Low cost, stateless, full-featured information appliance

• US 7,107,308 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chu, Eric, Madany, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/727,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/227, 709/229, 709/203, 713/151, 713/201, 370/360, 380/279
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In one of the many embodiments of the present inventions, a system is provided which includes at least one server to execute at least one session where the at least one session includes data associated with a user. The system also includes at least one stateless client coupled to the at least one server where the at least one stateless client obtains the at least one session from the at least one server.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one server configured to execute at least one session, said at least one session comprising data associated with a user;

at least one stateless client coupled to said at least one server, wherein said at least one stateless client obtains said at least one session from said at least one server, wherein said at least one server maintains at least one state and said at least one state is associated with said at least one session, and further comprising at least one second stateless client, wherein said second stateless client connects to the same said session as said at least one stateless client was connected to, so as to allow the second stateless client access to the at least one state, and wherein said at least one server continues to execute said session when said at least one stateless client disconnects from said at least one server.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one server uses said at least one state to determine said session data to transmit to said at least one stateless client.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one client further comprises at least one user identification input for providing identification of said at least one user to said at least one server.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said session comprises graphical data displayed to said at least one user at said at least one stateless client.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said session data comprises voice data.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said sessions associated with said state corresponding to said user comprise sessions accessed by said user from any of said at least one stateless clients from which said user'"'"'s identification is provided to said at least one server.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said coupling between said at least one server and said at least one stateless client comprises a network.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said network further comprises two directional data communications comprising simultaneous voice and data traffic between said at least one server and said at least one at least one stateless client.

9. A method for providing data to a stateless client comprising:

obtaining user identification information;

providing said user identification information to a server;

initiating a persistent session at said server, wherein said persistent session is associated with said user;

associating at least one state with said session on said server;

maintaining said at least one state on said server;

providing data associated with said session to said user at a first stateless client computer;

providing said data associated with said session to said user at a second stateless client computer, so allowing said second stateless client computer access to said at least one state;

continuing execution of said session when neither said first stateless client computer or said second stateless client computer is being provided data associated with said session; and

continuing execution of said session when either said first stateless client or said second stateless client computer disconnects from said server.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said user identification comprises a unique identifier associated with said user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said unique identifier resides on a smart card.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said providing data associated with said session further comprises displaying graphical data to said user.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said session on said server comprises a plurality of processes executing on behalf of said user.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said data associated with said session comprises two directional data communications comprising simultaneous voice and data traffic between said server and said clients.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, said computer readable program configured to;

obtain user identification information;

provide said user identification information to a server;

initiate a persistent session at said server, wherein said persistent session is associated with said user;

associate at least one state with said session on said server;

maintain said at least one state on said server;

provide data associated with said session to said user at a first stateless client computer;

provide said data associated with said session to said user at a second stateless client computer, so allowing said second stateless client computer access to said at least one state;

said computer readable program configured to continue execution of said session while neither said first stateless client computer or said second stateless client computer is being provided data associated with said session; and

said computer readable program configured to continue execution of said session at said server when either said first stateless client or said second stateless client computer disconnects from said server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said user identification comprises a unique identifier associated with said user.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said unique identifier resides on a smart card.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said providing data associated with said session further comprises displaying graphical data to said user.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said session on said server comprises a plurality of processes executing on behalf of said user.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said data associated with said session comprises two directional data communications comprising simultaneous voice and data traffic between said server and said first stateless client computer or said second stateless client computer.