System and user interface supporting concurrent application initiation and interoperability

• US 7,043,752 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Royer, Barry Lynn, Heil, John Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLAHAN, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US09/817,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 380/259, 380/44, 380/211, 380/227, 380/231, 380/232, 380/233, 713/155, 713/182, 713/168, 713/200, 709/203, 709/229, 709/228, 709/230, 709/237, 707/1, 707/8, 705/77, 705/78, 705/26, 705/27, 705/51, 705/52, 726/4, 726/5, 726/8
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A system and associated communication protocol enables Internet compatible applications to be integrated into any process involving concurrent operation of applications. A system employed by a first application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications involves an entitlement processor for authorizing user access to the first application in response to validation of user identification information. The system also involves a communication processor for communicating a session initiation request to a managing application to initiate generation of a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify the user initiated session in response to validation of user identification information. The managing application also initiates generation of an encryption key particular to a user initiated session for common use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications in encrypting data associated with a personal record.

Claims

1. A system employed by a first application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

an entitlement processor for authorizing user access to said first application in response to validation of user identification information; and

a communication processor for initiating generation of,

a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify said user initiated session and

an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data,

in response to validation of user identification information wherein

said communication processor communicates additional parameters to a managing application for storage, said additional parameters including one or more of, (a) an authentication service identifier, (b) a language identifier, (c) a URL to direct a browser to a starting application upon termination of a session, (d) a URL for use in acquiring a web page providing a logon menu to support user initiation of another session, (e) a URL to be contacted upon a predetermined event and (f) an identification of a type of said predetermined event.

2. A system according to claim 1, including

an input processor for receiving said session identifier and an associated encryption key from said managing application.

3. A system according to claim 2, including

an encryption processor for use in encrypting medical data associated with a patient medical record.

4. A system employed by a first application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

an entitlement processor for authorizing user access to said first application in response to validation of user identification information; and

a communication processor for initiating generation of,

a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify said user initiated session and

an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data, said personal record parameters being associated with a patient medical record and said encryption key being particular to said user initiated session,

in response to validation of user identification information.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein

said encryption key is for common use by said plurality of concurrently operating applications in encrypting data associated with a personal record in data fields of a URL string.

6. A system employed by a managing application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

an input processor for receiving from a first application a session initiation request to initiate generation of a session identifier;

a session identifier generator for generating a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify said user initiated session;

an encryption key generator for generating an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data, said encryption key generator randomly generating an encryption key particular to said user initiated session, in resnonse to said session initiation request, said encryption key being for common use by said plurality of concurrently operating applications in encrypting data associated with a personal record; and

a communication processor for,

communicating said session identifier to said first application and

communicating said session identifier to another application of said plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to a request to receive said generated session identifier.

7. A system employed by a managing application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

an input processor for receiving from a first application a session initiation request to initiate generation of a session identifier;

a session identifier generator for generating a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify said user initiated session; and

a communication processor for,

communicating said session identifier to said first application and

communicating said session identifier to another application of said plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to a request to receive said generated session identifier wherein

said communication processor includes said generated session identifier in different types of command messages communicated to applications of said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

8. A system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, comprising:

a browser application providing a user interface display permitting user entry of identification infonnation and commands for a plurality of Internet compatible applications and for providing user identification information to a first application for validation; and

a managing application for generating,

a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and

an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data, in response to receiving a session initiation request from a first application and for communicating said session identifier to said first application, said managing application randomly generating an encryption key particular to said user initiated session, said encryption key being for common use by said plurality of concurrently operating applications in encrypting data associated with a personal record.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein

said encryption key is also to be used in encrypting and decrypting a session identifier conveyed in URL data.

10. A system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, comprising:

a browser application providing a user interface display permitting user entry of identification information and commands for a plurality of Internet compatible applications and for providing user identification information to a first application for validation; and

a managing application for generating,

a session identifier particular to a user initiated session in response to receiving a session initiation request from a first application and for communicating said session identifier to said first application wherein

said managing application includes said generated session identifier in different types of command messages communicated to applications of said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

11. A method employed by a first application operating in a system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, said method comprising the activities of:

authorizing user access to said first application in response to validation of user identification information;

initiating generation of,

a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and

an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data, in response to validation of user identification information; and

communicating parameters to a managing application for storage, said parameters including one or more of, (a) an authentication service identifier, (b) a language identifier, (c) a URL to direct a browser to a starting application upon termination of a session, (d) a URL for use in acquiring a web page providing a logon menu to support user initiation of another session, (e) a URL to be contacted upon a predetermined event and (f) an identification of a type of said predetermined event.

14. A tangible storage medium incorporating machine readable instructions for performing the activities of claim 11.

12. A method employed by a managing application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising the activities of:

receiving from a first application a session initiation request to initiate generation of a session identifier;

generating a session identifier particular to a user initiated session and for use by a plurality of concurrently operating applications to uniquely identify said user initiated session;

generating an encryption key for use by said first application in encrypting personal record parameters conveyed in URL data, said encryption key generator randomly generating an encryption key particular to said user initiated session, in response to said session initiation request, said encryption key being for common use by said plurality of concurrently operating applications in encrypting data associated with a personal record; and

communicating said session identifier and said encryption key to said first application and to another application of said plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to a request to receive said generated session identifier.

13. A tangible storage medium incorporating machine readable instructions for performing the activities of claim 12.