System for automated, mid-session, user-directed, device-to-device session transfer system

• US 7,191,233 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CRFD Research, Inc. (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Paul H.
• Application Number:
  US09/953,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/238, 709/223, 455/405, 455/509
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A session transfer module of a session server provides the capability to a user to direct a transfer of an on-going session from one device to another device while maintaining the session. The session transfer module is invoked by a user in a way consistent with the user interface of the client application, including by a graphical user command, a command line prompt, or a voice command. The client provides a selection of possible devices that may receive the redirected session. The session transfer module receives the selected device with the session redirect command over a communication network. The communication network may be wired (e.g., public switched telephone network (“PSTN”), Internet, etc.,) a wireless network (e.g., digital telephone network, pager network, etc.,) or a combination of the wired and wireless networks. The session transfer module may be configured to discontinue the session with the current device and to block any subsequent messages of the transferring session from reaching the device. The session transfer module may be further configured to access a device profile from a device profile database to convert the blocked messages into a format compatible to the format and/or modality of the redirected device. The session transfer module may be further configured to push the session to the redirected device in response to an activation (e.g., log-on) of the redirected device by the user. Alternatively, the session transfer module may be further configured to push the session back to the device in response to a time-out in the activation of the redirected device.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting an on-going, software based session comprising:

conducting a session with a first device;

specifying a second device;

discontinuing said session on said first device; and

transmitting a session history of said first device from said first device to a session transfer module after said session is discontinued on said first device; and

resuming said session on said second device with said session history.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pushing said session to said second device in response to said discontinuing; and

resuming said session in response to an activation of said second device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pushing a notification to said second device in response to said discontinuing.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a device profile of said second device; and

restructuring said session data to conform with said device profile of said second device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said restructured session data conforms to a data format of said second device.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said restructured session data conforms to a modality of said second device.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

blocking messages of said session originally intended for said first device;

storing said messages of said session originally intended for said first device;

reformatting said messages of said session to conform with said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting reformatted messages in response to said activation of said second device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reformatting said session history of said session to conform with said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting reformatted session history of said session in response to said activation of said second device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing said session history of said session;

reformatting said session history of said session to conform to said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting reformatted session history of said session in response to said activation of said second device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

said formatted session history conforms to a data format of said second device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

said formatted session history conforms to a modality of said second device.

12. A method for redirecting an on-going, software based session comprising:

conducting a session with a first device;

specifying a second device;

discontinuing said session on said first device;

resuming said session on said second device;

pushing said session to said first device in response to one of a non-activation and a timeout in said activation of said second device; and

resuming said session on said first device in response to a reactivation of said first device.

13. A system for transferring a session, comprising:

a network;

a session transfer module;

a first device to transmit a session history of said first device to said session transfer module after said session is discontinued on said first device;

a second device to receive said session history; and

a session server providing a session service between said first device and said session server over said network, wherein said session server is configured to transfer a session from said first device to said second device in response to a redirect command from said first device.

14. The system for transferring a session according to claim 13, wherein:

said session server is configured to push said session to said second device in response to an activation of said second device.

15. The system for transferring a session according to claim 13, further comprising:

a device database configured to store a profile for each device registered to a user, wherein said session server is configured to access a second device profile from said device database and to restructure said session to conform with said second device profile.

16. The system for transferring a session according to claim 13, wherein:

said session server is configured to block messages of said session intended for said first device and to store said messages of said session.

17. The system for transferring a session according to claim 13, further comprising:

a data handler server configured to reformat said messages of said session to conform with said second device profile and to transmit reformatted messages of said session in response to said activation of said second device.

18. The system for transferring a session according to claim 17, wherein:

said session server is configured to receive said session history of said session from said device and to reformat said session history of said session to conform with said second device profile.

19. The system for transferring a session according to claim 17, wherein:

said session server is configured to transmit reformatted session history of said session in response to an activation of said second device.

20. The system for transferring a session according to claim 17, further comprising:

a session handler module configured to maintain said session history of said session, wherein said session server is configured to access said session history from said session handler module and to reformat said session history of said session to conform with said second device profile.

