Method and system for transferring a computer sessions between devices

• US 20040068567A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contemporary Display LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Brian Moran, David A. Feinleib
• Inventors: Moran, Brian, Feinleib, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method and system for transferring a computer session between devices, such as a land-line device to a wireless device. A user launches a computer session on a first device, such as a personal computer. The user may then selectively transfer the computer session to another device, such as a wireless device, through activation of a triggering signal. In response, the context of the computer session is determined as it is being performed on the first device, including a type of the computer session. The computer session is then transferred to the second device by launching a new computer session on the second device and transferring the context of the computer session corresponding to the first device to the new computer session on the second device. Several session transfer mechanisms, including use of an online service, a proxy service, and a peer-to-peer communication link, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a computer session from a land-line device to a wireless device, comprising:

determining a context of the computer session as it is being performed on the land-line device, including a type of the computer session;

enabling the user to selectively initiate a transfer of the computer session;

transferring the computer session to the wireless device by launching a new computer session on the wireless device and transferring the context of the computer session corresponding to the land-line device to the new computer session on the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a triggering signal from the wireless device indicating the user is ready to transfer the session; and

transferring the computer session to the wireless device in response to the triggering signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is enabled to send the triggering signal by activating a hard or soft button or entering a key sequence on the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the computer session to the wireless device automatically performs the functions of:

opening an application that enables a computer session corresponding to the computer session on the line-line device to be performed on the wireless device;

establishing a wireless Internet connection;

authenticating the user; and

loading the application with data such that the context of the computer session is transferred to the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the functions are automatically performed in response to the user activating a hard or soft button or entering a key sequence on the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is performing the computer session through use of an application program running on the land-line device and the user is enabled to initiate the transfer of the computer session by activating a user-interface control or menu option provided by the application program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer session is an online session hosted by an online service provider, further comprising:

determining a network address of the land-line device;

determining a network address of the online service provider;

determining a network address of the wireless device; and

remapping a communication link for the computer session such that data sent between the online service data center and the land-line device before the transfer of the computer session is redirected to be sent between the online service data center and the wireless device based on the network addresses determined for each.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transfer of the computer session is handled by a proxy service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy service redirects the data in a manner that is transparent to the online service provider such that the online service is unaware a transfer of the computer session has occurred.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the context of the computer session further comprises acquiring a snapshot of computer session as it is being performed on the land-line device, and wherein transferring the context of the session to the wireless device returns the user to a point in the computer session at which the snapshot was acquired.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording transactional information pertaining to the transfer of the computer session.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the context of the computer session is transferred using a peer-to-peer communication link between the land-line device and the wireless device comprising one of an infrared link, a serial link, a universal serial bus link, a wireless Bluetooth link or a wireless 802.11 link.

13. A method for transferring a chat session from a land-line computer to a wireless device, comprising:

identifying one or more users participating in the chat session;

enabling one of the users who are identified to request a transfer of their instance of the chat session to a wireless device operated by that user;

sending a message to an instant messaging service hosting the chat session indicating the user wishes to transfer the chat session to the wireless device;

determining a context of the chat session instance on the land-line computer; and

transferring the computer session to the wireless device by launching a new chat session instance on the wireless device and transferring the context of the computer session from the land-line chat session instance to the new chat session instance on the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a network address of the land-line device;

determining a network address of the instant messaging service;

determining a network address of the wireless device; and

remapping a communication link for the computer session such that data sent between a instant messaging service and the land-line device before the transfer of the computer session is redirected to be sent between the instant messaging service and the wireless device based on the network addresses determined for each.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transfer of the computer session is handled by a proxy service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the proxy service redirects the data in a manner that is transparent to the instant messaging service such that the instant messaging service is unaware a transfer of the computer session has occurred.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the context of the computer session further comprises acquiring a snapshot of the computer session instance being performed on the land-line device, and wherein transferring the context of the session to the wireless device returns the user to a point in the computer session at which the snapshot was acquired.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein transferring the computer session to the wireless device automatically performs the functions of:

establishing a wireless Internet connection with the wireless device;

opening an instant messaging application on the wireless device;

logging the user back onto the instant messaging service; and

rejoining the user to the chat session.

