Session manager for secured remote computing

• US 9,117,063 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology L.L.C. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Le, Bach H., Rombakh, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belani, Kishin G
• Application Number:
  US10/787,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,197 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method for managing a session between a local computing device and a remote computing device, in which a session is established between a local computing device and a remote computing device, a lock session signal is transmitted from the remote computing device to the local computing device, a lock session signal is received at the local computing device, and the session is locked, at the local computing device. Furthermore, the user is prompted for identification information at the remote computing device, and the identification information is transmitted from the remote computing device to the local computing device. Moreover, the identification information is received at the local computing device, the identification information is authenticated at the local computing device, and the session is unlocked, at the local computing device.

Claims

1. A computing device for communicating with another computing device that is remote to the computing device, the computing device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium or media encoded with instructions to allow the computing device to perform the following tasks;

facilitating transmitting upon an occurrence of a predetermined event, from the computing device to the other computing device, a lock session signal for locking a communications session upon the occurrence of the predetermined event, the lock session signal configured to restrict access to the communications session until the computing device receives an unlock session signal from the other computing device;

prompting a user at the computing device for identification information associated with the communications session;

facilitating transmitting, from the computing device to the other computing device, the identification information; and

facilitating receiving, at the computing device from the other computing device, the unlock session signal if the identification information is authenticated,

wherein the predetermined event comprises a detection of a departure of the user without manual input from the user,

wherein the computing device is configured to facilitate communication of the communications session using a first communication channel, and is configured to facilitate communication of the lock session signal, the unlock session signal, and the identification information using a second communication channel, and

wherein communications occurring through the first communication channel are suspended when the communications session is locked.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel is a Citrix®

Independent Computing Architecture™

(ICA) Virtual Channel.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event further comprises a lapse in a predetermined amount of time.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event further comprises an activation of a screen saver.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a personal computer.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is an automated teller machine (ATM).

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is an industrial controller.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a gateway.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is an internet protocol (IP) telephone.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a thin client.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a cellular telephone.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the identification information is not a shared screen saver password.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to allow a session management operation to be triggered locally using an application at the computing device, but executed at the other computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the lock session signal for the communications session comprises transmitting the lock session signal to lock the communications session at the other computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to facilitate a local lock at the computing device and a session lock at the other computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the detection of the departure of the user without manual input from the user is performed using at least one of the following without manual input by the user indicating the departure:

a motion detector, a presence or an absence of a dedicated short range communication identification device, or an altered biometric data of the user.

20. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the tasks further comprise receiving information about the user, and wherein the detection of the departure of the user without manual input from the user is performed by software configured to use artificial intelligence to examine input or writing style of another user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media encoded with instructions for facilitating management of a communications session, the instructions comprising code for:

facilitating transmitting upon an occurrence of a predetermined event, from a computing device to another computing device that is remote to the computing device, a lock session signal for locking a communications session upon the occurrence of the predetermined event, the lock session signal configured to restrict access to the communications session until the computing device receives an unlock session signal from the other computing device;

prompting a user at the computing device for identification information associated with the communications session;

facilitating transmitting, from the computing device to the other computing device, the identification information; and

facilitating receiving, at the computing device from the other computing device, the unlock session signal if the identification information is authenticated,

wherein the predetermined event comprises a detection of a departure of the user without manual input from the user,

wherein the computing device is configured to facilitate communication of the communications session using a first communication channel, and is configured to facilitate communication of the lock session signal, the unlock session signal, and the identification information using a second communication channel, and

wherein communications occurring through the first communication channel are suspended when the communications session is locked.

18. A method for facilitating management of a communications session from a client computing device, comprising the steps of:

facilitating transmitting upon an occurrence of a predetermined event, from the client computing device to another computing device that is remote to the client computing device, a lock session signal for locking a communications session upon the occurrence of the predetermined event, the lock session signal configured to restrict access to the communications session until the client computing device receives an unlock session signal from the other computing device;

prompting a user at the client computing device for identification information associated with the communications session;

facilitating transmitting, from the client computing device to the other computing device, the identification information; and

facilitating receiving, at the client computing device from the other computing device, the unlock session signal if the identification information is authenticated,

wherein the predetermined event comprises a detection of a departure of the user without manual input from the user,

wherein the client computing device is configured to facilitate communication of the communications session using a first communication channel, and is configured to facilitate communication of the lock session signal, the unlock session signal, and the identification information using a second communication channel, and

wherein communications occurring through the first communication channel are suspended when the communications session is locked.