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US5958013A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus, methods and computer program products for conducting a persistent session with a host-based application

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1997-09-11
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Granted: 1999-09-28
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Expires: 2017-09-11
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Abstract

Abstract A session is conducted with an application resident on a host computer by loading terminal information at a computer, operatively associated with the host computer and which is part of a network including a plurality of resource locations, from a host access resource location of the plurality of resource locations. The terminal emulation information is processed to conduct a session between the computer and the application. A resource location of the plurality of resource locations is then accessed from the computer while the session persists. The terminal emulation information may be downloaded to the computer from a server of the network. According to one aspect, a common environment capable of being produced under a plurality of different computer operating systems, e.g., a Java environment, is produced at the computer. The terminal emulation information is processed under the common environment to thereby conduct a session between the computer and the application. According to another aspect, the terminal emulation information is processed to instantiate a Session Object at the computer, the Session Object being configured to conduct the session between the computer and the application. A plurality of host access processing objects may be instantiated from the Session Object, the host access processing objects being configured to conduct the session between the computer and the application and having methods which are accessible to an application resident at the computer. A Session Vector which identifies the instantiated Session Object may also be instantiated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas Francis King
  • 👤 Bradley Thomas Marchesseault
  • 👤 Thomas Owings Rowe
  • 👤 Yih-shin Tan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 11:25
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/08; H04L67/14; H04L67/142; H04L67/34; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L67/02; H04L69/00; H04L69/14; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim 170 words
A system for conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the system comprising: a computer which is operatively associated with the host computer and which is part of a network including a plurality of resource locations; and means for accessing information at said plurality of resource locations from said computer, said means for accessing including means for loading terminal emulation information at said computer from a host access resource location of said plurality of resource locations, wherein said computer is configured to process the loaded terminal emulation information to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application, the session operative to persist when said computer subsequently accesses a resource location of said plurality of resource locations, the process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 170 words
A system for conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the system comprising: a computer which is operatively associated with the host computer and which is part of a network including a plurality of resource locations; and means for accessing information at said plurality of resource locations from said computer, said means for accessing including means for loading terminal emulation information at said computer from a host access resource location of said plurality of resource locations, wherein said computer is configured to process the loaded terminal emulation information to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application, the session operative to persist when said computer subsequently accesses a resource location of said plurality of resource locations, the process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 72 words
A system according to claim 1: wherein said means for accessing comprises a browser, resident at said computer and operative to access said plurality of resource locations, which accesses said terminal emulation information at said host access resource location; and wherein said created process is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application that persists when said browser subsequently accesses a resource location of said plurality of resource locations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for downloading the terminal emulation information from a server of said network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 72 words
A system according to claim 1: wherein said computer is configured to produce a common environment capable of being produced under a plurality of different computer operating systems; wherein said terminal emulation information comprises terminal emulation configured to be processed under said common environment; and wherein said computer is configured to process the loaded terminal emulation information under said common environment and thereby conduct a session between said computer and the application.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 71 words
A system according to claim 1: wherein said common environment comprises a Java environment; wherein said terminal emulation information comprises a Java applet; wherein said means for accessing comprises means, responsive to a request from said computer, for loading the Java applet at said computer; and wherein said computer is configured to process the loaded Java applet under said Java environment to conduct a session between said computer and the application.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 31 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said computer is configured to automatically process the loaded terminal emulation information in response to loading of the terminal emulation information at said computer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 42 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal emulation information is configured to cause the computer to instantiate a Session Object when processed at said computer, said Session Object being configured to conduct the session between the computer and the application.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 48 words
A system according to claim 7, wherein the Session Object is configured to instantiate a plurality of host access processing objects which conduct the session between the computer and the application, said host access processing objects having methods which are accessible to an application resident at said computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 246 words
A system according to claim 8, wherein the application resident at the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host application data stream format, wherein the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, and wherein said plurality of host access processing objects comprises: a Presentation Space Object which maintains a presentation space at the computer, said Presentation Space Object being configured to accept information for presentation in said presentation space and to extract information from said presentation space; a Data Stream Object, operatively associated with said Presentation Space Object, which is configured to receive extracted information from said Presentation Space Object and produce a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format and provide information to said Presentation Space Object therefrom; and a Transport Object, operatively associated with said Data Stream Object and with the host computer, which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format from said Data Stream Object and provide a data stream formatted according to a host communications protocol to the host computer therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to the host communications protocol from the host computer and to provide a data stream formatted according to the host application data stream format to said Data Stream Object therefrom.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 28 words
A system according to claim 7, wherein the terminal emulation information is configured to cause the computer to instantiate a Session Vector for identifying the instantiated Session Object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 37 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the application is configured to communicate according to a Telnet protocol, and wherein the terminal emulation information causes said computer to communicate with the application according to said Telnet protocol.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 71 words
A system according to claim 2, wherein the terminal emulation information is configured to cause said browser to display a host access Web page including a session configuration option and to provide means for accepting a user selection of said session configuration option from said host access Web page, and wherein the terminal emulation information is configured to cause said computer to conduct the session according to the selected configuration option.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 153 words
An apparatus for conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the apparatus comprising: a computer configured to access a plurality of resource locations of a network including the computer, to load terminal information at the computer from a host access resource location of the network and to process the loaded terminal emulation information; and terminal emulation information, loaded at the computer, which is configured to be processed at the computer to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application, the session operative to persist when said computer subsequently accesses a resource location of the plurality of resource locations, the created process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 153 words
