Apparatus and method for communication between multiple browsers

• US 6,065,051 A
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bryant, Craig W., Steele, Douglas W., Goin, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/061,360
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 709/224, 709/300, 709/302, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing flexible communications of data modification of Web resources between client browsers, where the Web resources are on a server. In particular, the apparatus and method are accomplished by having an application program ascertain if potentially shared database data was updated. If potentially shared database data was updated, then the application program establishes a connection to a security server and transmits a database change notice to the security server. The security server receives the database change notice and checks its sign-on list of all the client browsers currently active and sends a database change notice to all client user interface browsers currently connected to the security server. All client user browsers, upon receiving a database change notice, display the database change notice or change data within the client user browser, thereby voiding the utilization of stale database data in the client user browser.

Claims

1. A method for providing flexible communications of data modification of Web resources between a plurality of browsers, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a sign-on request to a security server;

transmitting a request for service from a client browser;

performing the requested service by an application server;

determining if database data, accessible to the plurality of browsers, was modified; and

transmitting the database change notice to each of said plurality of active browsers.

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

generating a database base change notice by the application server if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of:

transmitting the database change notice to the security server.

4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of:

determining a plurality of active browsers by the security server.

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

receiving a request from the user; and

determining if the user is authorized to access a requested service.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

processing the database change notice by each of said plurality of active browsers.

11. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

displaying a message to the user that a database change has occurred.

7. A computer system for providing flexible communications of data modification of Web resources between a plurality of client browsers, comprising:

means for transmitting a sign-on request to a security server;

means for transmitting a request for service from a client browser;

means for performing the requested service by an application server;

means for determining if database data, accessible to the plurality of browsers, was modified; and

means for transmitting the database change notice to each of said plurality of active browsers.

8. The computer system apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for generating a database change notice by the application server if the database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified.

9. The computer system apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for transmitting the database change notice to the security server.

10. The computer system apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining a plurality of active browsers by the security server.

12. The computer system apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for processing the database change notice by each of said plurality of active browsers.

15. The computer system apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a request from the user; and

means for determining if the user is authorized to access a requested service.

17. The computer system apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for displaying a message to the user that a database change has occurred.

13. A computer system for communication of data modifications of Web resources between a plurality of browsers, comprising:

a client device browser that requests a service;

an application device for providing the requested service, wherein the application device determines if resource data was modified in providing the service, and wherein the application device generates a database change notice if database data accessible to a plurality of browsers was modified; and

a security server, wherein said security server further comprises;

a first security server mechanism that determines a plurality of active browsers in the computer system; and

a second security server mechanism that transmits the database change notice to each of said plurality of active browsers.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the application device further comprises:

a first application mechanism that generates a database change notice if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified; and

a second application mechanism that transmits the database change notice to a security server.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the client device browser further comprises:

a first client device browser mechanism processes the database change notice transmitted by the second security server mechanism.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the client device browser further comprises:

a second client device browser mechanism that receives a request from the user; and

a third client device browser mechanism that displays a message to the user that a database change has occurred.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the security server mechanism further comprises:

a third security server mechanism that determines if the user is authorized to access a requested service.