TRANSFERRING SESSIONS BETWEEN DEVICES

• US 20090138606A1
• Filed: 02/01/2009
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contemporary Display LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Brian Moran, David A. Feinleib
• Inventors: Feinleib, David A., Moran, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transferring a communication and computer session between devices. A user launches a communication session on a first device, such as a personal computer. The user may then selectively transfer the communication session to another device, such as a wireless device, through activation of a triggering signal. In response, the context of the communication session is determined as it is being performed on the first device, including a type of the communication session. The communication session is then transferred to the second device by launching a new communication session on the second device and transferring the context of the communication session corresponding to the first device to the new communication session on the second device. The communications session is continued via use of the first device as a proxy for the second device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, having software stored thereon, said software configured to cause the apparatus to perform operations upon execution comprising:

enabling a user of the apparatus to initiate a communication session between the apparatus and a first device accessed over a network, the communication session facilitated via a first communication link between the apparatus and the first device;

enabling the user to selectively initiate a transfer of the communications session to a second device;

establishing a second communication link between the apparatus and the second device; and

enabling the communication session to be continued on the second device by operating as a proxy for the second device through use of the first and second communication links, wherein after transferring the communication session to the second device, communications between the second device and the first device are routed through the apparatus via the first and second communication link.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein execution of the software causes the apparatus to perform further operations comprising:

in response to receiving a triggering signal from the second device to transfer the session,

initiating transfer of the communication session to the second device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, during the communication session a client side of the communication session is hosted by an application program running on the apparatus and wherein execution of the software further enables the user to initiate the transfer of the communication session by activating a user-interface control or menu option associated with the application program.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a portion of the software comprises the application program.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer session corresponds to an online session hosted by an online service provider, and wherein proxy operations are performed by the apparatus in a manner that is transparent to the online service provider such that the online service is unaware a transfer of the communication session has occurred.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein execution of the software causes the apparatus to perform further operations comprising:

determining a context of the communication session on the apparatus; and

transferring session context information corresponding to the context of the communication session on the apparatus from the apparatus to the second device via the second communication link,

wherein the session context information is configured to enable, in part, the communication session to be continued on the second device when implemented by the second device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the context of the communication session further comprises acquiring a snapshot of the communication session as it is being performed on the apparatus, and wherein transferring the context of the session to the second device returns the user to a point in the communication session at which the snapshot was acquired.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second communication link comprises a peer-to-peer communication link between the apparatus and the second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first device is a network server that hosts at least one of an application or service associated with the communication session.

10. A method for facilitating transfer of a computer session from a first device to a second device, the computer session employing a first communication link between the first device and a third device and the first device configured to operate as a proxy for the second device after transfer of the computer session, the method comprising:

enabling a user of the second device to request transfer of the computer session;

establishing a second communication link between the second device and the first device;

receiving session context information from the first device corresponding to a context of the computer session on the first device;

employing the session context information by an application running on the second device to continue the computer session on the second device via communications between the application and the third device, wherein after transfer of the computer session to the second device, communications associated with the computer session and between the application and the third device are sent to and received from the first device using the second communication link.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a triggering signal to initiate transfer of the computer session from the second device to the first device in response to a user activation of a hard or soft button or a user entry of a key sequence on the second device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method includes automatically performing operations on the second device in connection with the transfer of the computer session, the operations comprising:

opening an application that enables a computer session corresponding to the computer session on the first device to be hosted on the wireless device; and

in response to receiving the session context information from the first device,

loading the application with data associated with the session context information such that the context of the computer session is transferred to the application and the user is enabled to continue the computer session on the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising

setting up an Internet communication link between the second device and the first device to be employed as the second communications link.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second device is a wireless device and the computer session is a chat session, the method further comprising:

opening a chat session application or browser that supports access to an instant messaging service associated with the chat session on the wireless device; and

loading the chat session application or browser with context data associated with the session context data such that the context of the chat session is transferred to the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the operations are automatically performed in response to the user request to transfer the computer session to the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the third device comprises a network server that hosts at least one of an application or service associated with the computer session.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the second device comprises a wireless device and the second communication link comprises a network-based communication link employing at least one of a wireless 802.11 link or a wireless network link hosted by a wireless service provider.

18. An apparatus configured to continue a computer session that initially is between a first device and a second device via transfer of the computer session from the first device to the apparatus, the computer session employing a first communication link between the first device and the second device and the first device configured to operate as a proxy for the apparatus after transfer of the computer session to the apparatus, the apparatus having software stored thereon and configured to perform operations associated with the transfer of the computer session upon execution comprising:

enabling a user of the apparatus to request transfer of the computer session;

establishing a second communication link between the apparatus and the first device;

receiving session context information from the first device corresponding to a context of the computer session on the first device;

employing the session context information to continue the computer session on the apparatus via communications between apparatus and the second device, wherein after transfer of the computer session to the apparatus, communications associated with the computer session and between the apparatus and the second device are sent to and received from the first device using the second communication link.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein execution of the software causes the apparatus to perform further operations comprising:

opening an application that enables a computer session corresponding to the computer session on the first device to be hosted on the apparatus; and

in response to receiving the session context information from the first device,

loading the application with data associated with the session context information such that the context of the computer session is transferred to the application and the user is enabled to continue the computer session on the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus comprises a wireless device.