INITIATING COMMUNICATIONS WITH WEB PAGE VISITORS AND KNOWN CONTACTS

• US 20110161835A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Joseph F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for initiating communication between two users among several users while at least one of the two users is browsing a web page. User information is collected about each user among the several users. Page information is collected about what web page each user among the several users is browsing. A portion of the user information and page information for a first user and a second user is shared between the first user and the second user when a predetermined criterion is met, and request by the first user to initiate communication with the second user is processed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for initiating communication between a first user and a second user among a plurality of users while the plurality of users are browsing web pages, the method comprising:

collecting user information about each user among the plurality of users;

collecting page information, the page information including one or more of;

information about what web page each user among the plurality of users is browsing and information about a first predetermined criterion;

determining whether the first user and the second user among the plurality of users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site or a same web page of a web site;

determining whether the first predetermined criterion is met;

in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site or a same web page of a web site, and determining that the first predetermined criterion is met;

providing an indication to the first user when the second user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met;

sharing a portion of the user information and page information for the first user with the second user; and

processing a request by the second user to initiate communication with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting user information includes collecting one or more of:

a user name, an Internet Protocol address and an email address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting page information includes collecting a name of a Uniform Resource Locator for the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users correspond to all users using a toolbar in their respective web browsers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined criterion is that the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the portion of the user information and the page information includes one or more of:

providing an identifier of the first user in the second user'"'"'s web browser and

providing an identifier of the second user in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the second user'"'"'s web browser and the identifier of the second user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein sharing the portion of the user information and the page information includes one or more of:

providing a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user, and providing a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined criterion is pages that the first user or second user has bookmarked and wherein the collecting page information includes collecting information about what pages each user among the plurality of users has bookmarked.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting user information and collecting page information is done using a toolbar installed in a web browser in at least one user'"'"'s computer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication to the second user when the first user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met; and

sharing a portion of the user information and page information for the second user with the first user.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a second predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein providing the indication to the first user and sharing the portion are performed in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site or a same web page of a web site, determining that the first predetermined criterion is met, and determining that the second predetermined criterion is met.

13. A computer program product, stored on a machine-readable storage device, for initiating communication between a first user and a second user among a plurality of users while the plurality of users are browsing web pages, comprising instructions operable to cause a computer to:

collect user information about each user among the plurality of users;

collect page information, the page information including one or more of;

information about what web page each user among the plurality of users is browsing and information about a first predetermined criterion;

determine whether the first user and the second user among the plurality of users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site, or a same web page of a web site;

determine whether the first predetermined criterion is met;

in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site, or a same web page of a web site, and determining that the first predetermined criterion is met;

provide an indication to the first user when the second user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met;

share a portion of the user information page information for the first user with the second user; and

process a request by the second user to initiate communication with the second user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions to collect user information include instructions to collect one or more of:

a user name, an Internet Protocol address, and an email address.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions to collect page information include instructions to collect a name of a Uniform Resource Locator for the web page.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the plurality of users correspond to all users using a toolbar in their respective web browsers.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the predetermined criterion is that the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions to share the portion of the user information and the page information include one or more of:

instructions to provide an identifier of the first user in the second user'"'"'s web browser; and

instructions to provide an identifier of the second user in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the second user'"'"'s web browser and the identifier of the second user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions to share the portion of the user information and the page information further include one or more of:

instructions to provide a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user; and

instructions to provide a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

collect information about what web pages each user among the plurality of users has bookmarked; and

provide an indication to the first user when the first user is actively browsing a web page bookmarked by the second user; and

provide an indication to the second user when the second user is actively browsing a web page bookmarked by the first user.

22. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the first predetermined criterion is pages that the first user or second user has bookmarked and wherein the instructions to collect page information includes collecting information about what pages each user among the plurality of users has bookmarked.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein instructions to collect user information and to collect page information use a toolbar installed in a web browser in at least one user'"'"'s computer.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

provide an indication to the second user when the first user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met; and

share a portion of the user information and page information for the second user with the first user.

25. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

determine whether a second predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein the instructions to provide the indication to the first user and sharing the portion are performed in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site or a same web page of a web site, determining that the first predetermined criterion is met, and determining that the second predetermined criterion is met.

26. A computer system for initiating communication between a first user and a second user among a plurality of users while the plurality of users are browsing web pages, the system comprising:

a plurality of computers, wherein at least two of the computers in the plurality of computers each includes a web browser application allowing a user to browse web pages; and

a computer network connecting the plurality of computers,

wherein at least one web browser application is further operable to;

collect user information about each user among the plurality of users;

collect page information, the page information including one or more of;

information about what web page each user among the plurality of users is browsing and information about a first predetermined criterion;

determine whether the first user and the second user among the plurality of users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site, or a same web page of a web site;

determine whether the first predetermined criterion is met;

in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site, or a same web page of a web site, and determining that the first predetermined criterion is met;

provide an indication to the first user when the second user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met;

share a portion of the user information page information for the first user with the second user; and

process a request by the second user to initiate communication with the second user.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the first predetermined criterion is that the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the first predetermined criterion is pages that the first user or second user has bookmarked and wherein the web browser application is operable to collect information about what pages each user among the plurality of users has bookmarked.

29. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the web browser application collects user information and page information using a toolbar installed in the web browser application in at least one user'"'"'s computer.

30. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the web browser application is operable to:

provide an indication to the second user when the first user is actively browsing one or more of the same web site, the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site, and the first predetermined criterion is met; and

share a portion of the user information and page information for the second user with the first user.

31. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the web browser application is operable to:

determine whether a second predetermined criterion is met; and

wherein the providing the indication to the first user and sharing the portion are performed in response to determining that the first and second users are simultaneously browsing one of;

a same web site, a same sub-site of a web site or a same web page of a web site, determining that the first predetermined criterion is met, and determining that the second predetermined criterion is met.