Session management system and method for use with stateless messaging services

• US 7,970,421 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MarketTools Research Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Markettools, Inc. (Macromill, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Kirk L., Zawadka, Kristopher, Priddle, Steve G., Murphy, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMONDS, MARCUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/733,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 4554141-4144
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding

Abstract

The present system uses dynamic assignment of key codes to select options of response content in request messages prior to transmission from an application server to a communication device. Dynamic assignment of key codes to selection options can occur according to a list of key codes having a predefined order also known as a predefined key code series. A key code series could be ordered according to ergonomic considerations or other considerations such as according to an alphabetic or numeric ordering. Communication occurs between one or more server applications running on an application server and a particular communication device, such as a cell phone. Dynamic key code assignment addresses problems raised when one communication device is concurrently carrying on more than one session with one or more server applications since the communication device identifier, such as a phone number, will be the same for all sessions.

Claims

1. A system for communication with a wireless communication device, the system comprising:

a request transmitter configured to transmit a first content request message to the wireless communication device, the first content request message comprising a plurality of response content options;

a key code assigner configured to assign a different key code to each of the response content options of the first content request message prior to transmission of the first content request message to the wireless communication device by the request transmitter,

the request transmitter being further configured to transmit a second content request message comprising a plurality of response content options to the wireless communication device after transmitting the first content request messages to the wireless communication device but before a response to the first content request message is received from the wireless communication device,

the key code assigner being further configured to dynamically assign a different key code to each of the response content options of the second content request message prior to transmission of the second content request message to the wireless communication device based upon the key codes assigned to the response content options of the first content request message by the key code assigner, the key codes dynamically assigned to the response content options of the second content request message being different from the key codes assigned to the response content options of the first content request message;

a data storage containing key code assignments made by the key code assigner to the response content options of the second content request message; and

a response identifier configured to identify a characteristic of a response message containing one of the key codes assigned to the response content options of the second content request message, the response identifier being configured to identify the characteristic of the response message based upon the key code received in the response message and the key code assignments contained in the data storage, the response message elicited by transmission of the second content request message to the wireless communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of content request messages, each content request message including a plurality of response content options; and

a plurality of applications, each application having exchange logic and a different portion of the plurality of the content request messages, the exchange logic of each of the applications configured to provide instructional control of at least one communication session, each of the communication sessions of each of the applications having exchanges of content request messages of the application and response messages transmitted by the wireless communication device in response to transmitted content request messages of the communication session.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first content request message is of a first communication session and the second content request message is also of the first communication session.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first content request message is of a first communication session and the second content request message is of a second communication session, the first communication session being different than the second communication session.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the key code assigner is configured to assign one of the different key codes to one of the content response options of the second content request message after the first communication session has concluded.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first content request message is of a first application and the second content request message is also of the first application.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first content request message is of a first application and the second content request message is of a second application, the first application being different than the second application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the different key codes are characters.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the different key codes are alphanumeric characters.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a communication session of the response message.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a response content of the response message.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a server application of the response message.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the response message is an identity of the response message.

14. A system for communication with a wireless communication device, the system comprising:

means for transmitting a first content request messages to the wireless communication device;

means for assigning a different key code to each of the response content options of the first content request message prior to transmission of the first content request message to the wireless communication device;

means for transmitting a second content request message comprising a plurality of response content options to the wireless communication device after the first content request message has been transmitted to the wireless communication device but before a response to the first content request message is received from the wireless communication device;

means for dynamically assigning a different key code to each of the response content options of the second content request message prior to transmission of the second content request message to the wireless communication device based upon the key codes assigned to the response content options of the first content request message, the key codes dynamically assigned to the response content options of the second content request message being different from the key codes assigned to the response content options of the first content request message;

means for storing key code assignments for the second content request message; and

means for identifying a characteristic of a response message containing one of the key codes assigned to the response content options of the second content request message, identifying the characteristic of the response message being based upon the key code received in the response message and the key code assignments contained in the data storage, the response message having been elicited by the transmitting of the second content request message to the wireless communication device.

15. The system of claim 14, further including:

means for providing a plurality of content request messages, each content request message including a plurality of response content options;

means for providing a plurality of applications, each application having a different portion of the plurality of the content request messages; and

means for providing instructional control of at least one communication session, each of the communication sessions of each of the applications having exchanges of content request messages of the application and response messages transmitted by the wireless communication device in response to transmitted content request messages of the communication session.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first content request message is of a first communication session and the second content request message is also of the first communication session.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first content request message is of a first communication session and the second content request message is of a second communication session, the first communication session being different than the second communication session.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for dynamically assigning includes

means for assigning one of the different key codes to one of the content response options of the second content request message after the first communication session has concluded.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first content request message is of a first application and the second content request message is also of the first application.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first content request message is of a first application and the second content request message is of a second application, the first application being different than the second application.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the different key codes assigned to the response content options of the second content request message are characters.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the different key codes assigned to the response content options of the second content request message are alphanumeric characters.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a communication session of the response message.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a response content of the response message.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the response message is a server application of the response message.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the response message is an identity of the response message.