Method and apparatus for maintaining session states

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising: displaying the page by a browser, wherein the indication is sent in response to the event while the page is displayed in the data processing system.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 , wherein the event occurs in response to an expiration of a timer.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , wherein the code in the page defines the indication.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 , wherein the source is a web server and the page is a web page.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 , wherein the web page is displayed in a browser program.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein the event occurs periodically.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , where the page includes instructions to trigger the event.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , wherein the client is a personal computer.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 , wherein the client is a personal digital assistant.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 , wherein the stateless protocol is a hypertext transfer protocol.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 , wherein the document is a web page and the instructions form a script in the web page.

Claim 16

A web page in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session through a stateless protocol comprising: a first set of statements, wherein the first set of statements are used by the browser to display information to a user; and a second set of statements, wherein the second set of statements periodically send an indication to a server maintaining a session state, wherein the indication causes the server to maintain the session state.

Claim 17

A web page in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session through a stateless protocol comprising: a first set of statements, wherein the first set of statements are used by the browser to display information to a user; and a second set of statements, wherein the second set of statements periodically send an indication to a server maintaining a session state, wherein the indication causes the server to maintain the session state.

Claim 18

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the second set of statements form a timeout loop.

Claim 19

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the second set of statements form a script.

Claim 20

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the script is a Javascript.

Claim 21

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the indication is a submit.

Claim 22

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the server is a source of the web page.

Claim 23

The web page of claim 14 , wherein the server includes a reset program that removes the session state after a set period of time unless reset and wherein the submit resets the reset program for the session state.

Claim 24

A distributed data processing system comprising: a network; a plurality of clients connected to the network; a server connected to the network, wherein the server includes a plurality of web pages; wherein the server sends a web page to a client within the plurality of clients in response to a request for the web page, and stores a session state for the client until expiration of a selected period of time; and wherein the client, responsive to a display of the page at the client, sends an indicator, generated using code in the Web page, to the server to reset the selected period of time to maintain the session state stored at the server.

Claim 25

A distributed data processing system comprising: a network; a plurality of clients connected to the network; a server connected to the network, wherein the server includes a plurality of web pages; wherein the server sends a web page to a client within the plurality of clients in response to a request for the web page, and stores a session state for the client until expiration of a selected period of time; and wherein the client, responsive to a display of the page at the client, sends an indicator, generated using code in the Web page, to the server to reset the selected period of time to maintain the session state stored at the server.

Claim 26

A data processing system for maintaining a session with a source through a stateless protocol comprising: receiving means for receiving a page from the source through the stateless protocol; and sending means for sending an indication to the source through the stateless protocol in response to an event generated by code in the page while the page is displayed in the data processing system, wherein the indication prevents a termination of the session at the source.

Claim 27

A data processing system for maintaining a session with a source through a stateless protocol comprising: receiving means for receiving a page from the source through the stateless protocol; and sending means for sending an indication to the source through the stateless protocol in response to an event generated by code in the page while the page is displayed in the data processing system, wherein the indication prevents a termination of the session at the source.

Claim 28

The data processing system of claim 22 further comprising: displaying means for displaying the page by a browser, wherein the indication is sent in response to the event while the page is displayed in the data processing system.

Claim 29

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the event occurs in response to an expiration of a timer.

Claim 30

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the code in the page defines the indication.

Claim 31

The data processing system of claim 25 , wherein the source is a web server and the page is a web page.

Claim 32

The data processing system of claim 26 , wherein the web page is displayed in a browser program.

Claim 33

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the event occurs periodically.

Claim 34

The data processing system of claim 22 , where the page includes instructions to trigger the event.

Claim 35

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the client is a personal computer.

Claim 36

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the client is a personal digital assistant.

Claim 37

The data processing system of claim 22 , wherein the stateless protocol is a hypertext transfer protocol.

Claim 38

A data processing system for maintaining a session comprising: maintaining means for maintaining a plurality of documents, wherein each document within the plurality of documents includes instructions to periodically send an indication to the server from a client while the document is displayed on the client; monitoring means for monitoring for a request for a document; sending means, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document from the plurality of documents, for sending the document to the client; initiating means, responsive to sending the document, for initiating a session; monitoring means, responsive to sending the document, for monitoring for the indication from the client; terminating means for terminating the session after a period of time occurs without receiving the indication; and maintaining means, responsive to receiving an indication from the client, for maintaining the session and resetting the period of time.

Claim 39

A data processing system for maintaining a session comprising: maintaining means for maintaining a plurality of documents, wherein each document within the plurality of documents includes instructions to periodically send an indication to the server from a client while the document is displayed on the client; monitoring means for monitoring for a request for a document; sending means, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document from the plurality of documents, for sending the document to the client; initiating means, responsive to sending the document, for initiating a session; monitoring means, responsive to sending the document, for monitoring for the indication from the client; terminating means for terminating the session after a period of time occurs without receiving the indication; and maintaining means, responsive to receiving an indication from the client, for maintaining the session and resetting the period of time.

Claim 40

The data processing system of claim 33 , wherein the document is a web page and the instructions form a script in the web page.

Claim 41

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session with a source through a stateless protocol comprising: first instructions for receiving a page from the source through the stateless protocol; and second instructions for sending an indication to the source through the stateless protocol in response to an event generated by code in the page while the page is displayed in the data processing system, wherein the indication prevents a termination of the session at the source.

Claim 42

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session with a source through a stateless protocol comprising: first instructions for receiving a page from the source through the stateless protocol; and second instructions for sending an indication to the source through the stateless protocol in response to an event generated by code in the page while the page is displayed in the data processing system, wherein the indication prevents a termination of the session at the source.

Claim 43

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session comprising: first instructions for maintaining a plurality of documents, wherein each document within the plurality of documents includes instructions to periodically send an indication to the server from a client while the document is displayed on the client; second instructions for monitoring for a request for a document; third instructions, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document from the plurality of documents, for sending the document to the client; fourth instructions, responsive to sending the document, for initiating a session; fifth instructions, responsive to sending the document, for monitoring for the indication from the client; sixth instructions for terminating the session after a period of time occurs without receiving the indication; and seventh instructions, responsive to receiving an indication from the client, for maintaining the session and resetting the period of time.

Claim 44

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for maintaining a session comprising: first instructions for maintaining a plurality of documents, wherein each document within the plurality of documents includes instructions to periodically send an indication to the server from a client while the document is displayed on the client; second instructions for monitoring for a request for a document; third instructions, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document from the plurality of documents, for sending the document to the client; fourth instructions, responsive to sending the document, for initiating a session; fifth instructions, responsive to sending the document, for monitoring for the indication from the client; sixth instructions for terminating the session after a period of time occurs without receiving the indication; and seventh instructions, responsive to receiving an indication from the client, for maintaining the session and resetting the period of time.