Patent ID: 7472171

Claim:
In a computer system comprising a client computer and a server system, wherein the server system controls access to resource websites and generates and sends fast cookies and slow cookies to the client, and wherein the server has already sent a fast cookie to the client and has initially authenticated the client, a method for transmitting slow cookies to the client from the server system, comprising: a) the server receiving from the client a connection request to the server system, said connection request including a clear gif link, said request (1) including an indicia evidencing client receipt of the slow cookie or (2) not including an indicia evidencing client receipt of the slow cookie; wherein the clear gif link comprises a link to a transparent image file; b) based on the clear gif link connection request, the server system determining if the slow cookie has been received by the client pursuant to a prior request from the client; c) wherein, if the slow cookie is determined by the server system to have been previously received by the client, the server system responds to the connection request with a clear gif response without the slow cookie, and permits the client to access further resources from one or more of said websites; d) wherein, if the slow cookie is determined by the server system not to have been previously received by the client, the server system attempts to generate and provide the slow cookie in a clear gif response that includes the slow cookie; wherein the fast cookie is immediately available for transmission to the client and the slow cookie is not immediately available for transmission to the client.