Method and system for portably enabling awareness, touring, and conferencing over the world-wide web using proxies and shared-state servers

• US 5,861,883 A
• Filed: 05/13/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hung D., Singhal, Sandeep K., Cuomo, Gennaro A., Nguyen, Binh Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US08/855,244
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 345/335, 345/338, 345/340, 345/326, 345/348, 395/200.58, 395/200.76, 395/200.31, 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 395/200.36, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.55, 395/200.56 , 395/200.59, 395/200.62, 395/200.67, 395/200.75, 395/500, 395/712, 707/1-3, 707/10, 707/500, 707/501, 707/513, 707/531
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

Collaboration capabilities (both "push" and "pull" of information) are portably added to World-Wide Web content. In particular, a persistent connection is maintained to a shared state server for retrieving data via a "push" mechanism which maintains the freedom to access arbitrary Web content via the "pull" mechanism. Moreover, the collaboration is provided in a portable manner, in the same way that all other Web content is portable both across hardware platforms and across browser implementations.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving data from an information server, comprising the steps of:

a requester initiating a request for data from an information server;

sending said request to a Proxy;

said Proxy forwarding said request to said information server;

said Proxy receiving and storing data from said information server;

inserting an Applet into said data;

delivering said data and said Applet to said requester of said data;

executing said Applet, wherein said step executing said Applet further comprises;

initiating a connection to Client Software, wherein said Client Software communicates with a Multi-User Shared State Server; and

terminating said connection to Client Software.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending an "addURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending a "removeURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending a "readData" request over said connection to Client Software.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending a "writeData" request over said connection to Client Software.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a "changePage" notification over said connection to Client Software; and

initiating the retrieval of new data in accordance with said "changePage" notification.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

initiating a "follow" request for a target leader from said Client Software;

recording an identity of an originator of said "follow" request; and

initiating a "changePage" request to said originator as a result of actions taken by said target leader.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of initiating a connection to Client Software includes determining an identity of a "global" Applet, and wherein said connection to said Client Software is a logical connection established by forwarding requests to said "global" Applet.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring for a presence of a "global" Applet; and

becoming said "global" Applet should there be no said "global" Applet present.

10. A system for retrieving data from an information server, comprising:

means for a requester initiating a request for data from an information server;

means for sending said request to a Proxy;

means for said Proxy forwarding said request to said information server;

means for said Proxy receiving and storing data from said information server;

means for inserting an Applet into said data;

means for delivering said data and said Applet to said requester of said data;

means for executing said Applet, wherein said means for executing said Applet further comprises;

means for initiating a connection to Client Software, wherein said Client Software communicates with a Multi-User Shared State Server; and

means for terminating said connection to Client Software.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending an "addURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending a "removeURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending a "readData" request over said connection to Client Software.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending a "writeData" request over said connection to Client Software.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a "changePage" notification over said connection to Client Software; and

means for initiating the retrieval of new data in accordance with said "changePage" notification.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for initiating a "follow" request for a target leader from said Client Software;

means for recording an identity of an originator of said "follow" request; and

means for initiating a "changePage" request to said originator as a result of actions taken by said target leader.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for initiating a connection to Client Software includes means for determining an identity of a "global" Applet, and wherein said connection to said Client Software is a logical connection established by forwarding requests to said "global" Applet.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for monitoring for a presence of a "global" Applet; and

means for becoming said "global" Applet should there be no said "global" Applet present.

19. A computer program product recorded on computer readable medium for retrieving data from an information server, comprising:

computer readable means for a requester initiating a request for data from an information server;

computer readable means for sending said request to a Proxy;

computer readable means for said Proxy forwarding said request to said information server;

computer readable means for said Proxy receiving and storing data from said information server;

computer readable means for inserting an Applet into said data;

computer readable means for delivering said data and said Applet to said requester of said data;

computer readable means for executing said Applet, wherein said computer readable means for executing said Applet further comprises;

computer readable means for initiating a connection to Client Software, wherein said Client Software communicates with a Multi-User Shared State Server; and

computer readable means for terminating said connection to Client Software.

20. The program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable means for sending an "addURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

21. The program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable means sending a "removeURL" notification over said connection to Client Software.

22. The program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable means sending a "readData" request over said connection to Client Software.

23. The program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable means sending a "writeData" request over said connection to Client Software.

24. The program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable means for receiving a "changePage" notification over said connection to Client Software; and

computer readable means for initiating the retrieval of new data in accordance with said "changePage" notification.

25. The program product of claim 24, further comprising:

computer readable means for initiating a "follow" request for a target leader from said Client Software;

computer readable means for recording an identity of an originator of said "follow" request; and

computer readable means for initiating a "changePage" request to said originator as a result of actions taken by said target leader.

26. The program product of claim 19, wherein said computer readable means for initiating a connection to Client Software includes computer readable means for determining an identity of a "global" Applet, and wherein said connection to said Client Software is a logical connection established by forwarding requests to said "global" Applet.

27. The program product of claim 26, further comprising:

computer readable means for monitoring for a presence of a "global" Applet; and

computer readable means for becoming said "global" Applet should there be no said "global" Applet present.