19. A system for enabling transfer of a computer session from a land-line device to a wireless device, comprising:

an online service data center that provides online services corresponding to the computer session through operation of one or more computers on which software that facilitates the transfer is running, including a transfer application that enables transfer of the computer session by performing the functions of;

determining a context of the computer session as it is being performed on the land-line device, including an identity of a user performing the computer session and a type of the computer session;

initiating a transfer of the computer session in response to a signal sent from either a land-line computer the user is/was performing the computer session on or a wireless device the user desires the computer session to be transferred to;

remapping a communication link for the computer session such that data sent between the online service data center and the land-line device before the transfer of the computer session is redirected to be sent between the online service data center and the wireless device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transfer application further performs the function of transferring data pertaining to the context of the computer session to the wireless device such that a new computer session launched by the user on the wireless device has the same context as the computer session the user was performing on the land-line computer.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the transfer application further performs the functions of:

determining a network address of the land-line device;

determining a network address of the wireless device; and

remapping the communication link with the online service data center from the network address of the land-line device to the network address of the wireless device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the software and the computers operated by the online service data center include:

a network server that enables the online service data center to communicate with users connected to a network server via a network communications link;

an application server on which the transfer application is running, linked in communication with the network server; and

a database server linked in communication with the application server that enables the transfer application to access a database in which data corresponding to the transfer of the computer session are stored.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer session comprises an instant messaging chat session hosted by the online service data center through use of a messaging application running on the application server, and further wherein the context of the computer session comprises a historical record of messages sent by participants of the chat session, which are stored in the database.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein data pertaining to the computer session are stored in the database, including an identity of the user and network access information pertaining to one or more wireless devices operated by the user.

25. A system for enabling transfer of a computer session from a land-line device to a wireless device, comprising:

an online service data center that provides online services for hosting the computer session through operation of one or more computers on which software that facilitates hosting of the online services is running;

a proxy service that enables communications between the online service data center and each of the land-line device and the wireless device through operation of on one or more computers on which software is running, including a transfer application that enables a user to transfer a computer session from a land-line device to a wireless device by performing the functions of;

determining a context of the computer session as it is being performed on the land-line device, including an identity of a user performing the computer session and a type of the computer session;

initiating a transfer of the computer session in response to a signal sent from either a land-line computer the user is/was performing the computer session on or a wireless device the user desires the computer session to be transferred to;

remapping a communication link for the computer session such that data sent between the online service data center and the land-line device before the transfer of the computer session is redirected to be sent between the online service data center and the wireless device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the transfer application further performs the function of transferring data pertaining to the context of the computer session to the wireless device such that a new computer session launched by the user on the wireless device has the same context as the computer session the user was performing on the land-line computer.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the transfer application further performs the functions of:

determining a network address of the land-line device;

determining a network address of the wireless device; and

remapping the communication link with the online service data center from the network address of the land-line device to the network address of the wireless device.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the software and the computers operated by the proxy service include:

a network server that enables the proxy service to communicate with users connected to a proxy service and to the online service data center via a network communications link;

an application server on which the transfer application is running, linked in communication with the network server; and

a database server linked in communication with the application server that enables the transfer application to access a database in which data corresponding to the transfer of the computer session are stored.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein data pertaining to the computer session are stored in the database, including an identity of the user and network access information pertaining to one or more wireless devices operated by the user.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the proxy service functions as a pass-through for users that connect to online services provided by the online service data center, and the communication link is remapped by the proxy service in a manner that is transparent to the online service data center.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein software running on the proxy service computer(s) performs the function of recording transactional information pertaining to each instance in which a user transfers a session through transfer services provided by the proxy service.

32. A method for transferring a computer session from a wireless device to a land-line device, comprising:

determining a context of the computer session as it is being performed on the wireless device, including a type of the computer session;

enabling the user to selectively initiate a transfer of the computer session;

transferring the computer session to the land-line device by launching a new online computer session on the land-line device and transferring the context of the computer session corresponding to the wireless device to the new computer session computer session on the land-line device.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

providing a triggering signal from the wireless device indicating the user is ready to transfer the session; and

transferring the computer session to the land-line device in response to the triggering signal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the user is enabled to send the triggering signal by activating a hard or soft button or entering a key sequence on the wireless device.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein transferring the computer session to the land-line device automatically performs the functions of:

opening an application that enables a computer session corresponding to the computer session on the wireless device to be performed on the land-line device;

establishing a land-line Internet connection;

authenticating the user; and

loading the application with data such that the context of the computer session is transferred to the land-line device.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the computer session is an online session hosted by an online service provider, further comprising:

determining a network address of the wireless device;

determining a network address of the online service provider;

determining a network address of the land-line device; and

remapping a communication link for the computer session such that data sent between the online service data center and the wireless device before the transfer of the computer session is redirected to be sent between the online service data center and the land-line device based on the network addresses determined for each.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein transfer of the computer session is handled by a proxy service.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the proxy service redirects the data in a manner that is transparent to the online service provider such that the online service is unaware a transfer of the computer session has occurred.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein determining the context of the computer session further comprises acquiring a snapshot of computer session as it is being performed on the land-line device, and wherein transferring the context of the session to the wireless device returns the user to a point in the computer session at which the snapshot was acquired.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising recording transactional information pertaining to the transfer of the computer session.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the context of the computer session is transferred using a peer-to-peer communication link between the wireless device and the land-line device comprising one of an infrared link, a serial link, a universal serial bus link, a wireless Bluetooth link or a wireless 802.11 link.