Method, device and system for sharing application session information across multiple-channels

• US 20040143669A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Su, Hui, Zhao, Shi Wan
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for sharing application session information across multiple channels, for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, said device comprises an application session manager (ASM) connected between the terminal device and the web server for receiving and forwarding said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device and the response returned from the web server, a storing device connected to the application session manager, for storing application session management information and application session information in the response returned from the web server; a retrieving device, connected to the application session manager; an intercepting device, connected to the application session manager, for intercepting a new application session information in the response from the web server; said application session manager generates an application session management information (ASMC) of said user, then sends said response to said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A method comprising sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices, for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user'"'"'s request from a terminal device;

retrieving a previous application session information of the user, if any, and sending said information with said user'"'"'s request to the web server in response to said user'"'"'s request;

receiving a response returned from the web server to said terminal device, intercepting a new application session information in said response;

generating an application session management information of said user, which comprises a device ID of a terminal device which has sent out said user'"'"'s request;

saving both of said intercepted application session information and the generated application session management information;

inserting the generated application session management cookie into said response; and

sending said response to said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving a previous application session information of said user is according to the application session management information in said user'"'"'s request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application session management information further comprises a session ID corresponding to the session time of said user'"'"'s request.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said user'"'"'s request does not comprise the application session management information, and said previous the application session information is null.

5. The methnd according to claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating a user ID of said terminal device and authorizing said user after receiving said user'"'"'s request sent by said terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said authenticating step authenticates the user by requesting said user to input the user name and the password, and authorizes the corresponding user.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying the request type from said terminal device and performing corresponding session management associated with different request types after receiving said user'"'"'s request sent by said terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said application session information comprises user submitted history data, user state, visited URL, application state or cookie.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in comprising the step of converting the information from the web server into an information format which can be accepted by said terminal device, if the information format used by said terminal device and the information format used by the web server is different.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in comprising the step of:

a) if the received user'"'"'s request comprises the application session management information, determining said request to be a normal next request; and

b) if the received user'"'"'s request does not comprise the application session management information, retrieving the previously stored history record associated with the requesting user;

i) if no associated history record can be found, determining that said request is a first time request;

ii) if associated history record can be retrieved, enabling said user to choose whether to continue the last operation or resume a new session;

if said user chooses to resume, said request being taken as a first time request; and

if said user chooses to continue the last operation, said request being taken as a resuming request, partially submitted request or fragment request;

iii) differentiating whether said request is partially submitted request or fragment request by determining a specific ID in said request.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein if said user'"'"'s request is determined to be a first time request, transmits said request to the web server, and receive the application session information from said web server;

store the received application session information, generate application session management information or send to said terminal device by means of URL rewriting, instead of sending said application session information to said terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein if said user'"'"'s request is determined to be a resuming request, retrieve the session information of said user;

if said user'"'"'s request is determined to be a partially submitted request, retrieve the previously partially submitted data of said user;

if said user'"'"'s request is determined to be a fragment request, retrieve the previously browsed fragment page of said user; and

send the retrieved information to said terminal device or the web server, enabling said terminal device to continue to operate at the point of last interruption.

23. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices, for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

24. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices, for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

13. A device for sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, said device comprising:

an application session manager (ASM) connected between a terminal device and the web server, for receiving and forwarding said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device and the response returned from the web sever;

a storing device connected to the application session manager, for storing application session management information and application session information in the response returned from the web server;

a retrieving device connected to the application session manager;

an intercepting device connected to the application session manager;

wherein, said application session manager receives said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device to the web server;

according to said user'"'"'s request, controls said retrieving device to retrieve a previous application session information of said user from the storing device;

then sends the retrieved application session information with said user'"'"'s request to the web server;

after said application session manager receives the response returned from the web server to said terminal device, the intercepting device intercepts a new application session information in said response, said application session manager generates an application session management information of said user, wherein the application session management information comprises a device ID for identifying said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request;

then, sends said response with the application session management information to said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said application session manager retrieves a previous application session information of said user according to application session management information (ASMC) of said user'"'"'s request.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the application session management information further comprises a session ID for identifying the session time of said user.

16. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that said user'"'"'s request does not comprise the application session management information, and said previous application session information is null.

17. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that an authenticating and authorizing server authenticates said user ID of said terminal device and authorizes said user, before said application session manager receives said user'"'"'s request sent by said terminal device.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that the authenticating and authorizing server authenticates the user by requesting said user to input the user name and the password, and authorizes the corresponding user.

19. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that said application session manager identifies the request type from said terminal device and performs corresponding session management associated with different request types, after receiving said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device.

20. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that said application session information comprises user submitted history data, user state, visited URL, application state or cookie.

21. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the code converter, which is connected to said application session manager, converts the information from the web server into an information format which can be accepted by said terminal device, if the information format used by said terminal device is different from the information format used by the web server.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the sharing of application session information across multiple channels or devices for managing the communication between terminal devices and a web server, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 13.

22. A system for sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices, comprising one or more terminal devices and at least one web server, wherein said system comprises a device for sharing application session information across multiple channels or devices, which is connected between said one or more terminal devices and said web server, and comprises:

an application session manager (ASM) connected between a terminal device and the web server, for receiving and forwarding said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device and the response returned from the web sever;

a storing device connected to the application session manager, for storing application session management information and application session information in the response returned from the web server;

a retrieving device connected to the application session manager;

an intercepting device connected to the application session manager;

wherein, said application session manager receives said user'"'"'s request sent from said terminal device to the web server;

according to said user'"'"'s request, controls said retrieving device to retrieve a previous application session information of said user from the storing device;

then sends the retrieved application session information with said user'"'"'s request to the web server;

after said application session manager receives the response returned from the web server to said terminal device, the intercepting device intercepts a new application session information in said response, said application session manager generates an application session management information of said user, wherein the application session management information comprises a device ID for identifying said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request;

then, sends said response with the application session management information to said terminal device which has sent said user'"'"'s request.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the sharing of application session information across multiple channels or devices, comprising one or more terminal devices and at least one web server, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 22.