Session Transfer Between Resources

• US 20160294954A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khayrudinov, Anton, Eland, Hugh Alexander Prosser, Osobov, Sergei, Potra, Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

Techniques for session transfer between resources are described in which session data for communication sessions is transferred between distinct web-based resources to enable continuation of the communication sessions as navigation between the resources occurs. In one approach, shared session storage accessible to authorized resources is employed to facilitate the transfer of session data. Code embedded in pages for different resources rendered by a browser (or other communication module) operates to store session data for communication sessions in the shared storage. When navigation occurs between different pages, authorizations of the different resources to utilize the shared session storage are determined and communication sessions that are active are maintained across page reloads for the authorized resources. This involves retrieving session data stored in the shared session storage and passing the session data that is retrieved to a communication service to reconnect to the communication sessions after navigation occurs.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a communication module executed via a computing device comprising:

loading a page associated with a first application available from a service provider;

initiating a communication session between multiple clients in conjunction with the loaded page;

obtaining session data for the communication session via code embedded in the page;

storing the session data in shared session storage exposed for use by authorized resources;

upon navigation to a separate page associated with a second application, transferring the communication session to the separate page by;

validating the separate page as a resource authorized to use the shared session storage via code embedded in the separate page;

retrieving the session data from the shared session storage; and

connecting to the communication session via the separate page using the session data that is retrieved from the shared session storage.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication module comprises a browser application.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the code embedded in the page is implemented via a frame for the page configured to access content from an external source that is different than a domain for the page.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the session data comprises parameters used to setup the communication session via a communication service including one or more of a user identifier, session identifier, identification of client endpoints for the communication session, a session URL, or session security credentials.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein both of the first application and second application:

support collaboration functionality in conjunction with application functionality provided by said applications through communication sessions established via a communication service; and

are included in a group of trusted resources authorized to use the shared session storage.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the shared session storage is implemented via local storage associated with the computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the shared session storage is implemented via remote storage that enables roaming of the session data between different devices authenticated to an account authorized to access the remote storage.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein validating the separate page includes ascertaining whether the separate page is included in a trust list that specifies trusted resources authorized to use the shared session storage.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein transferring the communication session includes controlling access to the session data stored in the shared session storage based on authentication of the computing device to a user account associated with the session data.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first application and the second application are included in a suite of multiple resources provided by the service provider, the multiple resources implemented via different domains and corresponding pages that are separate and distinct for different resources.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a web-based real time communication session that supports the exchange of real-time audio and video streams between participants via respective communication modules executed by client devices associated with the participants.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises an instant messaging session that supports the exchange of instant messages between participants via respective communication modules executed by client devices associated with the participants.

13. A computing device comprising:

a processing system;

storage configured to implement a shared session store to facilitate transfer between different resources of session data for communication sessions established via a communication service; and

one or more computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the processing system, implement a communication module configured to perform operations comprising;

storing in the shared session store session data obtained in connection with communication sessions engaged in via pages for different resources rendered by the communication module;

responsive to navigation between different pages associated with different resources;

determining authorizations of the different resources to utilize the shared session store; and

when the navigation occurs between authorized resources, maintaining communication sessions that are active across corresponding page reloads for the authorized resources by;

retrieving session data for the communication sessions from the shared session store; and

passing the session data that is retrieved to the communication service to reconnect to the communication sessions after navigation occurs.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein determining the authorizations comprises checking resources against a trust list configured to distinguish between resources that authorized and not authorized to access the shared session store.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the communication module is configured to perform the operations by invoking session transfer modules embedded in iframes of pages for the different resources.

16. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising allowing disconnection from communications sessions to occur when the navigation involves one or more resources that are not authorized.

17. A computing system comprising:

a processing system having one or more hardware devices;

one or more modules that, when executed by the processing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

authenticating a client device to access a suite of resources available from one or more service providers;

responsive to a request for access to a page associated with a first resource of the suite, communicating the page for output by the client device, the page including functionality for transfer of communication sessions between different resources using shared session storage accessible to the different resources;

creating a communication session to enable online collaboration in connection with the first resource between participants using respective communication modules executed by client devices associated with the participants;

sending session data for the communication session to the client device to cause storage of the session data in the shared session storage via the functionality for transfer of communication sessions;

responsive to a request to access a different page associated with a second resource, communicating the different page for output by the client device, the different page including respective functionality for transfer of communication sessions;

receiving a session connection request from the different page associated with the second resource, the request including session data for the communication session retrieved from the shared session storage by the respective functionality of the different page; and

reconnecting the client device to the communication session in accordance with the session data supplied in the connection request to continue the online collaboration in connection with the second resource.

18. A computing system as recited in claim 17, wherein the functionality for transfer of communication sessions included with the page and the different page comprises code embedded in iframes of said pages to effectuate storage and transfer of session data for the transfer of communication sessions using the shared session storage.

19. A computing system as recited in claim 17, wherein navigation to access the different page associated with the second resource causes a disconnection of the first resource from the communication session.

20. A computing system as recited in claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise supplying the client device with a trust list indicating resources authorized to access the shared session storage, the trust list usable by the client device to validate resources prior to transfer of session data between the resources.