Cross Domain Communication

• US 20070299857A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gwozdz, Daniel, Isaacs, Scott M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Various embodiments utilize nested Iframes within a web page to allow cross domain communication. That is, various embodiments can create an embedded Iframe that shares the domain of an Iframe or web page with which communication is desired. Because the embedded Iframe shares the domain of the Iframe or web page with which communication is desired, restrictions on cross-site scripting do not inhibit communication or scripting between the domain-matched Iframe(s) and/or web page. This embedded Iframe can then provide a mechanism by which web pages or Iframes from other domains can communicate with the Iframe or web page with which the embedded Iframe shares a domain.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating an Iframe within a web page; and

using the Iframe for cross domain communication between different domains.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of using comprises using a server for cross domain communication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act of using comprises allowing the server to open a window in a listener Iframe that is contained by and in the same domain as the first-mentioned Iframe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of using comprises communicating across different domains without round tripping to a server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of using comprises manipulating an URL associated with the Iframe.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said manipulating comprises appending a message to said URL after a hash appearing in the URL.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising detecting a change in the URL and parsing the URL to access the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of creating comprises creating, for the Iframe, an associated listener Iframe, wherein the listener Iframe is created in the same domain as its associated Iframe.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said act of using comprises using the listener Iframe as a target window for cross domain communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page and the Iframe are created in different domains and wherein said act of using comprises manipulating an URL associated with the Iframe.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said act of manipulating comprises including, in the URL, a message that is desired to be communicated to the Iframe.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a message counter to ensure that messages that are communicated between the different domains are not missed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of using comprises communicating relationship information associated with a user from one domain to a different domain.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the relationship information pertains to a buddy list.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating a message in one domain that is intended to be communicated to a different domain;

including the message in an URL associated with a listener Iframe in the different domain;

initiating a call to a server that includes the URL; and

opening, responsive to said server, a window in the listener Iframe, wherein the window includes the message from said one domain.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of creating is performed by a web page that includes a listener Iframe in its domain, wherein the listener Iframe in the domain of the web page is configured to receive messages from said different domain.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising implementing a message counter to ensure that messages that are communicated between the domains are not missed.

18. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement a system comprising:

a web page in a first domain;

one or more Iframes contained in said web page, wherein at least one of the Iframes is created in a different domain; and

code to permit cross domain communication between the web page and the Iframe.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said one or more Iframes comprises multiple Iframes at least some of which being created in different domains, and wherein said code permits Iframes from different domains to communicate with one another.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said one or more Iframes is comprises at least one contained Iframe nested inside a containing Iframe, wherein the contained and containing Iframes are created in different domains, and wherein said code permits the contained and containing Iframes to communicate with one is another.