Machine-to-machine e-commerce interface using extensible markup language

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for the automated exchange of information, and more particularly the use of a hierarchical protocol based upon an extensible markup language (XML) in order to enable machine-to-machine communication of data related to the availability of goods, services and information. The machine-to-machine communication protocol and system having a predefined destination (universal resource locator (URL)) for bootstrapping the communication process, and a structured content protocol using XML. The system is preferably closed-ended, and employs a rule-based syntax with conditional data interaction. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes GUI-based design and programming tools that enable the set up of host and/or visitor machines in accordance with the protocol.

I claim: 
     
       1. A system for facilitating structured content transfer between a host server and an information-seeking visitor machine, including:
 a host server having access to data pertaining to vendor offerings;   a computer-based visitor machine for establishing a dialog with the host server, and   a network interconnecting the host server and visitor machine to enable for the exchange of data therebetween;   wherein the visitor machine initiates a dialog with the host machine for the purpose of determining the goods and services offered therein.   
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the host server is identified using a universal domain identifier. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data is stored in a hierarchical format. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data is free of any user-interface formatting information. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is trust-free so as not to require that the visitor machine provide any authentication or authorization information to the host server. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a software tool, associated with the host server, for building at least one repository of static data pertaining to vendor offerings. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes at least one repository of dynamic data pertaining to vendor offerings, and where the system further includes an interface to the at least one repository of dynamic data. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further includes an interface that is a machine visitor interface. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , further including:
 an application using the information gained from a host organization; and   an application database created from information gained by the application, wherein the application database comprises relational data tables that can be accessed to locate goods and services using generic query parameters.   
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the generic query parameters are selected from the group consisting of:
 Organization;   Product;   Service;   Price;   Zip Code; and   Country.   
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the application provides a comparative price shopping interface. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the application provides a neighborhood shopping interface. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the application provides a query-by-example search interface. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the application is capable of building and rebuilding the database using a spider based upon a machine visitor API. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9 , further including a search interface interfacing to the host server via a machine visitor API. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the search interface provides a free-text search, a parametric search, and a programmatic search. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the search interface includes a plurality of hierarchical menus. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the information is stored in the database in accordance with a particular hierarchy and where the application supports dynamic reconfiguration of the hierarchy in which the information is stored. 
     
     
       19. A method for machine-to-machine communication to facilitate electronic information exchange, comprising the steps of:
 receiving an access schema inquiry from a visitor machine; and   in response to the request from the visitor machine, sending from a host machine to the visitor machine, an access schema description for at least an upper level of said schema, wherein the access schema description advertises services offered by the host.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of conducting a service dialog between the host machine and the visitor machine, wherein a host response is sent in reply to a visitor request, and where the visitor request is a function of information received by the visitor machine in the access schema description. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the host response is sent in reply to a visitor request, and where the visitor request is a function of information received by the visitor machine as a host response. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of searching for a host machine at a domain name that is a predefined derivative of a preexisting upper-level domain address. 
     
     
       23. A system, comprising:
 a computer-based host server;   a computer-based machine visitor configured to establish, in response to a system event, a machine-initiated dialog with the host server; and   a network interconnecting the host server and machine visitor to enable the exchange of data pertaining at least in part to vendor offerings therebetween;   wherein the machine visitor is configured to initiate the automated machine-to-machine dialog with the host server in order to exchange a schema that is specified according to an extensible structured content protocol therebetween.   
     
     
       24. A computer-readable memory medium having stored thereon computer-executable program instructions that, in response to execution by a machine visitor, cause the machine visitor to:
 send, in response to a system event, a request to a computer-based host machine for the initiation of machine-to-machine communication with the host machine, wherein the machine visitor is anonymous relative to the host machine;   subsequently exchange information with the host machine, wherein the information exchanged as part of the machine-to-machine communication relates at least in part to vendor offerings and includes a descriptor that is indicative of data available at a top-most level of a hierarchy or information stored on the host machine, wherein the descriptor is specified at least in part according to an extensible structured content protocol.   
     
     
       25. A system, comprising:
 a machine visitor, comprising:
 a processor; 
 memory coupled to the processor; and 
 a network interface coupled to the processor; 
 wherein the machine visitor is configured to send, in response to a system event, an automated request for machine-to-machine communication by accessing a machine-accessible interface of a host machine via a uniform resource locator identifying a web location associated with the host machine, and further configured to automatically exchange information that relates at least in part to vendor offerings and includes an access schema with the host machine according to an extensible structured content protocol, wherein the machine visitor is not pre-qualified relative to the host machine. 
   
     
     
       26. The system of claim 25, wherein the machine visitor comprises a wireless interface usable to access the World Wide Web. 
     
     
       27. The system of claim 25, wherein the machine visitor is configured to access the host machine using a web spider. 
     
     
       28. A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a machine-accessible web interface of a host machine, a request for machine-to-machine communication from a web spider, wherein the request is not user initiated, and wherein the web spider is not pre-qualified relative to the host machine;   the host machine providing information to the web spider as part of the machine-to-machine communication, wherein the provided information pertains at least in part to vendor offerings and includes an access schema that is specified at least in part according to an extensible structured content protocol.