Real-time web sharing system

• US 20060015763A1
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC), NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The customer presses the Connect button (2240) on the customer terminal (1230). By this, a connection request to an operator terminal is notified to an operator terminal (1210) via the push sharing server (2100). On receiving this notification, the operator terminal (1210) changes the Respond button (2310) to the Incoming button. When the operator presses the Respond button (2310) on the operator web page (2300), the push sharing server (2100) transmits a difference notification command to the operator terminal (1210), and the operator terminal displays the same web page as the web page on the customer terminals (1230).

Claims

1. A system which enables real-time sharing of a web page being viewed on a plurality of terminals, comprising:

a server provided with a means to transmit a detecting script which detects an update to the web page and an updating script which updates the web page; and

a means to transmit update information which notifies an update to a web page, such information being sent from a prescribed terminal, to other terminal which is displaying the same web page as said prescribed terminal; and

terminals each provided with a receiving means to receive the detecting script and the updating script which are sent from said server;

a means to cause the received detecting script to detect an update to the web page being displayed and, if any, generate update information which notifies the result of the update and to transmit the resultant update information to said server; and

a means to cause the updating script to update the web page based on said received update information.

2. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said server comprises

a means to transmit an update detecting script which detects an update to a part provided on said web page, an incorporating script which incorporates this update detecting script into the web page, and a part updating script which updates a part provided on the web page;

and

a means to transmit the part update information which notifies the update to the part provided on the web page, such information being sent from a prescribed terminal, to other terminals which are displaying the same web page as said prescribed terminal; and

said terminals each comprises

a means to receive the detecting script and the updating script which are transmitted from said server;

a means to cause the incorporating script to incorporate said update detecting script into the web page, cause said update detecting script to detect an update to a part on said web page, and to transmit to said server part update information which notifies the content of the update; and

a means to cause said part updating script to update the part provided on the web page based on said received part update information.

3. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

an update to a part provided on said web page

is a scroll or resize of said web page or an update of a value in the entry form on said web page.

4. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said server comprises

a storing means to store identification information, which identifies said terminals individually, in association with the update information and part update information sent from the individual terminals corresponding to the identification information;

a means to cause said storing means to store said update information and part update information in association with the identification information of said terminals;

a means to, when a prescribed terminal logs in using said identification information, retrieve from said storing means the update information and part update information associated with the same identification information as said login identification information; and

a means to first transmit said retrieved update information and then transmit said retrieved part update information to said prescribed terminal.

5. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said server comprises

a means to, when receiving a connection request which requests a connection from a prescribed terminal to other terminal, transmit said connection request to such other terminal;

a means to, when receiving from said other terminal a notification that said other terminal is ready to respond to the connection request, retrieve from said storing means the update information and part update information associated with the identification information of said prescribed terminal; and

a means to first transmit said retrieved update information and then transmit said retrieved part update information to said prescribed terminal.

6. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said server comprises

a means to transmit a pointer script which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between the terminals and which obtains the movement location for the pointer, and a moving script which moves the pointer;

and

a means to transmit the location information which notifies the movement location for the pointer on the web page, such information being sent from the prescribed terminal, to other terminals which are displaying the same web page as said prescribed terminal; and

said terminals each comprises

a means to receive the pointer script and location information which are sent from said server;

a means to cause said pointer script to incorporate the tags for sharing the pointer into the web page, obtain the location of the pointer after movement, and transmit to said server the location information which notifies the location thus obtained; and

a means to cause said moving script to move the pointer on the web page based on said received location information.

7. A terminal of a real-time web sharing system which enables real-time sharing of a web page via a remote server, comprising:

a means to receive a detecting script which detects an update to the web page, an updating script which updates the web page, and update information which notifies the update to the web page, all of these scripts being sent from a server;

a means to cause said received detecting script to detect an update to the web page being displayed and, if any, generate update information which notifies the result of the update and to transmit the resultant update information to said server; and

a means to cause the updating script to update the web page based on the update information which has been received via said receiving means.

8. The terminal of a real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 7, wherein

said terminal comprises

a means to receive an update detecting script which detects an update to a part provided on said web page, an incorporating script which incorporates this update detecting script into the web page, and a part updating script which updates a part provided on the web page, all of these scripts being sent from a server;

a means to cause the incorporating script to incorporate said update detecting script into the web page, cause said update detecting script to detect an update to a part on said web page, and to generate and transmit to said server part update information which notifies the content of the update; and

a means to cause said part updating script to update the part provided on the web page based on said received part update information.

9. The terminal of a real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 8, wherein

an update to a part provided on said web page

is a scroll or resize of said web page or an update of a value in the entry form on said web page.

10. The terminal of a real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 8, wherein

said terminal comprises

a means to receive a pointer script, to be sent from said server, which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between the terminals and which obtains the movement location for the pointer, a moving script which moves the pointer, and location information which notifies the movement location for the pointer on the web page;

a means to cause said pointer script to incorporate the tags for sharing the pointer into the web page, obtain the location information for the pointer after movement, and transmit to said server the location information which notifies the location thus obtained; and

a means to cause said moving script to move the pointer on the web page based on said received location information.

11. A server of a system which enables sharing of a web page being viewed between a plurality of terminals in real-time, comprising:

a means to receive the update information which notifies an update to a web page and the part update information which notifies an update to a part provided on the web page, both the update information being sent from a prescribed terminal;

a storing means to store identification information which identifies said prescribed terminal, in association with said received update information and part update information;

a means to cause said storing means to store said identification information which identifies said prescribed terminal, in association with said update information and part update information;

a means to, when other terminal logs in using the identification information of said prescribed terminal, retrieve from said storing means the update information and part update information associated with the same identification information as said login identification information; and

a means to first transmit said retrieved update information and then transmit said retrieved part update information to said other terminal.

