System and user interface supporting concurrent application operation and interoperability

• US 7,103,666 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• 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): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/817,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/203, 709/223, 709/204, 709/226, 709/227, 709/239, 709/200, 709/229, 709/225, 705/1, 705/26, 705/2, 705/3, 705/35, 715/41, 715/513, 715/810, 715/745, 715/764, 707/104, 707/6, 707/10, 707/101, 710/8, 717/147, 455/67, 713182-189, 713/150, 713/170, 726/14, 726/6, 370/431
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications includes a first application for receiving user identification information and for initiating authentication of the user identification information. The first application communicates a URL to a managing application for storage. The URL is used for acquiring a web page providing a logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications in response to the authenticated user identification information.

Claims

1. A method used by a first application for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising the steps of:

receiving user identification information;

initiating authentication of said user identification information;

communicating a URL to a managing application for storage, said URL being for use in acquiring a web page providing a single logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications individually requiring user logon information in response to said authenticated user identification information; and

automatically communicating application specific context information to a particular application of said plurality of different applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said particular application and in response to automatic logon to said particular application via said single logon menu.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of different applications individually require different user logon information,

said application specific context information comprises a patient identifier and

including the step of automatically using said URL to acquire data representing said web page providing a single logon menu in response to a detected logoff condition.

3. A method according to claim 1, including the steps of

said communicating step also includes communicating additional parameters to said managing application for storage, said additional parameters including one or more of, (a) an authentication service identifier, (b) a language identifier, (c) a frame identifier identifying a browser frame to be used, (d) a timeout value and (e) user identification information and

receiving parameters from said managing application including one or more of, (i) a session identifier corresponding to a particular user logon initiation, (ii) a session key for use in encrypting or decrypting URL data and (iii) a parameter identifying success or failure of a request to establish a session.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said URL is for use in acquiring a web page providing a common logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications including said first application following termination of said first application and

said application specific context information is communicated to said particular application in a data field of a URL.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said communicating step communicates a timeout value to said managing application for determining an inactivity period for triggering automatic logoff of at least one of a plurality of concurrently open applications.

6. A method according to claim 1, including the steps of

communicating an authentication service identifier to said managing application;

and

receiving a user identification code associated with said authentication service from said managing application.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said step of communicating a URL to said managing application comprises encrypting said URL and communicating an encoded URL to said managing application.

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

a browser application for receiving user identification information and for initiating communication of said user identification information to a second application in response to user selection of an icon displayed in a browser window;

a managing application for receiving a URL from said second application for storage, said URL being for use in acquiring a web page providing a single logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications individually requiring user logon information in response to said authenticated user identification information; and

a communication processor for automatically communicating application specific context information to a particular application of said plurality of different applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said particular application and in response to automatic logon to said particular application via said single logon menu.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application receives additional parameters from said second application including one or more of, (a) an authentication service identifier, (b) a language identifier, (c) a frame identifier identifying a browser frame to be used, (d) a timeout value and (e) authenticated user identification information and

said user command to initiate execution of said particular application is made from within said second application.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application communicates parameters to said second application including one or more of, (a) a session identifier corresponding to a particular user logon initiation, (b) a session key for use in encrypting or decrypting URL data and (c) a parameter identifying success or failure of a request to establish a session.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application communicates a timeout period value to said plurality of different applications for determining an inactivity period for triggering logoff of individual applications inactive for said timeout period.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application maps a received authentication service identifier to a corresponding user identifier;

and

communicates said corresponding user identifier to at least one of said plurality of different applications.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application stores a user identifier and corresponding authentication service identifier received from said second application for use in determining a user identifier corresponding to said stored authentication service identifier for said plurality of different applications.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said managing application decrypts said received URL.

15. A system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications including first and second applications, comprising:

a web browser application including,

a user interface display generator for generating a browser window containing icons enabling user initiation of operation of said first and second applications;

a menu generator for providing a logon menu common to said plurality of Internet compatible applications individually requiring user logon information by acquiring a web page providing said common logon menu from a logon web page URL address provided to said browser application by said second application, said logon web page URL address being conveyed from said first application to said second application in response to user initiation of said second application via said browser window; and

a communication processor for automatically communicating application specific context information to a particular application of said plurality of Internet compatible applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said particular application and in response to automatic logon to said particular application via said single logon menu.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said logon menu permits user entry of identification information including a userid and password.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said logon web page URL address is conveyed from said first application to said second application following communication of said URL address to a managing application and retrieval of said URL address from said managing application by said second application.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said logon web page URL address is conveyed from said first application to other applications of said plurality of Internet compatible applications following activation of said other applications.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said menu generator provides said logon menu in response to at least one condition of, (a) upon logoff from a session of activity, (b) a termination condition arising from an error condition and (c) upon time-out condition arising due to inactivity of said second application.

20. A system used for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, comprising:

an authentication processor for receiving user identification information and for initiating authentication of said user identification information; and

at least one communication processor for,

communicating a URL to a managing application for storage, said URL being for use in acquiring a web page providing a single logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications individually requiring user logon information in response to said authenticated user identification information and

automatically communicating application specific context information to a particular application of said plurality of different applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said particular application and in response to automatic logon to said particular application via said single logon menu.

21. A system used for supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

a processor for receiving and storing a URL from a first application, said URL being for use in acquiring a web page providing a single logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications; and

at Least one communication processor for,

communicating said URL and a session identifier to a second application of said plurality of different applications individually requiring user logon information in response to a request by said second application to said managing application to establish a session of user operation and

automatically communicating application specific context information to said second application of said plurality of different applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said second application and in response to automatic logon to said second application via said single logon menu.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein

said logon menu is provided for logon in at least one condition of, (a) upon logoff from a session of activity, (b) a termination condition arising from an error condition and (c) upon time-out condition arising due to inactivity of said second application.

23. A method supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a URL from a first application, said URL being for use in acquiring a web page providing a single logon menu to support user access to a plurality of different applications;

communicating said URL and a session identifier to a second application of said plurality of different applications individually requiring user logon information in response to a request by said second application to said managing application to establish a session of user operation and

automatically communicating application specific context information to said second application of said plurality of different applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said second application and in response to automatic logon to said second application via said single logon menu.

24. A method for use in a system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications including first and second applications, comprising the steps of:

generating a browser window containing icons enabling user initiation of operation of said first and second applications;

providing a single logon menu common to said plurality of Internet compatible applications individually requiring user logon information by acquiring a web page providing said common logon menu from a logon web page URL address provided to said browser application by said second application, said logon web page URL address being conveyed from said first application to said second application in response to user initiation of said second application via said browser window; and

automatically communicating application specific context information to a particular application of said plurality of Internet compatible applications in response to a user command to initiate execution of said particular application and in response to automatic logon to said particular application via said single logon menu.