Method of communicating between web applications and local client application while maintaining remote user session

• US 20060026260A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Garner, Brent, Mullen, Jeffrey T.
• Application Number:
  US10/900,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026260A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

A method for non-browser based client applications to be integrated into a user'"'"'s web session and allowed to transfer information from the non-browser applications to the user'"'"'s session on the web server. The method provides communications between a web-based application and a client application while maintaining a unique client session with a web server. The web browser requests a web page containing data or any other information needed by the non-browser based client application. When the web server receives the client request, it redirects the client web browser to a second web page which is reloaded on a regular basis in order to prevent the client session with the web server from expiring. The second web page generates a web form that includes a link to a file stored on the web server containing the data or other information for use by the client application. When the second web page is finished loading the first time, it downloads the file to the client device and automatically starts execution of the non-browser based client application. The client application uses the data or other information contained in the downloaded file when the non-browser client application executes. The client application returns the results of its processing to the web server which stores the data or other information to preserve session information. The second web page detects a return criterion that is returned with the results and processes the server file containing the stored results from the non-browser based client application.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application and maintaining a client session with a web server, comprising the steps of:

initiating a unique client session with the web server;

requesting a first web page having information for use by the client application;

redirecting a client web browser to a second web page to prevent the client session with the web server from expiring;

generating a web form including a link to a file on the web server containing the information for use by the client application;

downloading the file to the client and executing the client application;

returning results generated from execution of the client application to the web server; and

processing the results returned to the web server from the client application.

2. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 further comprising the step of reloading the second page on a regular basis during the client session to maintain the session as active on the server.

3. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 2 further comprising the step of maintaining a count of the number of reloads of the second page.

4. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 3 wherein the step of generating a form is performed by the second web page when the count is zero.

5. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 3 wherein the step of generating a form is performed on the first load of the second web page.

6. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the form submits to itself with a time delay between each submission.

7. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the step of executing the client application is automatically started when the client accepts the file download.

8. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining when the client application has completed execution using the information in the downloaded file.

9. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 8 wherein the step of determining comprises executing a program instruction that checks for a return criterion.

10. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the step of redirecting a web browser to a second web page comprises executing a program instruction to reload the second web page until a return criterion from the client application is detected.

11. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the step of executing the client application comprises operating the client application with the information contained in the downloaded file.

12. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the step of returning results from the client application comprises executing a web-based posting method.

13. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the step of returning results comprises storing the results on the web server to preserve session information.

14. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 13 further comprising the step of the redirecting the web browser to continue the communication session with the web-based application.

15. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 1 wherein the client application is a non-browser application resident on a client device.

16. The method for communicating between a web-based application and a client application of claim 13 wherein the web-based posting method uses a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

17. A method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server and maintaining a session state, comprising the steps performed by the web server of:

receiving a request from a client web browser for a first web page for use by the non-browser application;

processing the data needed for the non-browser application and generating a state file;

redirecting the client web browser to a second web page to maintain the session state;

downloading the state file to the client browser to initiate the non-browser application;

receiving information posted by the non-browser application;

creating a state return file containing session information; and

redirecting the web browser to the application executing on the web server.

18. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 17 further comprising the step of reloading the second page on a regular basis during the session to maintain the session as active on the server.

19. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 18 further comprising the step of maintaining a count of the number of reloads of the second page.

20. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 17 further comprising the step of determining when the non-browser application has completed execution using the data in the downloaded state file.

21. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 20 wherein the step of determining comprises executing a program instruction that checks for a return criterion.

22. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 17 wherein the step of redirecting the client web browser to a second web page comprises executing a program instruction to reload the second web page until a return criterion from the client application is detected.

23. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 17 wherein the state file contains a marker that associates the state file with the session and the data needed for the non-browser application.

24. The method for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 17 wherein the state return file contains session information that correlates the state file with the state return file.

25. A computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web-server and maintaining a session state, comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising:

program instructions that receive a request from a client web browser for a first web page for use by the non-browser application;

program instructions that process the data needed for the non-browser application and generate a state file;

program instructions that redirect the client web browser to a second web page to maintain the session state;

program instructions that download the state file to the client browser to initiate the non-browser application;

program instructions that receive information posted by the non-browser application;

program instructions that create a state return file containing session information; and

program instructions that redirect the web browser to the application executing on the web server.

26. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 further comprising program instructions that reload the second page on a regular basis during the session to maintain the session as active on the server.

27. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 further comprising program instructions that maintain a count of the number of reloads of the second page.

28. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 further comprising program instructions that determine when the non-browser application has completed execution using the data in the downloaded state file.

29. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 28 wherein the program instructions that determine include program instructions that check for a return criterion.

30. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 wherein the program instructions that redirect the client web browser to a second web page include program instructions that reload the second web page until a return criterion from the client application is detected.

31. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 wherein the program instructions that generate the state file insert a marker that associates the state file with the session and the data needed for the non-browser application.

32. The computer program product for integrating a non-browser application with an application executing on a web server of claim 25 further comprising program instructions that correlate the state file with the state return file using session information contained in the state return file.