An apparatus for conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the apparatus comprising: a computer configured to access a plurality of resource locations of a network including the computer, to load terminal information at the computer from a host access resource location of the network and to process the loaded terminal emulation information; and terminal emulation information, loaded at the computer, which is configured to be processed at the computer to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application, the session operative to persist when said computer subsequently accesses a resource location of the plurality of resource locations, the created process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 68 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a browser, resident at said computer and configured to access the plurality of resource locations, which accesses the terminal emulation information at the host access resource location, and wherein the created process is operative to conduct a session between said computer and the application that persists when said browser subsequently accesses a resource location of the plurality of resource locations.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 23 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said computer is configured to download the terminal emulation information from a server of the network.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 55 words
An apparatus according to claim 13: wherein the computer is configured to produce a common environment capable of being produced under a plurality of different computer operating systems; wherein said computer is configured to process the loaded terminal emulation information under the common environment to thereby conduct a session between said computer and the application.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 45 words
An apparatus according to claim 16: wherein said common environment comprises a Java environment; wherein said computer is configured to download a Java applet and to process the downloaded Java applet under the Java environment to conduct a session between said computer and the application.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 36 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said computer is configured to accept a user input and to communicate a request to the server to download said terminal emulation information in response to the user input.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 27 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said computer is configured to automatically process said terminal emulation information in response to loading of said terminal emulation information.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 42 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said terminal emulation information is configured to cause said computer to instantiate a Session Object when processed at said computer, said Session Object being configured to conduct the session between said computer and the application.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 48 words
An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the Session Object is configured to instantiate a plurality of host access processing objects which conduct the session between the computer and the application, said host access processing objects having methods which are accessible to an application resident at said computer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 246 words
An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the application resident at the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host application data stream format, wherein the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, and wherein said plurality of host access processing objects comprises: a Presentation Space Object which maintains a presentation space at said computer, said Presentation Space Object being configured to accept information for presentation in said presentation space and to extract information from said presentation space; a Data Stream Object, operatively associated with said Presentation Space Object, which is configured to receive extracted information from said Presentation Space Object and produce a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format and provide information to said Presentation Space Object therefrom; and a Transport Object, operatively associated with said Data Stream Object and with the host computer, which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format from said Data Stream Object and provide a data stream formatted according to a host communications protocol to the host computer therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to the host communications protocol from the host computer and to provide a data stream formatted according to the host application data stream format to said Data Stream Object therefrom.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said terminal emulation information is configured to cause said computer to instantiate a Session Vector for identifying the instantiated Session Object.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 40 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the application is configured to communicate according to a Telnet protocol, and wherein said terminal emulation information is configured to cause said computer to communicate with the application according to the Telnet protocol.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 71 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said terminal emulation information is configured to cause said browser to display a host access Web page including a session configuration option and to provide means for accepting a user selection of said session configuration option from said host access Web page, and wherein said terminal emulation information is configured to cause said computer to conduct the session according to the selected configuration option.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 131 words
A computer program product for conducting a session with an application resident at a host computer, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable program storage medium having computer-readable terminal emulation information embodied therein which is configured to be loaded at a computer connected to the host computer from a host access resource location of a network including the computer, and which is configured to be processed at the computer to thereby create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session with the application which persists when the computer subsequently accesses a resource location of the plurality of resource locations, the created process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 131 words
A computer program product for conducting a session with an application resident at a host computer, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable program storage medium having computer-readable terminal emulation information embodied therein which is configured to be loaded at a computer connected to the host computer from a host access resource location of a network including the computer, and which is configured to be processed at the computer to thereby create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session with the application which persists when the computer subsequently accesses a resource location of the plurality of resource locations, the created process operative to communicate with the host computer according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 29 words
A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said computer-readable terminal emulation information comprises a Java applet configured to be processed under a Java environment at the computer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 40 words
A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said computer-readable terminal information is configured to cause the computer to automatically establish a session with the application in response to loading of the computer-readable terminal emulation information at the computer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 45 words
A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer-readable terminal emulation information is configured to cause the computer to instantiate a Session Object when processed at the computer, the Session Object being configured to conduct a session between the computer and the application.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 50 words
A computer program product according to claim 29, wherein the Session Object is configured to instantiate a plurality of host access processing objects which conduct the session between the computer and the application, said host access processing objects having methods which are accessible to an application resident at said computer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 248 words
A computer program product according to claim 30, wherein the application resident at the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host application data stream format, wherein the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, and wherein said plurality of host access processing objects comprises: a Presentation Space Object which maintains a presentation space at the computer, said Presentation Space Object being configured to accept information for presentation in said presentation space and to extract information from said presentation space; a Data Stream Object, operatively associated with said Presentation Space Object, which is configured to receive extracted information from said Presentation Space Object and produce a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format and provide information to said Presentation Space Object therefrom; and a Transport Object, operatively associated with said Data Stream Object and with the host computer, which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format from said Data Stream Object and provide a data stream formatted according to a host communications protocol to the host computer therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to the host communications protocol from the host computer and to provide a data stream formatted according to the host application data stream format to said Data Stream Object therefrom.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 31 words
A computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said computer-readable terminal emulation information is configured to cause the computer to instantiate a Session Vector for identifying the instantiated Session Object.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 43 words
A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the application is configured to communicate according to a Telnet protocol, and wherein said computer-readable terminal emulation information is configured to cause the computer to communicate with the application according to the Telnet protocol.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 67 words
A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said computer-readable terminal emulation information is configured to cause display of a host access Web page including a session configuration option at the computer, to provide means for accepting a user selection of said session configuration option from said host access Web page, and to cause the computer to conduct the session according to the selected configuration option.
