System and user interface supporting processing and activity management for concurrently operating applications

• US 7,334,031 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Royer, Barry Lynn, Heil, John Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H.
• Application Number:
  US09/817,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/224, 709/208, 709/229, 710/113, 719/328, 719/310, 719/329, 712/32, 370/345, 345/741, 345/764, 345/804, 713/200, 713/201, 726/6, 726/8
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and associated communication protocol enables network compatible applications to be integrated into any process involving concurrent operation of applications. A system for use in a first application concurrently operating together with a plurality of network compatible applications includes an entitlement processor. The entitlement processor enables user access to the first application in response to validation of user identification information. The system also includes a communication processor for intermittently communicating an activity indication to a managing application within a timeout window and the activity indication is communicated sufficiently often to prevent an inactivity timeout of the first application. The managing application receives activity indications from multiple concurrently operating applications sufficiently frequently to prevent an inactivity timeout of the individual applications and maintains corresponding activity monitoring indicators.

Claims

1. A system used by a first application concurrently operating together with a plurality of network compatible applications, comprising:

an entitlement processor for enabling user access to a first application of a plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to validation of user identification information; and

a communication processor employed by said first application of said plurality of concurrently operating applications for intermittently communicating an activity indication to a managing application within a timeout window, said activity indication being generated in response to user action and being communicated sufficiently often to prevent an inactivity timeout of said first application being initiated during normal operation of said first application by said managing application in response to said timeout window being exceeded;

wherein

said first application and said managing application reside in one or more computers and said first application notifies said managing application of one or more of, (a) a session identifier for identifying a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if said activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing said activity notification from being successful.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said intermittently communicated activity indication prevents an inactivity timeout of said plurality of concurrently operating applications of a particular user initiated session.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communication processor stores a plurality of activity indications and sends said plurality of activity indications as a batch to said managing application.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said normal operation comprises application operation exclusive of abnormal operation comprising an application failure condition and

said user action comprises at least one of, (a) keyboard activity, (b) mouse activity, (c) other data entry device activity and (d) another user initiated PC application operation activity.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said first application and said managing application reside in the same personal computer (PC).

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communication processor intermittently communicates activity indications to said managing application using a plurality of different commands including an activity notification command and a command involving at least one of, (a) determining a user operation session identifier from said managing application and (b) sending a URL to said managing application.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communication processor communicates to said managing application a request to receive an activity indication associated with said first application and maintained by said managing application, said activity indication indicating time since the last activity update.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein

individual applications of said plurality of concurrently operating applications independently intermittently communicate an activity indication to said managing application and

said communication processor communicates with a browser application providing a user interface display permitting user entry of identification information for validation by said entitlement processor.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said communication processor communicates a time-out threshold value comprising said timeout window to said managing application.

10. A system used by a managing application supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, comprising:

an input processor intermittently receives activijy indications from a plurality of concurrently operating applications, an individual activity indication being generated in response to user action, and at least one activity indication includes one or more of, (a) an identification of a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if an activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing an activity notification from being successful;

an activity monitor updates individual activity status indicators, corresponding to said plurality of concurrently operating applications, in response to said received activity indications;

a comparator compares individual activity status indicators with corresponding time-out threshold values to identify an application time-out event indicated by a status indicator exceeding said time-out threshold and occurring during normal operation of an application; and

a communication processor communicates notice of said application time-out event to one of said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein

said activity indications received by said input processor are provided in response to a user action and

said user action comprises at least one of, (a) keyboard activity, (b) mouse activity, (c) other data entry device activity and (d) another user initiated PC application operation activity.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein

an activity status indicator comprises a time indication identifying when activity of a particular application was last reported, and

said time-out threshold comprises a predetermined time duration and said managing application determines said particular application to be inactive if said time indication exceeds said time-out threshold.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein said input processor receives activity indications from a plurality of different commands including an activity notification command and a command involving at least one of, (a) determining a user operation session identifier from said managing application and (b) sending a URL to said managing application.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein said communication processor communicates notice of said application time-out event to applications of said plurality of concurrently operating applications that have previously requested a notification of session termination.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein said communication processor communicates notice of said application time-out event in response to at least one condition of, (a) a received command requesting notification and (b) a received communication from an application session having previously produced a time-out event and (c) automatically upon generation of said time-out event.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein said corresponding time-out threshold values comprise a common timeout period for said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein said comparator uses a predetermined default value for said time-out threshold values.

18. A system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of Internet compatible applications, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium being connected to the processor;

a browser application stored in the computer-readable storage medium and executable by the rocessor to provide a browser user interface display permitting user entry of identification information and commands for a plurality of Internet compatible applications; and

a managing application receives activity indications from a plurality of concurrently operating applications, an individual activity indication being generated in response to user action, said plurality of concurrently operating applications being initiated by user commands via said browser user interface, said received activity indications being provided by individual applications sufficiently frequently to prevent an inactivity timeout of said individual applications and during normal operation of an individual application;

wherein

at least one activity indication includes one or more of, (a) an identification of a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if an activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing an activity notification from being successful.

19. A system according to claim 18,

including an activity monitor for updating individual activity status indicators, corresponding to said plurality of concurrently operating applications, in response to said received activity indications.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein a common timeout period is used as said inactivity timeout for said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

21. In a system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, a method comprising the activities of:

intermittently receiving activity indications from a plurality of concurrently operating applications, an individual activity indication being generated in response to user action and intermittently receiving one or more of, (a) an identification of a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if an activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing an activity notification from being successful;

updating individual activity status indicators, corresponding to said plurality of concurrently operating applications, in response to said received activity indications;

comparing individual activity status indicators with corresponding time-out threshold values to identify an application time-out event indicated by a status indicator exceeding said time-out threshold and occurring during normal operation of an application; and

communicating notice of said application time-out event to one of said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

22. A method employed by a first application operating in a system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, said method comprising the activities of:

enabling user access to a first application of a plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to validation of user identification information; and

supporting intermittent communication by said first application of an activity indication to a managing application within a timeout window, said activity indication notification being generated in response to user action and being communicated sufficiently often to prevent an inactivity timeout of said first application being initiated during normal operation of said first application by said managing application in response to said timeout window being exceeded;

wherein

said first application and said managing application reside in one or more computers and said first application notifies said managing application of one or more of, (a) a session identifier for identifying a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if said activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing said activity notification from being successful.

23. In a system supporting concurrent operation of a plurality of network compatible applications, a method comprising the activities of:

intermittently receiving activity indications from a plurality of concurrently operating applications of a particular operating session of a user, an individual activity indication being generated in response to user action and intermittently receiving one or more of, (a) an identification of a particular user initiated session, (b) a URL to be contacted if an activity notification is not successful, (c) an identification of a type of event preventing an activity notification from being successful;

updating a single activity status indicator associated with said plurality of concurrently operating applications of said particular operating session, in response to said received activity indications;

comparing said single activity status indicator with a time-out threshold value to identify a time-out event indicated by a status indicator exceeding said time-out threshold and occurring during normal operation of an application; and

re-initializing said plurality of concurrently operating applications in response to said comparison.