21. A system for transferring a session, comprising:

a network;

a first device;

a second device; and

a session server providing a session service between said first device and said session server over said network, wherein said session server is configured to transfer a session from said first device to said second device in response to a redirect command from said first device;

wherein said session server is configured to push said session to said second device in response to an activation of said second device; and

wherein said session server is configured to push said session to said first device in response to one of a non-activation and a timeout in said activation of said second device.

22. The system for transferring a session according to claim 21, wherein:

said session server is configured to resume said session on said second device in response to an activation of said second device.

23. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method for redirecting a session, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

conducting a session with a first device;

specifying a second device;

discontinuing said session on said first device; and

transmitting a session history of said first device from said first device to a session transfer module after said session is discontinued on said first device;

resuming said session on said second device with said session history.

24. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

pushing said session to said second device in response to said discontinuing; and

resuming said session in response to an activation of said second device.

25. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 23, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

accessing a device profile of said second device; and

restructuring said session to conform with said device profile of said second device.

26. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 25, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

blocking messages of said session intended for said first device;

storing said messages of said session;

reformatting said messages of said session to conform to said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting said messages of said session in response to said activation of said second device.

27. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein:

said reformatted messages conform to a data format of said second device.

28. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein:

said reformatted messages conform to a modality of said second device.

29. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 25, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

reformatting said session history of said session to conform to said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting reformatted session history of said session in response to an activation of said second device.

30. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein:

said reformatted session history conforms to a data format of said second device.

31. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein:

said reformatted session history conforms to a modality of said second device.

32. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method for redirecting a session, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

conducting a session with a first device;

specifying a second device;

discontinuing said session on said first device; and

resuming said session on said second device;

pushing said session to said first device in response to one of a non-activation or a timeout in the activation of said second device; and

resuming said session on said first device in response a reactivation of said first device.

33. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 32, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

reformatting said session history of said session to conform with said device profile of said second device; and

transmitting reformatted session history of said session in response to an activation of said second device.

34. A system for transferring a session, comprising:

a plurality of networks;

a session transfer module;

a first device to transmit a session history of said first device to said session transfer module after said session is discontinued on said first device;

a second device to receive said session history; and

a session server providing a session service between said first device and said session server over said plurality of networks, wherein said session server is configured to transfer a session from said first device to said second device in response to a redirect command from said first device.

35. The system for transferring a session according to claim 34, wherein:

said session server is configured to push said session to said second device in response to an activation of said second device.

36. The system for transferring a session according to claim 34, further comprising:

a device database configured to store a profile for each device registered to a user, wherein said session server is configured to access a second device profile from said device database and to restructure said session to conform with said second device profile.

37. The system for transferring a session according to claim 34, wherein:

said session server is configured to block messages of said session intended for said first device and to store said messages of said session.

38. The system for transferring a session according to claim 34, further comprising:

a data handler server configured to reformat said messages of said session to conform with said second device profile and to transmit reformatted messages of said session in response to said activation of said second device.

39. The system for transferring a session according to claim 38, wherein:

said session server is configured to receive said session history of said session from said device and to reformat said session history of said session to conform with said second device profile.

40. The system for transferring a session according to claim 38, wherein:

said session server is configured to transmit reformatted session history of said session in response to an activation of said second device.

41. The system for transferring a session according to claim 38, further comprising:

a session handler module configured to maintain said session history of said session, wherein said session server is configured to access said session history from said session handler module and to reformat said session history of said session to conform with said second device profile.

42. A system for transferring a session, comprising:

a plurality of networks;

a first device;

a second device; and

a session server providing a session service between said first device and said session server over said plurality of networks, wherein said session server is configured to transfer a session from said first device to said second device in response to a redirect command from said first device;

wherein said session server is configured to push said session to said second device in response to an activation of said second device; and

wherein said session server is configured to push said session to said first device in response to one of a non-activation and a timeout in said activation of said second device.

43. The system for transferring a session according to claim 42, wherein:

said session server is configured to resume session on said second device in response to an activation of said second device.