Communications system providing extensible protocol translation and configuration features and related methods

1. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols;

a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for accessing said plurality of data storage devices and each using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols; and

a protocol interface device comprising

a protocol engine module for communicating with said plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols,

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine module and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy module for routing traffic between said proxy module and said protocol engine module,

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module,

said at least one common core service module allocating resources based upon a given service to be performed and a corresponding set of configuration files stored in said configuration file module,

said at least one common core service module comprising a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy module with said protocol engine module

said proxy module converting access requests from said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters,

said front-end proxy module further comprising a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the proxy module and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for accessing data from said plurality of data storage devices.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said at least one common core service module is for rendering data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of handlers and said protocol engine module communicate using a common interface protocol.

6. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising a renderer module for cooperating with said proxy modules to format data for said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

7. The communications system of claim 6 further comprising an extensible markup language (XML) engine module coupled to said renderer module.

8. The communications system of claim 7 further comprising a memory coupled to said XML engine module for storing a plurality of templates corresponding to respective operating protocols.

9. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy module for routing traffic between said proxy module and said protocol engine module; and

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module;

said at least one common core service module allocating resources based upon a given service to be performed and a corresponding set of configuration files stored in said configuration file module;

said at least one common core service module comprising a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy module with said protocol engine module

said proxy module converting access requests from said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

said front-end proxy module further comprising a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the proxy module and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

10. The protocol interface device of claim 9 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

11. The protocol interface device of claim 9 wherein said at least one common core service module is also for at least one of accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

12. A protocol interface device for interfacing a plurality of communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the protocol interface device comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to said protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to said proxy module for routing traffic between said proxy module and said protocol engine module; and

a configuration file module coupled to said front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module;

said at least one common core service module allocating resources based upon a given service to be performed and a corresponding set of configuration files stored in said configuration file module;

said at least one common core service module com rising a plurality of handlers for interfacing said proxy module with said protocol engine module;

said proxy module converting access requests from said plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters:

said front-end proxy module further comprising a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the proxy module and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

13. The protocol interface device of claim 12 wherein said plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

14. The protocol interface device of claim 12 wherein said at least one common core service module is also for at least one of accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices and rendering data for the plurality of communications devices.

15. A method for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the method comprising:

providing a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

coupling a front-end proxy module to the protocol engine comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to the proxy module for routing traffic between the proxy module and the protocol engine module; and

providing a configuration file module for the front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module,

the at least one common core service module allocating resources based upon a given service to be performed and a corresponding set of configuration files stored in the configuration file module;

the at least one common core service module corn rising a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy module with the protocol engine module;

the proxy module converting access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

the front-end proxy module further comprising a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the proxy module and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one common core service module is also for at least one of accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer executable modules for interfacing a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices with a plurality of data storage devices, the mobile wireless communications devices and the data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, the computer-readable medium comprising:

a protocol engine module for communicating with the plurality of data storage devices using respective operating protocols;

a front-end proxy module coupled to the protocol engine and comprising

a respective proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using each different operating protocol, and

at least one common core service module coupled to the proxy modules for routing traffic between the proxy modules and the protocol engine module; and

a configuration file module coupled to the front-end proxy module for storing a plurality of different sets of configuration files relating to different allocations of resources of the at least one common core service module;

the at least one common core service module allocating resources based upon a given service to be performed and a corresponding set of configuration files stored in the configuration file module;

the at least one common core service module comprising a plurality of handlers for interfacing the proxy module with the protocol engine module;

the proxy module converting access requests from the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices to common access parameters;

the front-end proxy module further com rising a flow controller module for receiving the common access parameters from the proxy module and selecting desired handlers for processing thereof.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the plurality of different sets of configuration files comprises a primary set of configuration files corresponding to core resource allocation operations, and a secondary set of configuration files for customizing the core resource allocation operations.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the at least one common core service module is also for at least one of accessing data from the plurality of data storage devices and rendering data for the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices.