Method and apparatus for extendible information aggregationand presentation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for arbitrarily extendible information aggregation and display. This functionality is achieved by abstracting the components of the system into individual modules which communicate using a platform-independent, extendible markup language such as extensible markup language (XML). A designer adds support for new information sources or client devices by abstracting and encapsulating messages to and from the information source or client device in a wrapper using a platform-independent, extendible markup language such as XML.

1 . Apparatus for the aggregation and display of information on a client device, said apparatus comprising: 
 a communications module delivering information to and receiving information from a client device;    an assimilation agent receiving information from at least one information source and encapsulating said information in a first wrapper using a platform-independent extendible markup language; and    an integration server in communication with said communications module and said assimilation agent, said integration server receiving said encapsulated information from said assimilation agent, said integration server comprising a rules engine for processing said encapsulated information in accord with a predefined set of rules and encapsulating the result in a second wrapper using a platform-independent extendible markup language, and said integration server providing said encapsulated result to said communications module.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said communications module delivers information to and receives information from said client device using one of hypertext markup language (HTML) and wireless markup language (WML).  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said communications module delivers information customized according to a predefined profile.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said communications module delivers information customized according to the type of client device.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said communications module, said integration server, and said assimilation agent communicate using extensible markup language (XML).  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said assimilation agent retrieves information from one of a SQL database, an Oracle database, a Domino database, a document repository, a SAP database, a computer in communication with the Internet, and an indexed database.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a content delivery broker providing communications between said communications module and said integration server.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said communications provided by said content delivery broker utilize extensible markup language (XML).  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a receiver agent in communication with said integration server and receiving messages sent in a protocol.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said protocol is one of file transfer protocol (FTP), post office protocol, version 3 (POP3), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), Microsoft Message Queue protocol (MSMQ), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), Directory Polling, and component-object model messages (COM).  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a spider agent in communication with said integration server and initiating communications with a data source using a protocol.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said protocol is one of FTP, POP3, HTTP, MSMQ, SMTP, Directory Polling, and COM.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a sender agent in communication with said integration server and sending messages using a protocol.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said protocol is one of FTP, POP3, HTTP, MSMQ, SMTP, Directory Polling, and COM.  
   
   
       15 . A method for aggregating information from multiple sources for presentation to a user, said method comprising the steps: 
 (a) receiving, by an assimilation agent, information from at least one of a plurality of information sources;    (b) encapsulating, by the assimilation agent, said received information in a first wrapper using a platform-independent extensible markup language;    (c) transmitting, by the assimilation agent, said encapsulated information to an integration server;    (d) processing, by the integration server, said encapsulated information in accord with a predefined set of rules;    (e) encapsulating, by the integration server, the processed information in a second wrapper using a platform-independent extensible markup language;    (f) transmitting, by the integration server, the processed information to a communications module; and    (g) delivering, by the communications module, said processed information to a client device.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step (g) comprises the steps: 
 (g-a) identifying at least one of the type of client device or the type of said processed information.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein step (g) further comprises the steps: 
 (g-b) selecting an XML style sheet based on the result of step (g-a); and    (g-c) completing said XML style sheet with said processed information.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein step (g) further comprises the step: 
 (g-d) transforming the result of step (g-c) to a form suitable for display on said client device; and    (g-e) providing the result of step (g-d) to said client device.    
   
   
       19 . An article of manufacture having computer-readable program means embodied therein for aggregating information from multiple sources for presentation to a user, said article comprising: 
 computer-readable program means for receiving, by an assimilation agent, information from at least one of a plurality of information sources;    computer-readable program means for encapsulating, by the assimilation agent, said received information in a first wrapper using a platform-independent extensible markup language;    computer-readable program means for transmitting, by the assimilation agent, said encapsulated information to an integration server;    computer-readable program means for processing, by the integration server, said encapsulated information in accord with a predefined set of rules;    computer-readable program means for encapsulating, by the integration server, the processed information in a second wrapper using a platform-independent extensible markup language;    computer-readable program means for transmitting, by the integration server, the processed information to a communications module; and    computer-readable program means for delivering, by the communications module, said processed information to a client device.    
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19  wherein said computer-readable program means for delivering, by the communications module, said processed information to a client device comprises: 
 computer-readable program means for identifying at least one of the type of client device or the type of said processed information.    
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20  wherein said computer-readable program means for delivering, by the communications module, said processed information to a client device further comprises: 
 computer-readable program means for selecting an XML style sheet based on said at least one of the type of client device and the type of said processed information; and    computer-readable program means for completing said XML style sheet with said processed information.    
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 21  wherein said computer-readable program means for delivering, by the communications module, said processed information to a client device further comprises: 
 computer-readable program means for transforming said completed XML style sheet to a form suitable for display on said client device; and    computer-readable program means for providing said transformed style sheet suitable for display on said client device to said client device.