(2) G: 9 Timeout Error Layer —T
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
US007831732B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,831,732 B1 Zilist et al. (45) Date of Patent: Nov. 9, 2010 (54) NETWORK CONNECTION UTILITY 6,018,724 A 1/2000 Arent 6,182,139 B1 1/2001 Brendel ...................... TO9,226 (75) Inventors: Ira Zilist, Chicago, IL (US); Daniel 6,338,094 B1* 1/2002 Scott et al. .................. 709/245 Reimann, Mt. Prospect, IL (US); Devin 6,393,581 B1 5, 2002 Friedman et al. 6,731,625 B1 5/2004 Eastep et al. Henkel, Chicago, IL (US); Gurpreet 6,742,015 B1 5/2004 Bowman-Amuah Singh, Clarendon Hills, IL (US) 7,082,454 B1* 7/2006 Gheith ....................... TO9,203 2002/0120800 A1* 8/2002 Sugahara et al. .. ... 710,260 (73) Assignee: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 2004/0010546 A1* 1/2004 Kluget al. ............ ... 709,203 Chicago, IL (US) 2004/0192383 A1* 9, 2004 Zacks et al. ................. 455/557 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 * cited by examiner U.S.C. 154(b) by 1196 days. Primary Examiner Ario Etienne Assistant Examiner Avi Gold (21) Appl. No.: 11/192,991 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione (22) Filed: Jul. 29, 2005 (57) ABSTRACT Int. C. (51) A system is disclosed for masking errors that may occur G06F 15/16 (2006.01) during a delay of a client connecting with a server on a (52) U.S. Cl. ........................ 709/237; 709/217; 709/219 network. A connection utility requests a connection with the (58) Field of Classification Search ................. 709/217, server. The connection utility determines if a timeout error 709/219, 237 occurred. If the timeout error occurred, a first browser page See application file for complete search history. presented by the client is displayed to indicate a connection is (56) References Cited being made. A browser page presented by the server is dis played when the connection is made. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,012,090 A 1/2000 Chung et al. 15 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets eFedLine Advantage - Microsoft Internet Explorer X File Edit View Favorites Tools Helo Addresse Google D a (2) g:S: FedLine Advantaae9 Timeout Error Layer —t We're Sorry 410 At this time, you are unable to Connect to Fedline Advantage. You may click here to Try Again, Or Contact your internal Support perSonnel 4201N ly if you believe there is a problem with your Connection. If your Connection problem persists, please call the Customer Contact Center. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 2010 Sheet 1 of 3 US 7,831,732 B1 JÐAuÐS U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 2010 Sheet 2 of 3 US 7,831,732 B1 eFedLine Advantage - Microsoft Internet Explorer File Edit Vie as . a .24 a a - al Address P-2TB Google O ge:GT"2 e dLine Advantage S A le/ 200 Connecting to FedLine Advantage. Fig.2 e FedLine Advantage - Microsoft Internet Explorer File Edit View Favorites Tools Help 7 O 6 a 6 O Q Media gas x d D D D Addresse E Google 400 77 ZA ags-Sir Fedline Advantage TimeOut Error Layer ? We're Sorry 410 At this time, you are unable to Connect to Fedline Advantage. You may click here to Try Again, or COntact yOur internal Support perSonnel if you believe there is a problem with your Connection. If your Connection problem persists, please Call the CUStomer Contact Center. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 2010 Sheet 3 of 3 US 7,831,732 B1 Page load 300 310 Greater than min BrOWSer NO BrOWSer error 320 level? Yes Request 330 Resource 340 Response not available Or NO Server page 350 timeOut? 360 Minimum NO retries exceeded? Minimum time limit TimeOut error 380 eXCeeded? Fig. 4 US 7,831,732 B1 1. 2 NETWORK CONNECTION UTILITY FIG. 4 is a screen shot of an example notification to the user that an error has occurred. FIELD OF THE INVENTION DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention generally relates to computer networks, and 5 more particularly to a connection utility for masking a tim A system is disclosed that allows a user to connect with a eout that may occur while a client connects to a server on a server without having to repeatedly refresh a browser while a computer network. network connection is being established. A connection utility may mask timeout error messages as the connection is being BACKGROUND 10 established. The connection utility may leverage existing browser technology. The transfer of information over computer networks has FIG. 1 is a block diagram of at least a portion of an example become an increasingly important way by which institutions, of a computer network 100 that may use the connection corporations, and individuals communicate and conduct busi utility. The computer network 100 includes one or more client ness. Computer networks have grown over the years from 15 workstations 110 from which a user may attempt to connect independent and isolated entities established to serve the with one or more servers 120. The client workstation or client needs of a single group into vast networks that interconnect 110 may be described as a member of a class or group that disparate physical networks and allow them to function as a uses the services of another class or group. In the context of coordinated system. The largest computer network in exist the computer network 100, the client 110 may include a ence, the Internet, is a worldwide interconnection of com process, such as a program or task, which requests a service puter networks that communicate via web pages using com that is provided by another process, known as a server pro mon protocols. gram. The client process may use the requested service with A Software application used to locate and display the web out having to know any working details about the other server pages on the computer network is a browser. Millions of program or the server 120. The server 120 may include a computers, from low-end personal computers to high-end 25 remote computer system that is accessible over a communi Super computers, may be connected to the Internet via the cations medium Such as the Internet. The client process may browsers. Sometimes, when trying to connect one computer be active in a second computer system, and communicate to another computer on the network, a delay occurs in estab with the server process over a communications medium that lishing the connection. The browser may display an error allows multiple clients 110 to take advantage of the informa message while the computer continues to send requests to 30 tion-gathering capabilities of the server 120 and/or multiple establish a connection. The delay may be normal, but a user servers. Thus, the server 120 may act as an information pro may believe a problem exists if the browser error message is vider for the computer network 100. displayed to the user during the connection process. The client workstation 110 may include user interfaces, Such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, or other interfaces SUMMARY 35 Such as a light pen, and a browser. The browser is a program that enables a computer. Such as the computer that functions A system masks errors that may occur during a delay of a as the client 110, to locate, download, and display documents client connecting with a server on a network. A connection containing text, Sound, video, graphics, animation, and pho utility requests a connection with the server. The connection tographs located on the computer network 100. Users may utility determines if a timeout error occurred. If the timeout 40 browse through documents on open, public-access networks error occurred, a first browser page presented by a client is Such as Internets, or on closed networks Such as intranets displayed to indicate a connection is being made. A browser and/or virtual private networks. The browser may download page presented by a server is displayed when the connection information over communication connections to a user's is made. computer through the user's modem, via wired or wireless 45 connections, such as phone lines, cable lines, satellite, cellu Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the lar, Bluetooth, etc. The downloaded information may be dis invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in play on the computer. Documents on the networks are the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed referred to as hypertext if the media is text and/or graphics. description. It is intended that all Such additional systems, The browser interprets a hyper text markup language methods, features and advantages be included within the 50 (HTML) or extensible markup language (XML) code from description, be within the scope of the invention, and be web page files, executes embedded scripts and programs, protected by the following claims. provides encryption/decryption for security where needed, and provides links to related pages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The client 110 and the server 120 connect by one or more 55 routers, such as a client side router 130 and a serverside router The system can be better understood with reference to the 140. An exemplary router includes a commercially available following drawings and description. The components in the modular access router, but other routers may be used. The figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being router may be able to provide, encryption, a virtual private placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. More network connection, security firewalls, high-speed wide area over, in the figures, like references numerals designate corre 60 network access connectivity over the Internet, and other fea sponding parts throughout the different views.