Interoperable Systems and Methods for Peer-to-Peer Service Orchestration

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for performing policy-managed, peer-to-peer service orchestration in a manner that supports the formation of self-organizing service networks that enable rich media experiences. In one embodiment, services are distributed across peer-to-peer communicating nodes, and each node provides message routing and orchestration using a message pump and workflow collator. Distributed policy management of service interfaces helps to provide trust and security, supporting commercial exchange of value. Peer-to-peer messaging and workflow collation allow services to be dynamically created from a heterogeneous set of primitive services. The shared resources are services of many different types, using different service interface bindings beyond those typically supported in a web service deployments built on UDDI, SOAP, and WSDL. In a preferred embodiment, a media services framework is provided that enables nodes to find one another, interact, exchange value, and cooperate across tiers of networks from WANs to PANs.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A device comprising:
 one or more processors, and   a non-transitory computer readable memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to operate a gateway node including a service access point and a service adaptation layer, the gateway node performing operations including:
 discovering an authorization services node distinct from the gateway node; 
 discovering a directory services node distinct from the gateway node; 
 receiving, by the service access point from a requestor node, a request from the requestor node to perform a composite service; 
 communicating with the requestor node and at least one other node to perform the composite service using a workflow collator of the service adaptation layer, the communication including:
 providing an authorization request to an authorization node, and receiving a response to the authorization request indicating the requestor node is authorized to access the composite service, 
 querying the service discovery node for a part of the composite service and receiving a response to the query, 
 requesting performance of the part of the composite service from a service providing node using the response to the query and following receipt of the response to the authorization request, 
 receiving a response from the service providing node, and 
 determining a result of the composite service using the response from the service providing node; and 
 
 providing the result of the composite service to the requester node. 
   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein discovering the authorization services node comprises providing a notification to authorization service providers that the gateway node seeks authorization services, and receiving a notification including a description of authorization services provided by the authorizing node. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the request is provided to a notification processing node for delivery to the authorization service providers. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein discovering the authorization services node comprises invoking query services exposed by authorization service providers, and receiving descriptions of the authorization services provided by the authorization service providers. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein discovering the authorization services node comprises invoking a registration service exposed by a registry node, the registry node caching descriptions of authorization services provided by authorization service providers, and receiving a description of authorization services provided by the authorizing node. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein discovering a directory services node comprises invoking a query service exposed by the directory services node and receiving an indication that the directory services node comprises a UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration) registry, and wherein querying the service discovery node comprises providing a UDDI request to the directory services node. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the response to the query comprises service descriptions for multiple service providing nodes, and wherein the service providing nodes is selected from the multiple service providing nodes. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the authorization request comprises credentials of the service requesting node. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the requester node and the gateway node communicate over a local area network. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the requester node is tethered to the gateway node. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the composite service is an update service and the the part of the composite service comprises providing an update to a software program. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the software program plays content in a first DRM format, and the update to the software program enables the software program to play content in a second DRM format. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the communication further includes:
 receiving a debit message from the requestor node; and   providing the debit message to the service providing node to deduct a payment for the update to the software program from an account associated with the requestor node.   
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the authorization node is associated with a provider of the software program, and the service providing node is associated with a third party. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the composite service is a personalization service and the the part of the composite service comprises providing personalization information for the requestor node. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the service adaptation layer includes a state machine and wherein the workflow collator orchestrates performance of the composite service using the state machine. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the service adaptation layer includes service orchestration plugins and wherein the workflow collator orchestrates performance of the composite service using the service orchestration plugins. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to operate an external service coordinator comprising a message pump and one or more of a Business Process Language engine and a Resource Description Framework engine, and wherein the service adaptation layer communicates with the external service coordinator using the message pump, and wherein the workflow collator orchestrates performance of the composite service using the one or more of the Business Process Language engine and the Resource Description Framework engine. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the workflow collator orchestrates performance of the composite service according to rules specified in one or more of WSDL, WSCI, BPEL, and ebXML. 
     
     
         35 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the communication further includes:
 negotiating a trusted relationship with the requestor node by exchanging trust credentials.