Electronic commerce session management

• US 7,099,925 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Drugstore.com Incorporated (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nolan, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/526,978
• Time in Patent Office: 2,358 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/218, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/226, 709/217, 709/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 345/760, 705/5, 705/14, 705/26, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for electronic session management are disclosed. In one embodiment, a user is connected to a server when initiating a session. Until a predetermined period of time passes without any activity from the user, the user is connected to the same server even if the initial connection with the server is broken. During that time, information related to the user is stored in volatile memory of the server. In one embodiment, a one or more searches are performed and the results of the searches are stored on the servers. When a user performs one of the searches the results are retrieved without repeating the searches. Thus, commonly performed searches can be provided in a more efficient manner as compared to performing the searches multiple times.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

storing product data on a server coupled to receive requests from client devices over a network, the product data representing one or more products offered by the server, wherein the requests from the client devices are received for purchasing at least one of the offered products;

generating a set of one or more common search requests for subsets of the product data based on how often the search requests for requesting the subsets of the product data have been received by the server from the client devices previously, wherein a search request is designated as a common search request if a number of the search requests received at the server from the client devices within a predetermined period of time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

performing searches in one or more databases associated with the server in response to the set of common search requests to identify one or more products;

storing on the server a result of the searches based on the common search requests associated with the identified one or more products;

receiving at the server a subsequent search request from a client device over the network;

the server determining whether the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests whose search results are stored in the server;

providing results from the stored results of the common search requests previously generated in response to the common search requests without performing a search for the subsequent search request, if the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the common search requests;

performing the search for the subsequent search request if the subsequent search request is not equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests; and

designating the subsequent search request as a common request if a number of the subsequent search request received within the predetermined period of time exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product data is stored on one of a plurality of servers, and further wherein and all requests from a particular user during a session are directed to a single server.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a session comprises all requests that occur between a first request of the session and a predetermined period of time during which no requests are received by the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the product data and information related to the session are maintained in volatile memory of the server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of one or more common search requests comprises one or more searches for a category of information related to various products including at least one medicine product offered by the server over the network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data stores product information for use with an electronic commerce World Wide Web site, and wherein at least one search request for at least one medicine product is designated as a common search request based on whether the at least one search request for the at least one medicine product is commonly used in a specific season of a year at the time of the at least one request is received at the server.

7. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more electronic devices to:

store product data on a server coupled to receive requests from client devices over a network, the product data representing one or more products offered by the server, wherein the requests from the client devices are received for purchasing at least one of the offered products;

generate a set of one or more common search requests for subsets of the product data based on how often the search requests for requesting the subsets of the product data have been received by the server from the client devices previously, wherein a search request is designated as a common search request if a number of the search requests received at the server from the client devices within a predetermined period of time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

perform searches in one or more databases associated with the server in response to the common search requests to identify one or more products;

store on the server a result of the searches based on the common search requests associated with the identified one or more products;

receive at the server a subsequent search request from a client device over the network;

determine by the server whether the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests;

provide results from the stored results of the common search requests previously generated in response to the common search requests without performing a search for the subsequent search request, if the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the common search requests;

perform the search for the subsequent search request if the subsequent search request is not equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests; and

designate the subsequent search request as a common request if a number of the subsequent search request received within the predetermined period of time exceeds the predetermined threshold.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the product data is stored on one of a plurality of servers, and further wherein and all requests from a particular user during a session are directed to the server.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 wherein a session comprises all requests that occur between a first request of the session and a predetermined period of time during which no requests are received by a single server.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the product data and information related to the session are maintained in volatile memory of the server.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the set of one or more common search requests comprises one or more searches for a category of information related to various products including at least one medicine product offered by the server over the network.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the database stores product information for use with an electronic commerce World Wide Web site, and wherein at least one search request for at least one medicine product is designated as a common search request based on whether the at least one search request for the at least one medicine product is commonly used in a specific season of a year at the time of the at least one request is received at the server.

13. Computer data instructions embodied in a computer readable storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more electronic devices to:

store product data on a server coupled to receive requests from client devices over a network, the product data representing one or more products offered by the server, wherein the requests from the client devices are received for purchasing at least one of the offered products;

generate a set of one or more common search requests for subsets of the product data based on how often the search requests for requesting the subsets of the product data have been received by the server from the client devices previously, wherein a search request is designated as a common search request if a number of the search requests received at the server from the client devices within a predetermined period of time exceeds a predetermined threshold

perform searches in one or more databases associated with the server in response to the set of common search requests to identify one or more products;

store on the server a result of searches based on the common search requests;

receive at the server a subsequent search request from a client device over the network;

determine by the server whether the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests;

provide results from the stored results of the common search requests previously generated in response to the common search requests without performing a search for the subsequent search request, if the subsequent search request is equivalent to one of the common search requests;

perform the search for the subsequent search request if the subsequent search request is not equivalent to one of the previously performed common search requests; and

designate the subsequent search request as a common request if a number of the subsequent search request received within the predetermined period of time exceeds the predetermined threshold.

14. The computer data instructions of claim 13 wherein the product data is stored on one of a plurality of servers, and further wherein and all requests from a particular user during a session are directed to the server.

15. The computer data instructions of claim 14 wherein a session comprises all requests that occur between a first request of the session and a predetermined period of time during which no requests are received by a single server.

16. The computer data instructions of claim 15, wherein the product data and information related to the session are maintained in volatile memory of the server.

17. The computer data instructions of claim 13 wherein the set of one or more common search requests comprises one or more searches for a category of information related to various products including at least one medicine product offered by the server over the network.

18. The computer data instructions of claim 17 wherein the database stores product information for use with an electronic commerce World Wide Web site, and wherein at least one search request for at least one medicine product is designated as a common search request based on whether the at least one search request for the at least one medicine product is commonly used in a specific season of a year at the time of the at least one request is received at the server.