Method and apparatus for managing an interactive network session

• US 8,346,910 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Barrett, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, TAE K
• Application Number:
  US10/999,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,954 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 726/17, 726 2- 4, 726 26- 29, 705/35, 707/9, 710/5
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Methods for controlling online session inactivity timeouts between a user terminal and a server involves the server polling the user'"'"'s local terminal to determine whether the user presence at the terminal can be confirmed if there is a period of inactivity within the session. If so, or if the server can otherwise confirm that the terminal is secured from use by other users, then the user session is maintained. Otherwise, the user session is allowed to timeout due to inactivity. The server may issue an alert to the user whenever a timeout is imminent, and may restore any information entered by the user prior to the timeout, if the user later returns and validates his identification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating, by a server system for managing an interactive session having a processor and a non-transitory memory, the interactive session over a computer network with a computing device;

initiating, by the server system, a timer of the interactive session, in response to a request to transmit information;

polling, by the server system, the computing device outside of the interactive session in response to the timer reaching a predetermined threshold without the information being transmitted, wherein the polling further comprises transmitting, by the server system, to the computing device, programming code for installation on the computing device, the programming code for enabling the server to interact with the operating system of the computing device to determine that the user is present at the computing device and that the computing device is secured from use by other users; and

installing, by the server system, the programming code on the computing device;

determining, by the server system, that a user is present at the computing device based on the polling of the computing device outside of the interactive session, absent receiving a response to a request for user input to confirm the presence of the user and absent the coupling of a physical peripheral device configured to solely confirm the presence of the user to the computing device;

determining, by the server system, that the computing device is secured from use by other users by receiving, by the server system, a determination by the computing device, that a password protection scheme has been activated by the operating system, the password protection scheme requiring an entry of a valid password to continue using the computing device;

maintaining, by the server system, the interactive session in response to the determining at least one of that the user is present and that the computing device is secured from use by other users; and

terminating, by the server system, the interactive session in response to a determination that the user is not present at the computing device or the computing device is not secured from use by other users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to transmit information comprises a request to transmit confidential information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to transmit information comprises a request to open a financial account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a time period between ten minutes and twenty minutes, inclusive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer is initiated at the start of the interactive session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting, by the server system, the timer upon receipt of any portion of the information from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming code comprises at least one of:

ACTIVE-X code, JAVA code and JAVASCRIPT code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the user is present at the computing device further comprises receiving, by the server system, a confirmation, by the computing device, that the user is present at the computing device in response to at least one of the following events occurring at the computing device:

an update to an input device queue of the operating system,

an opening of an application registered in a registry of the operating system,

a closing of an application registered in the registry,

an insertion of media in the computing device,

a removal of media from the computing device,

an activation of any component in communication with the computing device,

deactivation of any component in communication with the computing device,

an expansion of any window of the operating system, and

a collapse of any window of the operating system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the timer when the valid password is entered.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein any information received from the user prior to terminating the interactive session is stored by the computing device, and wherein the stored information is retrieved during a subsequent interactive session with the user, whereby the user does not have to re-enter any of the stored information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting the timer of the interactive session, by the server system, in response to a determination that the user is present at the computing device and the computing device is secured from use by other users.

12. A computer based server system for managing an interactive network session, comprising:

a processor for managing an interactive session;

a network communication interface; and

a non-transitory memory in communication with the processor, the memory being configured to store a plurality of processing instructions directing the processor, in conjunction with the network communication interface, to;

initiate, by the processor, an interactive session over a computer network with a computing device;

initiate, by the processor, a timer of the interactive session, in response to a request to transmit information;

poll, by the processor, the computing device outside of the interactive session in response to the timer reaching a predetermined threshold without the information being transmitted, wherein the polling further comprises transmitting, by the processor, to the computing device, programming code for installation on the computing device, the programming code for enabling the server to interact with the operating system of the computing device to determine that the user is present at the computing device and that the computing device is secured from use by other users; and

install, by the processor, the programming code on the computing device;

determine, by the processor, that a user is present at the computing device based on the polling of the computing device outside of the interactive session, without receiving a response to a request for user input to confirm the presence of the user and absent the coupling of a physical peripheral device solely configured to confirm the presence of the user to the computing device;

determine, by the processor, that the computing device is secured from use by other users by receiving, by the processor, a determination by the computing device, that a password protection scheme has been activated by the operating system, the password protection scheme requiring an entry of a valid password to continue using the computing device; and

maintain, by the processor, the interactive session in response to the determination that the user is present and that the computing device is secured from use by other users;

terminate, by the processor, the interactive session in response to a determination at least one of that the user is not present at the computing device or the computing device is not secured from use by other users.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction, the sequences of instruction including instruction which when executed by a server system for managing an interactive session causes the server system to perform operations comprising:

initiating, by the server system, an interactive session over a computer network with a computing device;

initiating, by the server system, a timer for timing the interactive session, in response to a request to transmit information;

polling, by the server system, the computing device outside of the interactive session in response to the timer reaching a predetermined threshold without the information being transmitted, wherein the polling further comprises transmitting, by the server system, to the computing device, programming code for installation on the computing device, the programming code for enabling the server to interact with the operating system of the computing device to determine that the user is present at the computing device and that the computing device is secured from use by other users;

installing, by the server system, the programming code on the computing device;

determining, by the server system, that a user is present at the computing device based on the polling of the computing device outside of the interactive session, without receiving a response to a request for user input to confirm the presence of the user and absent the coupling of a physical peripheral device solely configured to confirm the presence of the user to the computing device;

determining, by the server system, that the computing device is secured from use by other users receiving, by the server system, a determination by the computing device, that a password protection scheme has been activated by the operating system, the password protection scheme requiring an entry of a valid password to continue using the computing device;

maintaining, by the server system, the interactive session in response to the determination that the user is present and that the computing device is secured from use by other users; and

terminating, by the server system, the interactive session after the predetermined threshold is reached, in response to a determination at least one of that the user is not present at the computing device or the computing device is not confirmed to be secured against use by other users.