Graphical user interface for Web enabled applications

• US 6,115,040 A
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Shamash, Arieh, Wood, Jeffrey A., Bladow, Chad R., Devine, Carol Y., Shoulberg, Richard W., Schwarz, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/159,515
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/331, 345/335, 345/339, 345/333, 345/334, 345/346, 345/969, 345/356, 345/357, 707/501, 707/513, 709/303, 709/302, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/229, 709/227
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 : Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 : Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 : Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 : Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 : Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 : using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 : using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 : Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 : Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 : Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 : Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 : Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 : of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 : using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 : Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 : Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 : Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 : by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 : Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 : Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 : characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 : Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 : Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 : Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 : wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 : wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 : by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 : Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 : related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 : using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 : Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 : User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 : using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 : Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 : Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 : providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 : at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 : using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 : Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 : using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 : Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 : Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 : On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 : On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 : Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 : Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7045 : Using Internet or WAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8108 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 : Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 : Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

An integrated system of user interfaces for communicating with remote services. A backplane architecture controls and manages the user interfaces by instantiating, launching, overseeing and closing the user interfaces associated with a plurality of applications residing in a remote server. Each application communicates with one another and with the backplane via messaging interfaces. The backplane provides a single uniform user authentication procedure during logon for the user interfaces and also provides session management for a duration of a user session. Session information is maintained by exchanging a session key or keys for identifying the session with remote servers.

Claims

1. A system for integrating and managing one or more client application programs which enable a user to interact with one or more web enabled services subscribed by the user, comprising:

a web browser, resident on a client platform, the web browser capable of receiving one or more web pages from a remote server;

a backplane object downloaded with, and launched by the web page, the backplane object capable of launching the client application programs upon initiation by the user, the backplane object further enabling inter-application communications among the client application programs and also with the backplane object,

whereby the backplane object and the client application programs intproperate with one another to provide an integrated customer interface to a plurality of communications network management services subscribed by the user.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a logon object downloaded with and launched by the web page, the logon object capable of accepting logon transactions from the user; and

a session object created by the logon object, the session object communicating with the remote server to provide user authentication,

whereby upon successful user validation from the remote server, the logon object sends a command to the remote server to download the client application programs and the web page having the backplane object.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a user object for a representing a current user, the user object further communicating with the remote server to determine the user'"'"'s entitlements to the web enabled services, whereby the backplane uses the entitlements to present to the user only those web enabled services to which the user has privilege.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the client application program is run directly by the backplane when the user selects the service associated with the client application program, whereby the client application program runs in a frame independent from the web browser'"'"'s window.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the client application program is a program launched from a new browser window created by the backplane.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the backplane object maintains session information received from the remote server in static memory for the duration of a session, and enables the client application programs to access the static memory,

whereby a need for each of the client application programs to communicate with remote servers for once obtained information is eliminated.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the client application program includes an application toolbar for presenting the web enabled services to the user, the application toolbar having a capability to launch, upon the user'"'"'s initiation, the client application programs associated with the web enabled services, the application toolbar further having a capability to remain static on the screen foreground,

whereby the user may select a second web enabled service after having run a first web enabled service without having to re-retrieve the web page having the backplane object.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a graphical user interface unit for enabling the client application programs and the backplane to provide common look-and-feel desktop window management features.

9. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a communication transaction unit for enabling the backplane and the client application programs to communicate with the server, whereby the communication transaction unit may track messages communicated.

10. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a security unit for providing a browser-independent interface for accessing browser-specific security implementations.

11. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises an error handling unit for managing exceptions occurring in the client application programs and the backplane.

12. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises an input/output services unit for providing input/output services including printing, logging, data exporting and importing, managing default configuration files and statistics,

whereby the backplane and the client application programs use the input/output services unit for their input/output needs thereby containing all input/output functions in the input/output services unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a cache unit for establishing a two-tier disk-memory caching mechanism whereby upon instantiation of a cache object, the cache object retrieves a requested page from a local disk along with pages following and preceding it into the cache object'"'"'s active memory if the requested page is available in the local disk and, if the requested page is not available in the local disk, the cache object downloads information including pages following and preceding it from a remote data source and writes the information to the local disk, storing the information into the cache object'"'"'s active memory.

14. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a web help unit for enabling the backplane and the client applications to command the web browser to bring up help information by passing a URL pointing to a help page and a reference to the client application or the backplane.

15. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a heartbeat message unit for enabling the client applications to notify the server periodically of their status,

whereby when the server does not receive notification for a predefined period, the client application is denoted as having exited.

16. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the web pages further comprise hyper links to other web pages and services.

17. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user object stores in its memory the user'"'"'s entitlements after retrieving them from the remote server.

18. A method for integrating and managing one or more client application programs for enabling a user to interact with one or more web enabled services to which the user has subscribed, the method comprising:

receiving a web page having a backplane object from a remote server;

downloading a client application program associated with the web enabled services;

launching the backplane object;

presenting to the user the client application programs associated with the web enabled services to which the user has subscribed and which the user may select; and

creating the client application program upon the user'"'"'s request,

whereby the backplane object and the client application programs interoperate with one another and communicate with the remote server to provide an integrated customer interface to a plurality of communications network management services subscribed by the user.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

accepting a user logon transaction from the user; and

authenticating the user logon transaction by communicating with the remote server,

before the step of receiving a web page having a backplane object from a remote server.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of presenting further comprises:

determining entitlements for services to which the user has privilege; and

enabling only those services to which the user is entitled.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of creating comprises launching the client application program directly from the backplane object.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of creating comprises:

downloading a new browser window; and

launching the client application program from the new browser window.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining information data in a static memory throughout a session.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

launching an application toolbar for presenting the web enabled services to the user;

displaying the application toolbar on the screen foreground.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises sending a heartbeat message to the server periodically for keeping communications alive with the server.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises generating one or more session keys for identifying a session when communicating with the web enabled services.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises passing a URL pointing to a help page and a reference to the client application or the backplane,

whereby the web browser brings up help information.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises hyperlinking to other web pages and services.

29. A system for creating integrated client applications for enabling a user to interact with one or more web enabled services to which the user has subscribed, the system comprising:

an application backplane class for managing a plurality of client application programs;

an application interface class for implementing the client application program associated with the web enabled service, the application interface class further including a messaging device for enabling communications among the plurality of client application programs;

GUI class extensions for enabling the client application programs to provide common look-and-feel desktop window management features; and

a client communications interface for providing a single interface from which the client application programs may send messages and requests to one or more back-end services,

whereby a shared library of common objects is provided as a framework in which a family of Internet applications can be created and managed from an integrated system.