Methods and systems for coordinating the termination of sessions on one or more systems

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods and systems for providing a seamless user interface to one or more web-based external systems and applications that monitor and control access to information, products, and/or services provided by such web-based external systems. Accordingly, the methods and systems enable a user to utilize a single web-based graphical user interface to access external systems with minimal input from the user. Further, the invention coordinates the log-on, log-out, and time-out of the user from the external systems so that user has a seamless on-line experience. The user remains logged into each of the external systems so long as the user is logged into a main system and can log out of all the external systems by logging out of the main system. In addition, the user is not timed out of any external system unless the user is timed out of the main system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a system comprising a plurality of external systems and an integration module for facilitating communication with the plurality of external systems, a method for coordinating the termination of a session on at least one of the plurality of external systems, the method comprising: 
 upon a user selecting to terminate a session on an integration module, identifying one or more external systems of a plurality of external systems upon which a user has an active session;    transmitting a de-authentication request to the one or more external systems to terminate the active session on the one or more external systems; and    upon delivering the de-authentication request to each of the one or more external systems, terminating the session on the integration module.    
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , where in the active session is terminated by the user selecting to log-out of the integration module.  
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , where in the active session is terminated by the user being inactive for a period of time in excess of a time-out period associated with the integration module.  
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the time-out period is defined by an administrator of the integration module.  
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more external systems comprises searching status information stored in the integration module, the status information defining the one or more external systems of a plurality of external systems upon which the user has the active session.  
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the integration module comprises one or more user accounts, the status information being stored in the one or more user accounts.  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more external systems comprises searching for one or more external session attributes.  
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein upon identifying the one or more external session attributes, identifying an active status or an inactive status for each of the one or more external systems.  
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein de-authenticating the user from the one or more external systems frees system resources.  
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein transmitting a de-authentication request comprises transmitting a de-authentication request to an external system of the one or more external systems that is remote form the information system.  
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein transmitting a de-authentication request comprises transmitting a request to a de-authentication uniform resource locator associated with each of the one or more external systems.  
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein selecting to terminate the session on the integration module comprises selecting a terminating dialog menu.  
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein selecting to terminate the session on the integration module comprises selecting a button on a graphical user interface.  
     
     
         14 . A computer product for implementing, in a system comprising one or more external systems and an integration module for facilitating communication between a user module and the one or more external systems, a method for coordinating terminating a session on at least one of the one or more external systems and the integration module, the computer program product comprising: 
 a computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, wherein the computer-executable instructions causing the system to perform: 
 upon a user selecting to terminate a session on an integration module, a step for identifying one or more external systems of a plurality of external systems upon which a user has an active session;  
 a step for transmitting a de-authentication request to the one or more external systems to terminate the active session on the one or more external systems; and  
 upon delivering the de-authentication request to each of the one or more external systems, a step for terminating the session on the integration module.  
   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for terminating the session when the user selects to logout of the integration module.  
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for terminating the active session when the user is inactive for a period of time in excess of a time-out period.  
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for searching status information stored in the integration module, the status information defining the one or more external systems of a plurality of external systems upon which the user has the active session.  
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for searching for status information stored one or more user accounts, each of the one or more user accounts storing status information specific for an associated user.  
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for identifying one or more external systems comprises searching for one or more external session attributes.  
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for identifying an active status or an inactive status for each of the one or more external systems upon identifying the one or more external session attributes  
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for transmitting a de-authentication request to an external system of the one or more external systems that is remote form the information system.  
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for transmitting a request to a de-authentication uniform resource locator associated with each of the one or more external systems.  
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for selecting a terminating dialog menu to select to terminate the session on the integration module.  
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a step for selecting a button on a graphical user interface to select to terminate the session on the integration module.  
     
     
         25 . In a system comprising an external system and an integration module for facilitating communication with the external system, a method for coordinating terminating a session on the external system and the integration module, the method comprising: 
 displaying a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface facilitating the user in creating active sessions on an integration module and an external module;    upon the user selecting to terminate an active session on the integration module through the graphical user interface, identifying the external system upon which the user has created the active session;    transmitting a de-authentication request to the external system to terminate the active session on the external system; and    upon delivering the de-authentication request to the external system, terminating the session on the integration module.    
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein displaying the graphical user interface comprises displaying a header portion and an external system portion, the header portion remaining constantly displayed to the user as the user accesses a plurality of external systems.  
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , further comprising displaying a session terminating dialog menu to the user.  
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , further comprising displaying a selectable terminating button to the user.  
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein selecting to terminate the active session comprises selecting the selectable terminating button.  
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein identifying the external system comprises accessing a user account for the user to retrieve an external session attribute associated with the external system.  
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising accessing the external session attribute to retrieve status information.  
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the status information is selected from a group consisting of an active status and an inactive status.  
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein transmitting a de-authentication request comprises transmitting a credential associated with the user and the external system.  
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein transmitting a de-authentication request comprises transmitting a session identifier for the external system.  
     
     
         35 . In a system comprising an external system and an integration module for facilitating communication with the external system, a method for coordinating terminating a session on an external system, the method comprising: 
 upon a user selecting to terminate an active session on an integration module through a graphical user interface, receiving at an external system a de-authentication request from the integration module;    upon receiving the de-authentication request, identifying the session on the external system that is associated with the user selecting to terminate the active session; and    terminating the session on the external system.    
     
     
         36 . A method as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising receiving a session identifier and a credential associated with the user.  
     
     
         37 . A method as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising selecting the session from a list of session stored at the external system.  
     
     
         38 . A method as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising receiving an identifier and a credential associated with the user.  
     
     
         39 . In a system comprising at least one external system and an integration module for facilitating communication between a user module and the at least one external system, a method for, coordinating the termination of a session on the at least one external system and a session on the integration module the method comprising: 
 upon a user creating a first session on an integration module and a second session on at least one external system, tracking the actions of the user on both the external system and the integration module;    upon the user completing the first session on the integration module, receiving a de-authentication request from the user through a user module;    identifying the external system upon which a user has a active session;    transmitting a de-authentication request to the external system to terminate the active session on the external system; and    upon delivering the de-authentication request to the external system, terminating the session on the integration module.