Server directed browsing

• US 20080228927A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Toub, Stephen H.
• Application Number:
  US11/724,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing server directed browsing. After determining that a user needs assistance with one or more particular issues, a client browser being operated by the user and a server agree on a unique communication identifier. The client browser sends asynchronous requests to the server after the client browser loads a script library which causes the asynchronous requests to begin. One or more appropriate responses are received, such as from a responding user. The response is submitted to a command queue on the server so that the asynchronous requests from the client browser will pick up the response on a later communication. The response is one or more commands that the client browser later executes.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

after determining that a user needs assistance with one or more particular issues, agree on a unique communication identifier with a client browser being operated by the user;

receive asynchronous requests from the client browser after the client browser loads a script library which causes the asynchronous requests to begin; and

submit one or more responses to a command queue so that the asynchronous requests from the client browser will pick up the one or more responses on a later communication, the one or more responses being one or more commands that the client browser can later execute.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the script library is operable to allow the client browser to communicate asynchronously with a server for receiving one or more responses to address the one or more particular issues.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the script library is further operable to allow the client browser to communicate asynchronously with the server for sending one or more communications to a feedback queue on the server.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the unique communication identifier is generated by a server and sent to the client browser.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the unique communication identifier is provided by the client browser.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the unique communication identifier is used to send directed commands to the client browser.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the script library is sent to the client browser before the script library is loaded.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least some of the one or more responses are operable to be received from a customer service representative before the one or more responses are submitted to the command queue.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least some of the one or more responses are operable to be determined programmatically before being submitted to the command queue.

10. A method for providing server directed browsing comprising the steps of:

receiving a notification that a requesting user has asked for assistance on a particular one or more issues;

receiving input from a responding user to select an appropriate response; and

submitting the appropriate response to a command queue in the form of one or more commands, the command queue being asynchronously contacted by a client browser being operated by the requesting user through a communication process that was established when the client browser initiated a first contact, and the command being in a format that the client browser can execute.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the responding user is a customer service agent.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least some of the one or more commands are a script that the client browser can execute.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the input is one option selected from a list of available responses.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least some of the one or more commands are associated with the one option that was selected by the responding user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the input is entered by the user in the form of one or more actual commands, the one or more actual commands being the one or more commands that are submitted to the command queue.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the command queue is located on a server computer.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps recited in claim 10.

18. A method for seeking directed browser assistance from a server comprising the steps of:

requesting assistance with one or more particular issues;

agreeing on a unique communication identifier with a web server;

loading a script library, which causes an asynchronous communication process with the web server to begin;

sending asynchronous requests to the web server to see if any responses are present for the one or more particular issues;

during a particular one of the asynchronous requests, receiving one or more responses in the form of one or more commands; and

executing the one or more commands in the client browser.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the asynchronous communication process with the web server allows the client browser to receive commands from the web server in a controlled environment with a defined security policy so that the web server can provide responses to the one or more particular issues.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps recited in claim 18.