Claim 38
Independent Claim 140 words
A method of conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the method comprising the steps of: loading terminal information at a computer, operatively associated with the host computer and which is part of a network including a plurality of resource locations, from a host access resource location of the plurality of resource locations; processing the loaded terminal emulation information to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between the computer and the application, the created process operative to conduct the session according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer; and then accessing a resource location of the plurality of resource locations from the computer while the session persists.
Claim 39
Independent Claim 140 words
A method of conducting a session with an application resident on a host computer, the host computer configured to communicate according to a host communications protocol, the method comprising the steps of: loading terminal information at a computer, operatively associated with the host computer and which is part of a network including a plurality of resource locations, from a host access resource location of the plurality of resource locations; processing the loaded terminal emulation information to create a process at the computer that is operative to conduct a session between the computer and the application, the created process operative to conduct the session according to the host communications protocol without requiring a protocol conversion between the computer and the host computer; and then accessing a resource location of the plurality of resource locations from the computer while the session persists.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 70 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein the computer has a browser resident thereat which is operative to access the plurality of resource locations, and: wherein said step of loading comprises the step of accessing the host access resource location from the browser; and wherein said step of accessing comprises the step of accessing a resource location of the plurality of resource locations from the browser while the session persists.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein said step of loading comprises the step of downloading the terminal emulation information from a server of the network.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 61 words
A method according to claim 35, further comprising the step of producing a common environment capable of being produced under a plurality of different computer operating systems at the computer, and wherein said step of processing comprises the step of processing the downloaded terminal emulation information under the common environment to thereby conduct a session between the computer and the application.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim 69 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein the common environment comprises a Java environment, wherein the terminal emulation information comprises a Java applet, and: wherein said step of loading comprises the step of loading the Java applet at the computer; and wherein said step of processing comprises the step of processing the loaded Java applet under the Java environment to conduct a session between the computer and the application.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein said step of processing comprises the step of automatically processing the loaded terminal emulation information in response to loading of the terminal emulation information.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim 37 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein said step of processing comprises the step of instantiating a Session Object at the computer, the Session Object being configured to conduct the session between the computer and the application.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim 57 words
A method according to claim 41, wherein said step of processing comprises the step of instantiating a plurality of host access processing objects from the Session Object, the host access processing objects being configured to conduct the session between the computer and the application and having methods which are accessible to an application resident at said computer.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim 256 words
A method according to claim 42, wherein the application resident at the host computer is configured to communicate according to a host application data stream format, wherein the host computer is configure to communicate according to a host communications protocol, and wherein said step of instantiating a plurality of host access processing objects comprises the steps of: instantiating a Presentation Space Object which maintains a presentation space at the computer, said Presentation Space Object being configured to accept information for presentation in said presentation space and to extract information from said presentation space; instantiating Data Stream Object, operatively associated with said Presentation Space Object, which is configured to receive extracted information from said Presentation Space Object and produce a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format and provide information to said Presentation Space Object therefrom; and instantiating a Transport Object, operatively associated with said Data Stream Object and with the host computer, which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to said host application data stream format from said Data Stream Object and provide a data stream formatted according to a host communications protocol to the host computer therefrom, and which is configured to receive a data stream formatted according to the host communications protocol from the host computer and to provide a data stream formatted according to the host host application data stream format to said Data Stream Object therefrom.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of instantiating a Session Vector which identifies the instantiated Session Object.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim 41 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein the application is configured to communicate according to a Telnet protocol, and wherein said step of processing comprises the step of causing the computer to communicate with the application according to the Telnet protocol.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method according to claim 36, wherein said step of processing comprises the steps of: causing the browser to display a host access Web page including a session configuration option; accepting a user selection of said session configuration option from said host access Web page; and conducting the session according to the selected configuration option.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5754830A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-09-27 2003-03-29 2003-09-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-09-27 2007-03-29 2007-09-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-09-27 2011-03-29 2011-09-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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