Multi-windowed online application environment

• US 20020054139A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marshall, John, Corboy, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data to a user of a communications system by establishing a connection between a client and a host; receiving electronic data from the host in response to a data request transmitted from the client; and at the client, simultaneously executing multiple instantiations of the browser application in response to the electronic data received from the host. The client includes a browser application configured to render data encapsulated in a standard Internet content format. Each instantiation of the browser application is configured to exchange messages with at least one other instantiation of the browser application.

Claims

1. A communications method for transferring electronic data to users of a communications system, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a client and a host, the client including a browser application configured to render data encapsulated in a standard Internet content format;

receiving electronic data from the host in response to a data request transmitted from the client; and

at the client, simultaneously executing multiple instantiations of the browser application in response to the electronic data received from the host,

wherein each instantiation of the browser application is configured to exchange messages with at least one other instantiation of the browser application.

2. The communications method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a first graphical user interface within a first instantiation of the browser and rendering a second graphical user interface in a second instantiation of the browser.

3. The communication method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communication pathway between multiple instantiations of the browser application by executing coordinating code in each instantiation of the browser.

4. The communications method of claim 3 wherein the coordinating code is written in a standard Internet content format.

5. The communications method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communications session in a first instantiation of the browser.

6. The communications method of claim 5 further comprising controlling the communications session in the first instantiation of the browser.

7. The communications method of claim 5 further comprising displaying content associated with the session in a second instantiation of the browser application.

8. The communications method of claim 1 wherein the data request is transmitted using an OSP client application.

9. The communications method of claim 1 wherein the data request is transmitted using the browser application.

10. The communications method of claim 1 wherein the browser application is embedded within an OSP client application.

11. The communications method of claim 1 wherein the standard Internet content format comprises at least one of HTML, CSS, and Java Script.

12. The communications method of claim 1 wherein a first instantiation of the browser comprises a welcome screen.

13. The communications method of claim 1 wherein a first instantiation of the browser comprises a toolbar.

14. The communications method of claim 1 wherein a first instantiation of the browser comprises an electronic mail window.

15. The communications method of claim 1 wherein a first instantiation of the browser comprises an instant messaging window.

16. The communications method of claim 1 wherein a first instantiation of the browser comprises a search window.

18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a disc.

19. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a client device.

20. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a host device.

21. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a propagated signal.

17. A computer program for transferring electronic data to users of a communications system, the computer program being stored on a computer readable medium and comprising in structions for:

establishing a connection between a client and a host, the client including a browser application configured to render data encapsulated in a standard Internet content format;

receiving electronic data from the host in response to a data request transmitted from the client; and

at the client, simultaneously executing multiple instantiations of the browser application in response to the electronic data received from the host,

wherein each instantiation of the browser application is configured to exchange messages with at least one other instantiation of the browser application.

22. A communications apparatus for transferring electronic data to users of a communications system, the apparatus being configured to:

establish a connection between a client and a host, the client including a browser application configured to render data encapsulated in a standard Internet content format;

receive electronic data from the host in response to a data request transmitted from the client; and

at the client, simultaneously execute multiple instantiations of the browser application in response to the electronic data received from the host,

wherein each instantiation of the browser application is configured to exchange messages with at least one other instantiation of the browser application.

23. A communications method for transferring electronic data to users of a communications system, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a client and a host, the client including a browser application configured to render data encapsulated in a standard Internet content format; and

transmitting electronic data from the host in response to a data request received from the client,

wherein the electronic data comprises instructions for simultaneously executing multiple instantiations of the browser application, each instantiation of the browser application being configured to exchange messages with at least one other instantiation of the browser application.