Shared views for browsing content

• US 20020073152A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Michael D., Post, Lisa G., Sobeski, David A., Andrew, Felix G.T.I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling users at a plurality of client computers to share a common browsing experience are provided. A server computer according to the invention includes an interface to a communications network for establishing a first link between the server and the host client computer and a second link between the server and the slave client computer. The server has a shared view engine for receiving from the host client computer, an identifier that identifies the slave client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server. The shared view engine causes the server to deliver the content corresponding to the locator to both the host client computer and the slave client computer. Thus, the host client computer and the slave client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server. To enable the slave clients to share in the browsing experience, the host client can send information such as URL and cookie data to the slave clients. Using the information from the host client, the slave clients can request the same Web pages being viewed by the host client. Alternatively, the host client can request the content not only for itself, but for the slave clients as well.

Claims

1. A server computer comprising:

a communications interface to a communications network for establishing a first communications link between the server and a host client computer and a second communications link between the server and a slave client computer; and

a shared view engine for receiving via the first communications link from the host client computer, an identifier that identifies the slave client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server, and for causing the server to deliver via the communications interface to the host client computer and to the slave client computer the content corresponding to the locator.

2. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the server is a Web server, the content is a Web page, and the locator is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to the Web page.

3. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications interface enables the server computer to establish the first communications link and the second communications link to any of a plurality of client computers on the communications network.

4. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the shared view engine is further for receiving from the host client computer cookie data associated with the content.

5. The server computer of claim 4, wherein the shared view engine determines from the received cookie data whether to download the content to the host client computer and to the slave client computer.

6. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further for establishing a respective communications link to each of a plurality of slave client computers, and wherein the shared view engine is further for causing the server to deliver via the respective communications interfaces to the plurality of slave client computers the content corresponding to the locator such that the host client computer and the plurality of slave client computers are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server.

7. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is for establishing the second communications link based on the identifier.

8. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the shared view engine receives the locator from a browser residing on the host client computer.

9. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

10. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is an intranet.

11. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a wide area network.

12. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a local area network.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the shared view engine is further for receiving from each of the first client computer and the second client computer a locator corresponding to content on the server, and for causing the server to deliver to the first client computer and to the second client computer the content corresponding to the locator.

16. The client computer of claim 15, wherein the shared view engine is further for establishing a communications link between the client computer and the remote client computer, and for providing to the remote client computer with a locator corresponding to information to be provided by the server for display on the client computer and the remote client computer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving from the host client computer cookie data corresponding to the content; and

determining from the received cookie data whether to deliver the content to the host client computer and to the slave client computer.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

establishing a respective communications link between the server computer and each of a plurality of slave client computers; and

delivering from the server computer to each of the slave client computers the content corresponding to the locator.

13. A server computer comprising:

a communications interface to a communications network for establishing a first communications link between the server and a first client computer and a second communications link between the server and a second client computer; and

a shared view engine for causing the server to deliver content via the communications interface to the first client computer and to the second client computer, whereby the first client computer and the second client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server,

wherein the shared view engine is for receiving via the first communications link from the first client computer, an identifier that identifies the second client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server, and for causing the server to deliver via the communications interface to the first client computer and to the second client computer the content corresponding to the locator.

15. A client computer comprising:

a communications interface to a communications network for establishing a communications link between the client computer and a server on the communications network; and

a shared view engine for receiving content delivered via the communications interface from the server for display on the client computer, whereby the client computer and a remote client computer are able to share browsing of the content received from the server,

wherein the shared view engine is for providing via the communications link to the server an identifier that identifies the remote client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server, and for causing the server to deliver via the communications interface to the first client computer and to the second client computer the content corresponding to the locator.

17. A method for operating a server computer comprising:

establishing a first communications link between the server computer and a host client computer;

receiving from the host client computer a locator corresponding to content on the server and an identifier corresponding to a slave client computer;

establishing a second communications link between the server computer and the slave client computer;

delivering from the server computer to the host client computer and to the slave client computer the content corresponding to the locator such that the host client computer and the slave client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

establishing a first communications link between the server computer and a host client computer;

receiving from the host client computer a locator corresponding to content on the server and an identifier corresponding to a slave client computer;

establishing a second communications link between the server computer and the slave client computer;

delivering from the server computer to the host client computer and to the slave client computer the content corresponding to the locator such that the host client computer and the slave client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server.