Methods, systems and computer program products for assisted browser navigation

• US 20050149616A1
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chapman, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

Assisting navigation of a first browser executing on a first data processing system is provided by navigating, responsive to a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system. An identifier is request to associate with the identified information and the identifier is dynamically generated responsive to the request for an identifier. The identifier is associated with the identified information to be displayed using the first browser such that the identified information may be retrieved using the identifier.

Claims

1. A method of assisting navigation of a first browser executing on a first data processing system, comprising:

navigating, responsive to a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system;

receiving, from the second browser, a request for an identifier to associate with the identified information;

dynamically generating an identifier responsive to the request for an identifier; and

associating the dynamically generated identifier with the identified information to be displayed using the first browser such that the identified information may be retrieved using the identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating, responsive to a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system comprises navigating, utilizing a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the identifier to the first browser; and

accessing the information with the first browser using the dynamically generated identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein navigating to identify information comprises, establishing a browser context of a session of the second browser, wherein the established context is established by navigating to the information using the second browser.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein associating the identifier with the identified information comprises associating the identifier with at least a portion of the browser context sufficient to access the identified information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein accessing the information with the first browser using the dynamically generated identifier comprises:

locating the at least a portion of the browser context utilizing the identifier; and

incorporating the located at least a portion of the browser context in a browser context of a session of the first browser so as to provide the information to the first browser.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the identifier with at least a portion of the browser context sufficient to access the identified information comprises:

copying the browser context; and

associating the copy of the browser context with the dynamically generated identifier.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the identifier with at least a portion of the browser context sufficient to access the identified information comprises:

extracting context information from the browser context; and

associating the extracted information of the browser context with the dynamically generated identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified information comprises a web page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated identifier is associated with the identified information for a predefined time period, the method further comprising invalidating the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the identified information after expiration of the predefined time period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated identifier is associated with the identified information until the identifier is used to access the identified information the method further comprising invalidating the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the identified information after the identifier is used to access the identified information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated identifier is associated with the identified information for a duration of a session of the first browser the method further comprising invalidating the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the identified information after termination of the session of the first browser.

13. A system for assisted browser navigation, comprising:

an identifier repository configured to store identifiers and an association with information retrievable by a browser; and

a navigation assist circuit configured to receive a request for an identifier from a first browser, dynamically generate an identifier in response to the received request, associate the identifier with information to be retrieved and store the identifier and association in the repository, wherein the navigation assist module is further configured to receive an identifier from a second browser and use the received identifier to provide the information associated with the received identifier to a browser.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the navigation assist circuit is further configured to extract context information from a browser context of a session of the first browser and associate the extracted context information with the dynamically generated identifier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the navigation assist circuit is further configured to store the extracted context information in the identifier repository.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the navigation assist circuit is further configured to incorporate the extracted context information in a browser context associated with the second browser, responsive to receiving the dynamically generated identifier from the second browser.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the extracted context information comprises a copy of the browser context of a session of the first browser.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the information to be retrieved comprises a web page.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the navigation assist circuit is configured to associate the dynamically generated identifier with the information to be retrieved for a predefined time period and to invalidate the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the information to be retrieved after expiration of the predefined time period.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the navigation assist circuit is configured to associate the dynamically generated identifier with the information to be retrieved until the identifier is used to retrieve the information and to invalidate the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the information to be retrieved after the identifier is used to retrieve the information.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the navigation assist circuit is configured to associate the dynamically generated identifier with the information to be retrieved for a duration of a session of the second browser and to invalidate the association of the dynamically generated identifier and the information to be retrieved after termination of the session of the second browser.

22. A system for assisting navigation of a first browser executing on a first data processing system, comprising:

means for navigating, responsive to a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system;

means for receiving, from the second browser, a request for an identifier to associate with the identified information;

means for dynamically generating an identifier responsive to the request for an identifier; and

means for associating the dynamically generated identifier with the identified information to be displayed using the first browser such that the identified information may be retrieved using the identifier.

23. A computer program product for assisting navigation of a first browser executing on a first data processing system, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to navigate, responsive to a second browser executing on a second data processing system, to identify information to be displayed using the first browser on the first data processing system;

computer readable program code configured to receive, from the second browser, a request for an identifier to associate with the identified information;

computer readable program code configured to dynamically generate an identifier responsive to the request for an identifier; and

computer readable program code configured to associate the dynamically generated identifier with the identified information to be displayed using the first browser such that the identified information may be retrieved using the identifier.

24. A computer program product for assisted browser navigation, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide an identifier repository to store identifiers and an association with information retrievable by a browser;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request for an identifier from a first browser, dynamically generate an identifier in response to the received request, associate the identifier with information to be retrieved and store the identifier and association in the repository; and

computer readable program code configured to receive an identifier from a second browser and use the received identifier to provide the information associated with the received identifier to a browser.

25. A method of assisted browser navigation, comprising:

receiving a request for an identifier from a first browser;

dynamically generating an identifier in response to the received request;

associating the identifier with information to be retrieved;

storing the identifier and association in a repository;

receiving the identifier from a second browser;

using the received identifier to provide the information associated with the received identifier stored in the repository to the second browser.