System and method for interactive internet co-browsing

• US 20050246422A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Bruce Laning
• Original Assignee: David Bruce Laning
• Inventors: Laning, David Bruce
• Application Number:
  US11/106,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system and method for interactive internet co-browsing comprising an internet web browser (20), an enhancement to that internet web browser in the form of a web browser toolbar (10), web browser pages (90) and web server (72) all connected by an internet connection. The enhancement to the web browser can be made a core feature of a web browser. The co-browsing system provides a way for an individual or multiple individuals to lead an internet web co-browsing session while an individual or multiple individuals follow the internet web co-browsing session. Co-browsing can be done with a low data rate connection since only URL data obtained from the browser document object model is transmitted between leaders and followers. An alternative embodiment makes it possible to co-browse using a variant of the web browser toolbar that writes and reads web browser URL information to and from an instant messenger chat client.

Claims

1. A system for interactive internet co-browsing which comprises:

means for logging into an account on a web state server that saves the URL data to a specific location;

means for obtaining-page-URL-data from a co-browsing leader'"'"'s web browser;

means for encoding the URL data into standard format data;

means for transmitting the said standard format data to the said web state server;

means for saving the said standard format data on the said web state server;

means for obtaining periodically the said standard format data from the said web state server without overloading the processes on said web state server;

means for de-encoding the standard format data into URL data; and

means for updating the co-browse follower'"'"'s web browser to correspond to said URL data.

2. A method for interactive internet co-browsing which comprises:

obtaining the URL data of a co-browsing leader'"'"'s web browser page by inspecting the URL values of the frame objects by traversing the document object of the web browser page;

encoding the URL data into a standard format data;

transmitting the URL data in the standard format data to a web state server that writes the URL data to a specific location on the web state server;

reading periodically by co-browse followers the standard format data from the web state server;

de-encoding the standard format data into URL data; and

updating the followers displayed web page to display the said URL data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of co-browse leaders and followers logging into an account that corresponds to the said specific location of the standard format data on the web state server.