filter indexed against the mobile device, the subscription filter specifying a polling frequency and a device identification;   a task scheduler generating a timer event based on the polling frequency; and   a Web service client in communication with a Web service; the Web service client sending a request message synchronously to the Web service in response to the timer event, and receiving a notification data from the Web service;   wherein the Web service proxy server forwards said notification data asynchronously to said mobile device when said response message satisfies a predetermined criterion.   
   
   
       2 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the Web service compares a content available at a data source with the subscription filter carried in the subscription request message. 
   
   
       3 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the Web service is a schema-defined service. 
   
   
       4 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion comprises a presence of new content in the notification data, and wherein the Web service proxy server determines whether a content is present in the notification data from said Web service. 
   
   
       5 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the Web service is an XML Web service. 
   
   
       6 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the polling criterion is a percentage change of a data. 
   
   
       7 . The Web service proxy server according to  claim 1 , wherein the Web service proxy server resides in a wireless gateway. 
   
   
       8 . A mobile device comprising:
 a first module for generating a subscription request message including a subscription filter; the subscription filter specifying a polling frequency and a device identification for the mobile device;   a second module for receiving a notification data asynchronously from a Web service proxy server;   
     wherein the Web service proxy server comprises a notification module accepting the subscription request message; a task scheduler generating a timer event based on the polling frequency; a Web service client in communication with a Web service, the Web service client sending a request message synchronously to the Web service in response to the timer event, and receiving a notification data from the Web service and 
     wherein the Web service proxy server forwards said notification data asynchronously to said mobile device when said response message satisfies a predetermined criterion. 
   
   
       9 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the Web service compares a content available at a data source with the subscription filter carried in the subscription request message. 
   
   
       10 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the Web service is a schema-defined service. 
   
   
       11 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined criterion comprises a presence of new content in the notification data, and wherein the Web service proxy server determines whether a content is present in the notification data from said Web service. 
   
   
       12 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the Web service is an XML Web service. 
   
   
       13 . The mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the polling criterion is a percentage change of a data. 
   
   
       14 . A method for providing access to a Web service using a mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving a subscription request message from a mobile device at a Web service proxy server including a Web service client in communication with the Web service, the subscription request message including a subscription filter;   storing the subscription filter at the Web service proxy server, the subscription filter specifying a polling frequency and a device identification;   generating a timer event according to the polling frequency;   sending a request message synchronously from the Web service client to the Web service in response to the timer event;   receiving at the Web service client a notification data from the Web service; and   forwarding the notification data asynchronously to the mobile device when the response message satisfies a predetermined criterion.   
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined criterion comprises a presence of new content in the notification data, further comprising:
 determining whether a content is present in the notification data from the Web service.   
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the polling criterion is a percentage change of a data. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 comparing a content available at a data source with the subscription filter carried in the subscription request message.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the Web service is a schema-defined service. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the Web service is an XML Web service. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the Web service proxy server resides in a wireless gateway.