System for providing continuity between session clients and method therefor

• US 20060212585A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayes, David Jeffery, Mock, Von Alan, Eaton, Eric Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

An online communication system (10) includes a plurality of remote session clients (12) and one or more online servers (14). The online communication system (10) provides continuity of an online session (80) between a server (14) and one of the remote session clients (12). A first session client (18) participates in the online session (80), including receiving and accumulating a plurality of session information (182) for the online session (80). The first session client (18) initiates a transfer of the session information (182) to a second session client (20) to enable the second session client (20) to seamlessly continue the online session (80) in place of the first session client (18) after the transfer of the session information (182).

Claims

1. A method for providing continuity of at least one online session between a server and at least one remote session client, the method comprising:

participating in the at least one online session by a first session client, wherein participation includes receiving and accumulating a plurality of session information for the at least one online session from the server; and

initiating a transfer of the plurality of session information for the at least one online session to a second session client so as to enable the second session client to seamlessly continue the at least one online session in place of the first session client after the transfer of the session information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least one transfer client profile associated with at least one of a plurality of session clients, wherein the initiating a transfer step includes choosing the second session client from the at least one stored transfer client profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one online session is an online gambling event, and further wherein the plurality of session information comprises one or a combination of information selected from a group consisting of:

an event name, an event number, an event description, a navigational path, a gambling house, a start time, an end time, a number of gamblers, a current status, an event monitoring, a URL where results reside, a last URL visited, a type of event, a score, prior history of related events, and event odds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one online session is an online auction session, and further wherein the plurality of session information comprises one or a combination of information selected from a group consisting of:

an item name, an item number, an item description, an item identification, a navigational path, an auction type, an auction house, an end time, a number of bidders, a reserve price, a current status, a URL where results reside, and a store front URL for a seller

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the initiating a transfer step further comprises:

sending a session transfer notification from the first session client.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the session transfer notification is sent from the first session client to the server informing the server to pass the plurality of session information to the second session client.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the session transfer notification is sent from the first session client to the second session client.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first session client operates within a first session device, wherein the second session client operates within a session device, and further wherein the session transfer notification is sent from the first session device to the second session device.

9. A method for providing continuity of at least one online session between a server and at least one remote session client, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second session client, a transfer of session information associated with at least one ongoing online session between a first session client and a server; and

participating, by the second session client in place of the first session client, in the at least one online session to seamlessly continue the at least one online session after receipt of the session information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the second session client, an asynchronous event notification from the server instructing the second session client to connect to an event site on the server associated with the at least one online session;

retrieving, by the second session client, latest information from the event site using the session information; and

storing the latest information retrieved from the event site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second session client operates within a session device, the method further comprising:

determining whether an online account user is in close proximity to the session device prior to the retrieving step;

storing the asynchronous event notification when the online account user is determined not to be in close proximity to the session device;

periodically checking whether the online account user is in close proximity to the session device; and

continuing to the retrieving step when the online account user is determined to be in close proximity to the session device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving, by the second session client, latest information from an event site on the server associated with the at least one online session using the session information after expiration of an event parameter of the session information; and

storing the latest information retrieved from the event site.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing a current time to a range surrounding an event time;

retrieving, by the second session client, latest information from an event site on the server associated with the at least one online session using the session information when the current time is within the range surrounding the event time; and

storing the latest information retrieved from the event site.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second session client operates within a session device, the method further comprising:

determining whether an online account user is in close proximity to the session device prior to the retrieving step, wherein the determination is made without active interaction with the second session client by the online account user; and

continuing to the retrieving step when the online account user is in close proximity to the session device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second session client operates within a session device, the method further comprising:

determining, by the second session client, whether a user is in close proximity to the session device without interaction with the session device by the user; and

retrieving, by the second session client, latest information associated with the at least one online session when the user is determined to be in close proximity to the session device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the session device includes a motion sensor, and wherein the step of determining whether a user is in close proximity to the session device comprises:

determining whether an output of the motion sensor is greater than a tilt sensor threshold;

when the output of the motion sensor is greater than the tilt sensor threshold, determining that the user is in close proximity to the session device; and

when the output of the motion sensor is not greater than the tilt sensor threshold and a predetermined time has expired, determining that the user is not in close proximity to the session device.

17. An online communication system for providing continuity of at least one online session comprising:

at least one online server operable to host the at least one online session, wherein the at least one online session includes a plurality of session information;

a first session client operable to participate in the at least one online session, store the plurality of session information, and initiate a transfer of the plurality of session information; and

a second session client operable to receive the transfer of the plurality of session information and to participate in the at least one online session in place of the first session client so as to seamlessly continue the at least one online session after the transfer of the session information.

18. The online communication system of claim 17, wherein the first session client operates within a first session device, and further wherein the second session client operates within a second session device.

19. The online communication system of claim 18, wherein the first session device further comprises a memory for storing at least a transfer client profile associated with the second session device, and further wherein the first session client is operable to transfer the plurality of session information using the transfer client profile.

20. The online communication system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first session client and the second session client operate within a session device, and wherein the session device is a device selected from a group consisting of:

a fixed network device, a mobile device, and a cable box.