Maintaining independent states for multiple web browser instances

• US 10,326,818 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, Matthew, MacDonald, Jared, Beskrowni, Andre, Spiewak, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Gortayo, Dangelino N
• Application Number:
  US15/275,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 707608, 707792, 707805, 707812, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method includes receiving a request for a target Web page, the request containing a session identifier (ID) associated with an instance of a Web browser, and determining if the session ID is new or existing. If the session ID is new, the method includes creating a window session object, and initializing the window session object with data defining a state of the instance of the Web browser. If the session ID is existing, the method includes accessing a stored window session object using the session ID, the stored window session object containing data defining a state of the instance of the Web browser, generating the target Web page based on the data, and providing the target Web page to the Web browser.

Claims

1. A method performed by a Web server, the method comprising:

storing a collection of window session objects that track states of Web browser instances in a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communication session between a Web browser running on a computing device and the Web server;

outputting a first Web page comprised of one or more control features, the first Web page being displayable in a first Web browser instance on the computing device, the first Web page comprising a control feature that is configured to open a second Web browser instance containing a second Web page on the computing device, the control feature being associated with a session identifier (ID) parameter;

receiving a request for the second Web page based on selection of the control feature, the request for the second Web page including the session ID parameter;

identifying a window session object in the collection that is associated with the session ID parameter, the window session object containing state information representing a state of the second Web browser instance, the state of the second Web browser instance being different from a state of the first Web browser instance;

generating data for the second Web page using the state information; and

outputting the data for the second Web page to the computing device, the first Web page and the second Web page being part of a same HTTP session between the computing device and the Web server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating data for the second Web page comprises rewriting links in the second Web page that open additional Web browser instances to include new and unused session ID parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the window session object contains state information representing multiple Web browser instances.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the first Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the first Web page;

and

wherein the state of the second Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the second Web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and the session ID parameter that is URL-encoded.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the session ID parameter is numerically encoded in the URL.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second Web pages relate to a system that is monitored or controlled by the computing device, and provide information about a status of the system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an HTTP session object associated with the HTTP communication session;

wherein the collection of window session objects are stored within, or in association with, the HTTP session object.

9. A method performed by a computing device in communication with a Web server, the method comprising:

receiving a first Web page comprised of one or more control features, the first Web page being displayable in a first Web browser instance on the computing device, the first Web page comprising a control feature that is configured to open a second Web browser instance containing a second Web page on the computing device, the control feature being associated with a session identifier (ID) parameter;

outputting a request, to the Web server, for the second Web page based on selection of the control feature, the request for the second Web page including the session ID parameter, the session ID parameter being associated with a window session object in a collection of window session objects maintained by the Web server, the window session object containing state information representing a state of the second Web browser instance, the state of the second Web browser instance being different from a state of the first Web browser instance;

receiving data for the second Web page, the data being based on the state information; and

displaying, based on the data, the second Web page in the second Web browser instance, the first Web page and the second Web page being part of a same HTTP session between the computing device and the Web server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the state of the first Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the first Web page;

and

wherein the state of the second Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the second Web page.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and the session ID parameter that is URL-encoded.

12. Non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions that are executable to perform operations comprising:

storing a collection of window session objects that track states of Web browser instances in a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communication session between a Web browser running on a computing device and a Web server;

outputting a first Web page comprised of one or more control features, the first Web page being displayable in a first Web browser instance on the computing device, the first Web page comprising a control feature that is configured to open a second Web browser instance containing a second Web page on the computing device, the control feature being associated with a session identifier (ID) parameter;

receiving a request for the second Web page based on selection of the control feature, the request for the second Web page including the session ID parameter;

identifying a window session object in the collection that is associated with the session ID parameter, the window session object containing state information representing a state of the second Web browser instance, the state of the second Web browser instance being different from a state of the first Web browser instance;

generating data for the second Web page using the state information; and

outputting the data for the second Web page to the computing device, the first Web page and the second Web page being part of a same HTTP session between the computing device and the Web server.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein generating data for the second Web page comprises rewriting links in the second Web page that open additional Web browser instances to include new and unused session ID parameters.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the window session object contains state information representing multiple Web browser instances.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the state of the first Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the first Web page;

and

wherein the state of the second Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the second Web page.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and the session ID parameter that is URL-encoded.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the session ID parameter is numerically encoded in the URL.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the first and second Web pages relate to a system that is monitored or controlled by the computing device, and provide information about a status of the system.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 12, wherein the operations comprise:

storing an HTTP session object associated with the HTTP communication session;

wherein the collection of window session objects are stored within, or in association with, the HTTP session object.

20. Non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions that are executable on a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first Web page comprised of one or more control features, the first Web page being displayable in a first Web browser instance on the computing device, the first Web page comprising a control feature that is configured to open a second Web browser instance containing a second Web page on the computing device, the control feature being associated with a session identifier (ID) parameter;

outputting a request, to a Web server, for the second Web page based on selection of the control feature, the request for the second Web page including the session ID parameter, the session ID parameter being associated with a window session object in a collection of window session objects maintained by the Web server, the window session object containing state information representing a state of the second Web browser instance, the state of the second Web browser instance being different from a state of the first Web browser instance;

receiving data for the second Web page, the data being based on the state information; and

displaying, based on the data, the second Web page in the second Web browser instance, the first Web page and the second Web page being part of a same HTTP session between the computing device and the Web server.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 20, wherein the state of the first Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the first Web page;

and

wherein the state of the second Web browser instance comprises at least one of input to, or configuration of, the second Web page.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 20, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and the session ID parameter that is URL-encoded.