12. The server of a real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said server comprises

a means to, when receiving a connection request which requests a connection from a prescribed terminal to other terminal, transmit said connection request to such other terminal;

a means to, when receiving from said other terminal a notification that said other terminal is ready to respond to the connection request, retrieve from said storing means the update information and part update information associated with the identification information of said prescribed terminal; and

a means to first transmit said retrieved update information and then transmit said retrieved part update information to said prescribed terminal.

13. A program, comprising realizing in each terminal of a real-time web sharing system which enables sharing of a web page via a server, comprising:

a function which detects an update to a web page being displayed on the own terminal;

a function which generates update information which notifies the result of the update to a remote server after detecting an update to a web page being displayed on the own terminal; and

a function which updates the web page being displayed on the own terminal based on the update information sent from said server.

14. The program as set forth in claim 13, wherein

said program comprises

a function which incorporates into said web page a detecting function which detects an update to a part provided on a web page;

a function which, when said detecting function detects an update to a part provided on said web page, generates and transmits to said server part update information which notifies the content of this update; and

a function which updates a part provided on a web page on the own terminal based on the part update information sent from said server.

15. The program as set forth in claim 14, wherein

said program comprises

a function which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between terminals;

a function which, when said pointer on the web page moves, obtains and notifies to said server the location information for the pointer after movement; and

a function which moves said pointer on a web page based on the location information notified from said server.

16. A method of sharing a web page in real-time between a plurality of terminals by using existing browsers, comprising:

enabling sharing of a web page in real-time without requiring alteration of the web page in advance or without requiring alteration of the display or the content rewriting module of a browser, by linking a web page for sharing and a web page for control with each other by displaying these web pages on the screen divided into frames or in browsers in parent-child relationship;

causing a script in the control frame to detect a change in the address of the shared page;

assigning, at this timing, from the control frame to the sharing frame a hook function which hooks a sharing event and identification information which designates what will be shared;

if said sharing event occurs, generating and notifying from a server to the browsers on other terminals notification information which notifies the event that has occurred; and

invoking a function which executes the function hooked to the targets having the same identification information.

17. A method of sharing in real-time a web page being displayed on a first terminal and a second terminal via a remote server, comprising the steps of:

said server transmitting to the first terminal a detecting script which detects an update to a web page and transmitting to said second terminal an updating script which updates a web page;

said first terminal receiving the detecting script sent from said server and causing this received detecting script to detect an update to a web page;

said second terminal receiving the updating script sent from said server;

said first terminal, if said detecting script detects an update to a web page, generating and transmitting to said server update information which notifies the result of the update;

said server transmitting the update information sent from the first terminal to the second terminal; and

said second terminal causing said received updating script to update the web page based on the update information sent from said server.

18. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in claim 17, comprising the steps of:

said server transmitting to the first terminal an update detecting script which detects an update to a part provided on a web page and an incorporating script which incorporates this update detecting script into the web page and transmitting to the second terminal an updating script which updates a web page;

said first terminal receiving the detecting script and incorporating script sent from said server;

said second terminal receiving the updating script sent from said server;

said first terminal causing said received incorporating script to incorporate said update detecting script into said web page;

said first terminal, if the update detecting script detects an update to said part provided on the web page, generating and transmitting to said server part update information which notifies the content of this update;

said server transmitting the part update information sent from said first terminal to the second terminal;

and said second terminal causing said received updating script to update the part provided on the web page based on the part update information which has been sent from said server.

19. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in claim 18, comprising:

using an additional third terminal; and

having the steps of;

said server storing the identification information of said first terminal in association with said received update information and part update information;

said third terminal logging into said server using the same identification information as the identification information of said first terminal;

said server retrieving the update information and part update information associated with the same identification information as the said login identification information;

said server first transmitting said retrieved update information and then transmitting said retrieved part update information;

and said third terminal first updating the web page and then updating the part on the web page, based on the update information and part update information, respectively, sent from said server.

20. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in one of claim 17, comprising the steps of:

said first terminal detecting that a Connect button which calls said second terminal has been pressed;

said first terminal, when said Connect button is pressed, notifying said server a connection request which requests a connection with said second terminal;

said server, when receiving the notification of the connection request from said first terminal, transmitting this notification to second terminal;

said second terminal, when receiving the notification of the connection request from said server, enabling a Respond button which responds to this connection request and detecting the pressing of said Respond button;

said second terminal, when detecting the pressing of said Respond button, notifying said server that the terminal is ready to respond to the connection request;

said server, when receiving the notification from said second terminal that the terminal is ready to respond to the connection request, retrieving the update information and part update information associated with the identification information of said first terminal;

said server first transmitting said retrieved update information and then transmitting said retrieved part update information; and

said second terminal first updating the web page and then updating the part on the web page, based on the update information and part update information, respectively, sent from said server.

21. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in claim 17, comprising the steps of:

said server transmitting a pointer script, which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between the terminals and which obtains the movement location for the pointer, and a moving script which moves the pointer;

said first terminal receiving the pointer script sent from said server;

said second terminal receiving the moving script sent from said server;

said first terminal causing said received pointer script to incorporate the tags of the pointer to be shared between the terminals into said web page;

said first terminal causing said pointer script to obtain the movement location for said pointer and transmit the location information thus obtained to said server;

said server forwarding the location information sent from said first terminal to said second terminal; and

said second terminal causing said moving script to move the pointer being displayed on said web page, based on the location information sent from said server.