System and method for modular network transaction processing with plug-in processing modules and interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing network transactions by breaking down the transactions into several stages and performing the processing corresponding to each stage using a different plug-in module. One embodiment of the invention comprises an application programming interface (API) that enables the use of individual plug-in modules to perform different stages of the processing of a transaction. The API defines a series of interfaces to corresponding plug-in processing modules, where each interface corresponds to a stage of processing of a transaction and the API conveys transaction information from one plug-in module to the next, until all of the processing stages have been completed. The API may be embodied in a network transaction processing application that is adaptable to different functionalities and different protocols by plugging different modules into the interface provided by the API.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
   
   
       25 . A computer-readable medium embodying computer-executable program instructions of a software program product comprising: 
 an application programming interface (API) for modular network transaction processing; wherein the API defines a series of interfaces to a series of plug-in processing modules, each interface corresponding to one of the series of plug-in processing modules;    wherein the series of interfaces corresponds to a series of stages of processing a network transaction; and    wherein the API conveys transaction information from a first plug-in processing module for a current stage of processing to a second plug-in processing module for a subsequent stage of processing.    
   
   
       26 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein task of processing is passed from stage to stage until the network transaction is completed.  
   
   
       27 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the current stage and the subsequent stage are consecutive stages.  
   
   
       28 . The software program product of  claim 27 , wherein the stages of processing comprise: initializing a transaction; getting a request; logging in and obtaining authorization; generating a response; sending the response; and terminating the transaction.  
   
   
       29 . The software program product of  claim 28 , wherein the stages of processing further comprise sending an opening statement.  
   
   
       30 . The software program product of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of plug-in modules, wherein the series of plug-in processing modules is selected from the plurality of plug-in modules.  
   
   
       31 . The software program product of  claim 30 , wherein each of the plug-in processing modules is configured to handle one of the stages of processing the network transaction.  
   
   
       32 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the API is a component of a network transaction processing application.  
   
   
       33 . The software program product of  claim 32 , wherein the network transaction processing application is configured to dynamically establish a plurality of communication pathways.  
   
   
       34 . The software program product of  claim 33 , wherein the communication pathways comprise at least a first pathway configured to process transactions according to a first protocol and a second pathway configured to process transactions according to a second protocol which is different from the first protocol.  
   
   
       35 . The software program product of  claim 34 , further comprising a plurality of plug-in modules; wherein the different protocols are embodied in different plug-in modules; and wherein the series of plug-in processing modules is one of at least two different series of plug-in processing modules dynamically selected from the plurality of plug-in modules to handle network transactions according to different protocols.  
   
   
       36 . The software program product of  claim 33 , wherein the communication pathways comprise at least a first pathway configured to provide a first functionality and a second pathway configured to provide a second functionality which is different from the first functionality.  
   
   
       37 . The software program product of  claim 36 , wherein the different functionalities are embodied in different plug-in modules.  
   
   
       38 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the API further defines an interface to a plug-in module for initiating a session.  
   
   
       39 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the API further defines an interface to a plug-in module for terminating a session.  
   
   
       40 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the API further defines an interface to a plug-in module for initiating a pathway.  
   
   
       41 . The software program product of  claim 25 , wherein the API further defines an interface to a plug-in module for terminating a pathway.  
   
   
       42 . A computer system programmed to implement the software program product of  claim 25 .  
   
   
       43 . A computer-implemented method for modular network transaction processing, comprising: 
 configuring a series of plug-in processing modules for processing a series of stages of a network transaction, each plug-in processing module corresponding to one of the stages; and    defining a series of interfaces corresponding to the series of plug-in processing modules for passing transaction information from a first plug-in processing module corresponding to a current stage to a second plug-in processing module corresponding to a subsequent stage.    
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 43 , further comprising: 
 passing task of processing from stage to stage until the network transaction is completed.    
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the stages comprise initializing a transaction; getting a request; logging in and obtaining authorization; generating a response; sending the response; and terminating the transaction.  
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the stages further comprise sending an opening statement.  
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 43 , further comprising replacing one or more existing plug-in processing modules with corresponding one or more replacement plug-in processing modules.  
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the existing plug-in processing modules conform to a first protocol and the replacement plug-in processing modules conform to a different protocol.  
   
   
       49 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the existing plug-in processing modules provide a first functionality and the replacement plug-in processing modules provide a different functionality.  
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 47 , further comprising performing the replacing step dynamically.  
   
   
       51 . The method according to  claim 43 , further comprising configuring additional series of plug-in processing modules to handle different network protocols.  
   
   
       52 . The method according to  claim 51 , further comprising 
 dynamically establishing one or more communication pathways for processing the network transactions according to one or more network protocols; and    dynamically selecting different series of plug-in processing modules to correspondingly process each of the network transactions in series of stages.    
   
   
       53 . A computer-readable medium carrying program instructions implementing the method  claim 43 , the program instructions being executable by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system.  
   
   
       54 . A computer system programmed to implement the method of  claim 43.