SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING PRESENCE AND COMMUNICATING OVER A COMPUTER NETWORK USING THE HTTP PROTOCOL

• US 20070112965A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Planetexchange Incorporated
• Inventors: PANASHCHENKO, Oleg, EFTIS, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• 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 computer-implemented process facilitates communication with an entity over a network. A static HTTP URL is associated with the entity. Communications information reflecting the entity'"'"'s current online presence including the entity'"'"'s dynamic session information as determined using the HTTP protocol is linked with the URL. Communication with the entity is facilitated using the URL and the communications information. The forms of communication facilitated include type chat/instant messaging, voice communication over a computer network, video communication over a computer network, voice communication from a computer network to a telephone network and two-way text messaging to Internet enabled wireless devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting and maintaining an entity'"'"'s current online presence on a computer network, the network including a host computer, the method comprising:

(a) sending an HTTP request from the entity to the host computer to initiate an HTTP connection between the entity and the host computer;

(b) receiving the request at the host computer and opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection with the entity in a non-blocking manner without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection; and

(c) sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the socket at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connection with the entity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) checking the online status of the entity by polling the socket at a second specified interval to determine if the socket is open and deciding that the entity is still online if the socket is open and that the entity has gone offline if the socket is no longer open.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the HTTP request is a GET request.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) closing the socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from the entity that it is logging off of the network.

8. A computer-implemented method for detecting and maintaining the current online presence on a computer network of a plurality of entities, the network including a host computer, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request at the host computer from one of the plurality of entities to establish an HTTP connection;

(b) opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection in a non-blocking manner, the socket having a socket file descriptor, with the one of the plurality of entities without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection;

(c) adding the socket file descriptor to a socket database, the socket database maintaining a list of open sockets with those of the plurality of entities that are currently online; and

(d) sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the open sockets in the socket database at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connections with the plurality of entities.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

(a) checking the online status of the plurality of entities by polling the open sockets in the socket database at a second specified interval to determine if the open sockets are open and deciding that each of the plurality of entities is still online if its corresponding socket is open and that each of the plurality of entities has gone offline if its corresponding socket is no longer open.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

(a) closing a socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from a corresponding one of the plurality of entities that it is logging off of the network; and

(b) removing the socket from the socket database.

14. An article of manufacture for detecting and maintaining an entity'"'"'s current online presence on a computer network, the network including a host computer, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

(a) sending an HTTP request from the entity to the host computer to initiate an HTTP connection between the entity and the host computer;

(b) receiving the request at the host computer and opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection with the entity in a non-blocking manner without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection; and

(c) sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the socket at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connection with the entity.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(a) checking the online status of the entity by polling the socket at a second specified interval to determine if the socket is open and deciding that the entity is still online if the socket is open and that the entity has gone offline if the socket is no longer open.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the HTTP request is a GET request.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(a) closing the socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from the entity that it is logging off of the network.

21. An article of manufacture for detecting and maintaining the current online presence on a computer network of a plurality of entities, the network including a host computer, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

(a) receiving a request at the host computer from one of the plurality of entities to establish an HTTP connection;

(b) opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection in a non-blocking manner, the socket having a socket file descriptor, with the one of the plurality of entities without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection;

(c) adding the socket file descriptor to a socket database, the socket database maintaining a list of open sockets with those of the plurality of entities that are currently online; and

(d) sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the open sockets in the socket database at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connections with the plurality of entities.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(a) checking the online status of the plurality of entities by polling the open sockets in the socket database at a second specified interval to determine if the open sockets are open and deciding that each of the plurality of entities is still online if its corresponding socket is open and that each of the plurality of entities has gone offline if its corresponding socket is no longer open.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(a) closing a socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from a corresponding one of the plurality of entities that it is logging off of the network; and

(b) removing the socket from the socket database.

27. A computer-implemented apparatus for detecting and maintaining an entity'"'"'s current online presence on a computer network, the network including a host computer, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for sending an HTTP request from the entity to the host computer to initiate an HTTP connection between the entity and the host computer;

(b) means for receiving the request at the host computer and opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection with the entity in a non-blocking manner without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection; and

(c) means for sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the socket at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connection with the entity.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27 further comprising:

(a) means for checking the online status of the entity by polling the socket at a second specified interval to determine if the socket is open and deciding that the entity is still online if the socket is open and that the entity has gone offline if the socket is no longer open.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the HTTP request is a GET request.

33. The apparatus according to claim 27 further comprising:

(a) means for closing the socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from the entity that it is logging off of the network.

34. A computer-implemented apparatus for detecting and maintaining the current online presence on a computer network of a plurality of entities, the network including a host computer, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a request at the host computer from one of the plurality of entities to establish an HTTP connection;

(b) means for opening and maintaining a socket for the HTTP connection in a non-blocking manner, the socket having a socket file descriptor, with the one of the plurality of entities without creating a new thread for the HTTP connection;

(c) means for adding the socket file descriptor to a socket database, the socket database maintaining a list of open sockets with those of the plurality of entities that are currently online; and

(d) means for sending at least one byte of data from the host computer to the open sockets in the socket database at a specified interval to keep open the HTTP connections with the plurality of entities.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34 further comprising:

(a) means for checking the online status of the plurality of entities by polling the open sockets in the socket database at a second specified interval to determine if the open sockets are open and deciding that each of the plurality of entities is still online if its corresponding socket is open and that each of the plurality of entities has gone offline if its corresponding socket is no longer open.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein the second specified interval is 4 seconds.

37. The apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the specified interval is one minute.

38. The apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the specified interval is two minutes.

39. The apparatus according to claim 34 further comprising:

(a) means for closing a socket at the host computer upon receiving a message from a corresponding one of the plurality of entities that it is logging off of the network; and

(0 means for removing the socket from the socket database.