Methods and devices for information exchange and routing

Abstract

Method and device for information exchange and routing by providing items of information that are organized in discrete flows to third parties. Relationships are defined among the flows such that at least one item of information in at least a first discrete flow is selectively copied to at least a second discrete flow. This allows users to easily discover and exchange real-time items of information across applications.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A system for information exchange and routing, the system comprising:
 at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processing unit for executing the instructions stored on the at least one memory, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processing unit to perform operations comprising:
 selectively providing items of information to third parties, the items of information being organized in a plurality of discrete flows, each discrete flow having a respective data structure defining items of information included in the discrete flow, each data structure comprising a plurality of fields defining particular types of content to be held in the fields; 
 defining a track comprising a pathway between a first discrete flow and a second discrete flow, wherein the track is configured to selectively copy an item of information from the first discrete flow to the second discrete flow, the copying comprising performing a field-level operation on the copied item of information, wherein the field-level operation is based at least in part on content associated with the copied item of information and/or a data structure associated with the copied item of information; and 
 providing a user interface comprising a control for a user to define who is permitted or not permitted to modify a data structure defining items of information included in a particular discrete flow. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the user interface further comprises: controls for the user to define particular discrete flows and tracks, permissions associated with discrete flows, and operations to be performed by tracks on items of information being transmitted among discrete flows. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the permissions comprise at least one of (i) a definition indicating who is permitted or not permitted to publish items of information to a particular discrete flow, and (ii) a definition indicating who is permitted or not permitted to define rule-based operations to be performed on items of information included in a particular discrete flow. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the field-level operation comprises an addition, deletion, or modification of a field in the copied item of information. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the field-level operation comprises at least one of transformation, enhancement, and redaction of one or more fields in the copied item of information based at least in part on one or more rules. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the copying further comprises copying at least one item of information having a value in a field that matches a specified value. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein a particular discrete flow is owned by an application or an individual identity. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein a particular discrete flow comprises reference information or content sourced from a community of identities. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein at least one item of information is published to the first discrete flow by at least one of an application, an identity, a community system, and another discrete flow. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the operations further comprise defining a second track configured to selectively copy at least two items of information from at least two discrete source flows to a discrete target flow. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the operations further comprise defining a second track configured to selectively copy at least one item of information from a discrete source flow to at least two discrete target flows. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the first and second discrete flows comprise nodes in a graph, and wherein the track comprises an edge connecting the first and second discrete flows. 
     
     
         45 . A method for information exchange and routing, the method implemented on a system comprising a memory and a processor, the method comprising the steps of:
 selectively providing items of information to third parties, the items of information being organized in a plurality of discrete flows, each discrete flow having a respective data structure defining items of information included in the discrete flow, each data structure comprising a plurality of fields defining particular types of content to be held in the fields;   defining a track comprising a pathway between a first discrete flow and a second discrete flow, wherein the track is configured to selectively copy an item of information from the first discrete flow to the second discrete flow, the copying comprising performing a field-level operation on the copied item of information, wherein the field-level operation is based at least in part on content associated with the copied item of information and/or a data structure associated with the copied item of information; and   providing a user interface comprising a control for a user to define who is permitted or not permitted to modify a data structure defining items of information included in a particular discrete flow.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the user interface further comprises: controls for the user to define particular discrete flows and tracks, permissions associated with discrete flows, and operations to be performed by tracks on items of information being transmitted among discrete flows. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the permissions comprise at least one of (i) a definition indicating who is permitted or not permitted to publish items of information to a particular discrete flow, and (ii) a definition indicating who is permitted or not permitted to define rule-based operations to be performed on items of information included in a particular discrete flow. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the field-level operation comprises an addition, deletion, or modification of a field in the copied item of information. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the field-level operation comprises at least one of transformation, enhancement, and redaction of one or more fields in the copied item of information based at least in part on one or more rules. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the copying further comprises copying at least one item of information having a value in a field that matches a specified value. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein a particular discrete flow is owned by an application or an individual identity. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein a particular discrete flow comprises reference information or content sourced from a community of identities. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein at least one item of information is published to the first discrete flow by at least one of an application, an identity, a community system, and another discrete flow. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising defining a second track configured to selectively copy at least two items of information from at least two discrete source flows to a discrete target flow. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising defining a second track configured to selectively copy at least one item of information from a discrete source flow to at least two discrete target flows. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the first and second discrete flows comprise nodes in a graph, and wherein the track comprises an edge connecting the first and second discrete flows.