System and method for utilizing a presence service to facilitate access to a service or application over a network

• US 20060224688A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US11/096,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A system and method for allowing a remote client to have access to a service or application over a network is described. In one version, the method includes registering the service with a presence service on the network and providing information related to the service from the presence service to the remote client. The method also includes allowing the remote client to submit a request to access the service and permitting the remote client to access the service over the network.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a remote client to have access to a service or application over a network, the method comprising:

registering the service with a presence service on the network;

providing information related to the service from the presence service to the remote client;

allowing the remote client to submit a request to access the service; and

permitting the remote client to access the service over the network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the presence service to authenticate and authorize the remote client prior to providing the information related to the service to the remote client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the service includes transmitting service presence information for the service to the presence service and storing the service presence information persistently at the presence service.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the service presence information includes a name of the service and contact information specifying how to access the service.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the service presence information includes security policies for accessing the service.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein storing the service presence information includes extending a presence tuple associated with a presence service client to include the service presence information, wherein the service is associated with the presence service client.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein storing the service presence information includes storing the service presence information in a service presence tuple associated with the service.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein registering the service further includes associating the service with a presence service client by including in a presence tuple associated with the presence service client a reference to the service'"'"'s service presence tuple.

9. The method claim 1 further comprising displaying information relating to a status for the service indicating whether the service is available in response to the remote client submitting a request to access the service.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein displaying the information includes providing a user interface that includes a friends list associated with the remote client, wherein the friends list includes names of preferred contacts, names of services associated with each preferred contact, and a status for each preferred contact and associated service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein allowing the remote client to submit a request further includes selecting the service from the friends list.

12. The method of claim 1 further including routing the request from the remote client to the presence service and routing the request from the presence service to the service.

13. The method of claim 1 further including routing the request from the remote client to a proxy service and routing the request from the proxy service through a firewall to the service, thereby permitting access by the remote client to the service behind the firewall.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein allowing the remote client to submit a request for access includes using the information related to the service to route the request directly from the remote client to the service.

15. A computer readable medium having computer program instructions for allowing a remote client to have access to a service or application over a network, the instructions for:

registering the service with a presence service on the network;

providing information related to the service from the presence service to the remote client;

allowing the remote client to submit a request for access to the service; and

permitting the remote client to have access to the service over the network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for allowing the presence service to authenticate and authorize the remote client prior to providing the information related to the service to the remote client.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein registering the service includes transmitting service presence information for the service to the presence service and storing the service presence information persistently at the presence service.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the service presence information includes a name of the service and contact information specifying how to access the service.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the service presence information includes security policies for accessing the service.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein storing the service presence information includes extending a presence tuple associated with a presence service client to include the service presence information, wherein the service is associated with the presence service client.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein storing the service presence information includes storing the service presence information in a service presence tuple associated with the service.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein registering the service further includes associating the service with a presence service client by including in a presence tuple associated with the presence service client a reference to the service'"'"'s service presence tuple.

23. The computer readable medium claim 15 further comprising instructions for displaying information relating to a status for the service indicating whether the service is available in response to the remote client submitting a request to access the service.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein displaying the information includes providing a user interface that includes a friends list associated with the remote client, wherein the friends list includes names of preferred contacts, names of services associated with each preferred contact, and a status for each preferred contact and associated service.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein allowing the remote client to submit a request further includes selecting the service from the friends list.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further including routing the request from the remote client to the presence service and routing the request from the presence service to the service.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further including routing the request from the remote client to a proxy service and routing the request from the proxy service through a firewall to the service, thereby permitting access by the remote client to the service behind the firewall.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 15 wherein allowing the remote client to submit a request for access includes using the information related to the service to route the request directly from the remote client to the service.

29. A method of gaining access to a service or application by a remote client over a network, the method comprising:

providing a presence service on the network to store information related to the remote client and information related to the service or application;

receiving in a requesting device, utilized by the remote client, information from the presence service related to the service'"'"'s status;

allowing the remote client to send a request for access to the service; and

gaining access to the service, wherein the presence service uses the stored information related to the remote client and the service or application to enable the remote client of the requesting device to access the service or application.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising displaying the information related to the service or application to the remote client by providing a user interface that includes a friends list associated with the remote client, wherein the friends list includes names of preferred contacts, names of services associated with each preferred contact, and a status for each preferred contact and associated service.

31. The method of claim 29 further including providing in the requesting device at least one requestor user agent for processing the request for access to the service or application, and providing in the requesting device a requestor communicatively coupled to the requestor user agent for sending the request and for receiving and processing a result from the service or application.

32. A method of sharing a service or application with a remote client over a network, the method comprising:

providing a presence service on the network to store information related to the remote client and information related to the service or application;

receiving a request from the remote client to use the service or application;

invoking the service or application to process the request; and

returning a result of the request.

33. The method of claim 32 further including:

associating a service user agent with the service or application, wherein the service user agent translates the request so that the service can process the request; and

providing at least one serventity for receiving the request from the remote client and for routing the request to the service user agent associated with the requested service.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein receiving a request includes receiving the request directly from one of the remote client, the presence service, or a proxy service associated with the presence service.

35. A system for allowing a remote client using a requesting device to have access to a service or application on a serving device over a network, the system comprising:

a presence service connected to the network for registering the service and the remote client and for storing information related to the remote client and information related to the service;

a requesting device comprising;

a communication client for connecting to the network;

a watcher user agent coupled to the communication client for displaying to the remote client at least one service or application that the remote client is authorized to use over the network;

a watcher coupled to the watcher user agent and to the presence service for receiving the information related to the at least one service or application;

at least one requestor user agent coupled to the communication client for processing a request for access to one of the services; and

a requestor coupled to the at least one requester user agent for sending the request for access to, and for receiving and processing a result from, the service; and

a serving device comprising;

the at least one service or application;

a service user agent associated with the service or application, wherein the service user agent translates a request directed to the associated service or application so that the service or application can process the request; and

at least one serventity for receiving the request from the network, routing the request to the service user agent associated with the requested service or application and returning a result generated by the requested service or application to the requesting device.

36. A requesting device comprising:

a watcher coupled to a presence service on the network, the watcher for receiving information relating to services or applications available over the network;

a watcher user agent coupled to the watcher for displaying to a remote client at least one service or application that the remote client is authorized to use over the network;

at least one requester user agent for processing a request by the remote client for access to the at least one service or application; and

a requester coupled to the at least one requestor user agent for sending the request for access to and for receiving and processing a result from the service or application.

37. A serving device comprising:

a service or application;

a service user agent associated with the service or application, wherein the service user agent translates a request from a remote client for the associated service or application so that the service or application can process the request; and

at least one serventity for receiving the request, routing the request to the service user agent associated with the requested service or application and returning a result generated by the requested service or application.

38. The serving device of claim 37 further including at least one firewall protecting the serving device and the service or application, wherein the request is received via a proxy service associated with a presence service on the network.