Technique for obtaining information and services over a communication network

• US 6,070,185 A
• Filed: 05/02/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Anupam, Vinod, Gehani, Narain H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US08/850,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/205, 709/206, 345/335, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 707/514, 707/501
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

In a communications arrangement, a computer user accesses a server system to seek customer service over the World Wide Web (WWW). The server system assigns a customer service agent (CSA) to communicate with the user to realize the customer service. In a customer service session, the user and CSA may collaboratively browse hypertext markup language (HTML) documents at different uniform resource locators (URLs) to obtain relevant information. However, in accordance with the invention, the version of each document presented to the user may be different from that presented to the CSA. In particular, the CSA version contains proprietary information which is excluded from the user version.

Claims

1. Server apparatus for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising:

a controller for connecting the first receiver with the second receiver;

an interface for receiving from the first receiver a first request for particular data, said first request including indicator information, the second receiver generating a second request for said particular data in response to said first request, the second request being received by the interface; and

a processor for providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request, and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, a difference between the first version and the second version being a function of at least said indicator information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indicator information includes cookie information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indicator information identifies an originator of the first request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indicator information includes information representing a time when the indicator information expires.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said processor includes said interface.

6. Server apparatus for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising:

an interface for receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, the first request including first indicator information;

a control element responsive to the first request for causing the second receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data to said interface, said second request including second indicator information different from said first indicator information; and

a processor for distinguishing the first request from the second request based on a difference between the respective first and second indicator information therein, said interface providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, said first version being different from said second version.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first indicator information and the second indicator information identify respective originators of the first and second requests.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first indicator information and the second indicator information respectively include first cookie information and second cookie information.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said particular data includes account data.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said processor includes said control element and said interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.

14. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said interface receives at least one of the first and second requests from a communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said communication network includes at least a portion of the Internet.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said communication network includes at least a portion of the World Wide Web (WWW).

17. Server apparatus for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising:

an interface for receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, said first request being attributed to a first originator;

a control element responsive to said first request for causing the second receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data to said interface, said second request being attributed to a second originator different from said first originator; and

a processor responsive to the first and second requests for identifying the first originator and second originator to which the respective first and second requests are attributed, said processor providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver, said first version being different from said second version.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first originator is associated with a service representative and said second originator is associated with a user served by the service representative.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first request includes information concerning said first originator.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said processor includes said interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.

24. Server apparatus for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising:

an interface for receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, said first request being attributed to a first originator;

a control element responsive to said first request for causing the second, receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data to said interface, said second request being attributed to a second originator different from said first originator; and

a processor responsive to the first and second requests for providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver, said first version being different from said second version as a function of at least a portion of identification information for said first and second originators.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said first originator is associated with a service representative and said second originator is associated with a user served by the service representative.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said first request includes information concerning said first originator.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said processor includes said interface.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.

31. A server system comprising:

at least a first device and a second device;

means for receiving a first request for particular data, the first request being associated with the first device;

means responsive to the first request for causing an initiation of a second request for said particular data, the second request being associated with the second device;

means for distinguishing the first request from the second request based on associations thereof with the respective first and second devices; and

means for providing a first version of said particular data to said first device in response to the first request and a second version of said particular data to said second device in response to the second request, said first version being different from said second version.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein at least one of the first and second devices includes a personal computer.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the causing means includes a web browser.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the causing means includes a surrogate.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said surrogate forwards a copy of at least part of said first request to said second device.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said second device forwards a copy of at least part of said second request to said surrogate.

38. A method for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising:

connecting the first receiver with the second receiver;

receiving from the first receiver a first request for particular data, said first request including indicator information;

generating by the second receiver a second request for said particular data in response to said first request, the second request being received by the interface; and

providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request, and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, a difference between the first version and the second version being a function of at least said indicator information.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said indicator information includes cookie information.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein said indicator information identifies an originator of the first request.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein said indicator information includes information representing a time when the indicator information expires.

42. A method for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, said first request including first indicator information;

causing the second receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data in response to said first request, said second request including second indicator information different from said first indicator information;

distinguishing the first request from the second request based on a difference between the respective first and second indicator information therein; and

providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request, and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, said first version being different from said second version.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the first indicator information and the second indicator information identify respective originators of the first and second requests.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein the first indicator information and the second indicator information respectively include first cookie information and second cookie information.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein said particular data includes account data.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.

49. The method of claim 42 wherein at least one of the first and second requests is received from a communication network.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said communication network includes at least a portion of the Internet.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein said communication network includes at least a portion of the WWW.

52. A method for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, said first request being attributed to a first originator;

causing the second receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data in response to said first request, said second request being attributed to a second originator different from said first originator;

identifying the first originator and second originator to which the respective first and second requests are attributed; and

providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, said first version being different from said second version.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein said first originator is associated with a service representative and said second originator is associated with a user served by the service representative.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein said first request includes information concerning said first originator.

56. The method of claim 52 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.

58. A method for providing data to at least first and second receivers for concurrent browsing of said data comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the first receiver, a first request for particular data, said first request being attributed to a first originator;

causing the second receiver to initiate a second request for said particular data in response to said first request, said second request being attributed to a second originator different from said first originator; and

providing a first version of said particular data to the first receiver in response to the first request and a second version of said particular data to the second receiver in response to the second request, said first version being different from said second version as a function of at least a portion of identification information for said first and second originators.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein said first and second requests have respective portions which specify said particular data, said respective portions being identical.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein said first originator is associated with a service representative and said second originator is associated with a user served by the service representative.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein said first request includes information concerning said first originator.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein said second version is a subset of said first version.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein said first version includes proprietary data.