Method, apparatus, and computer program product for deferred completion of multi-step user transaction applications

• US 8,171,490 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tumbleweed Holdings LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rehle Visual Communications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Weber, Jay C., Lash, Todd, Stefanac, Suzanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US11/264,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 705/80, 707/1
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms

Abstract

Disclosed are server features for allowing a client user to defer completion of multi-step user transaction applications (“MUTAs”) and later resume the MUTA. One disclosed feature is providing a selectable deferral action in a page implementing part of the MUTA, e.g., HTML, XML, JavaScript/ECMA Script document. If the client user selects to defer completion, a state object is created by the server and stores state information including information previously entered during the MUTA. The server provides a resumption object to the user including a resource for resuming the deferred MUTA. When the user selects the resource, state information stored in the state object is loaded and the use may complete the remainder of the MUTA. An additionally disclosed aspect is automatic state saving where sate information is stored automatically during multiple steps in the MUTA; the user then need not select deferral.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a computer system causing a first display in a client application of a page used in a multi-page transaction, wherein the page includes two or more data fields;

the computer system receiving input from a user of the client application for the two or more data fields;

the computer system causing storage of state information indicating that input for the two or more data fields has been received;

in response to the computer system determining, subsequent to receiving the input from the user, that no response from the client application for the multi-page transaction has been received within a predetermined time period, the computer system causing a message including an identifier that identifies a resource enabling retrieval of the state information to be sent to the user, wherein the identifier includes an internet address that is usable to locate the stored state information; and

in response to receiving an indication to resume the multi-page transaction, wherein the indication includes the identifier, the computer system resuming the multi-page transaction without requiring re-entry of the input for the two or more data fields.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system causes a second display in the client application of a second page used in the multi-page transaction prior to said determining.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the page allows a user to select deferring completion of the multi-page transaction.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the state information is stored in a state object on the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message sent to the user is an e-mail.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system, subsequent to said resuming the multi-page transaction:

receiving additional user input for the multi-page transaction;

causing storage of updated state information indicative of the additional received user input;

causing a second message including an identifier enabling retrieval of the updated state information to be sent to the user; and

resuming the multi-page transaction without requiring re-entry of the additional received input.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the multi-page transaction comprises a plurality of web pages viewable in a browser application.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system causing a display of a page including a list of deferred multi-page transactions, wherein individual ones of the list of multi-page transactions are selectable for resumption.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable to cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

causing a display in a client application of a page used in a multi-page transaction, wherein the page includes two or more data fields;

receiving input from a user of the client application for the two or more data fields;

causing storage of state information indicating that input for the two or more data fields has been received;

in response to determining, subsequent to receiving the input from the user, that no response from the client application for the multi-page transaction has been received within a predetermined time period, sending a message including an identifier that identifies a resource enabling retrieval of the state information, wherein the identifier includes an internet address that is usable to locate the stored state information; and

in response to receiving an indication to resume the multi-page transaction, wherein the indication includes the identifier, resuming the multi-page transaction without requiring re-entry of the input for the two or more data fields.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further including instructions executable to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

causing a second display in the client application of a second page used in the multi-page transaction prior to said determining.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the page is a web page that includes script code as part of the multi-page transaction application.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8,

wherein the state information is stored in a state object.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the message is included in a page showing one or more transactions not yet completed for the user.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise merging additional information into the stored state information prior to resuming the multi-page transaction.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise causing a display of a page including a list of deferred multi-page transactions, wherein individual ones of the list of multi-page transactions are selectable for resumption.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory stores program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to perform the following;

causing a display in a client application of a page that is part of a first multi-page transaction, wherein the page includes two or more data fields;

receiving user input for the two or more data fields;

causing storage of state information indicating that the user input has been received;

in response to determining, subsequent to receiving the user input, that no response for the multi-page transaction has been received from the client application within a predetermined time period, sending a message including an identifier that identifies a resource enabling retrieval of the state information, wherein the identifier includes a network address that is usable to locate the stored state information; and

in response to receiving an indication to resume the first multi-page transaction that includes the identifier, resuming the first multi-page transaction without requiring re-entry of the input for the two or more data fields.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory stores further program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to perform causing a second display in the client application of a second page used in the multi-page transaction prior to said determining.

17. The system of claim 15,

wherein the page is provided by the system and allows a user of the client application to manually defer completion of the first multi-page transaction.

18. The system of claim 15,

wherein the state information includes a position identifier for the first multi-page transaction.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory stores further program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause display of a page including a list of a plurality of deferred multi-page transactions, wherein the list includes the first multi-page transaction.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the causing storage of the state information comprises causing storage of the state information in a database.