Session creation mechanism for collaborative network navigation

• US 6,295,550 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Choung, Byung-Sun, Gula, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/735,538
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.47, 395/200.57, 395/200.58, 395/200.38, 395/200.33, 395/200.48, 379/265, 706/10, 709/200, 709/201, 709/204, 709/205
• 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

A web site server provides collaborative web page navigation feature for a group of user terminals. A session list is created to register the group of terminals. The location information of the web pages are relayed to all following terminals of the group, while a leading terminal of the group is navigating through the web pages by using its web browser, according to the session list. A user terminal can join a session, thus becoming a following terminal, by answering a broadcast session inquiry, or by sending a request to receiving and then answering a session list.

Claims

1. A method of performing a collaborative web site navigation by a group of user terminals each having a web browser to share web site information during the a session, while a leading terminal is navigating a web site, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) designating any one of the group of user terminals as a leading terminal;

(b) inquiring by the leading terminal, of each of the remaining user terminals whether to join the session;

(c) receiving responses at the leading terminal, from the group of remaining user terminals indicating whether or not to join the session; and

(d) creating a session list at the leading terminal, including the user terminals that have indicated to join the session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said session list includes the network addresses of the user terminals that have indicated to join the session.

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

receiving source information relating to the web site information that has been located by the leading terminal; and

sending said web site source information to the user terminals that are included in said session list.

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

locating the information according to said web site source information by the user terminals that are included in said session list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising navigating a web page on a remote web site and displaying the web page on a user terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating a different user terminal as the leading terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising requesting by a user terminal to the leading terminal that the user interact with the leading terminal by sending a web page request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a session request from any of the group of user terminals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of user terminals and the leading terminal are in a local area network.

10. A method of performing a collaborative web site navigation session by a group of user terminals each having a web browser to share web site information during the session, while a leading terminal is navigating a web site, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving source information relating to a web page that has been located by the leading terminal;

(b) sending the web page location from the leading terminal to the group of terminals according to a session list; and

(c) navigating the web page by the group of user terminals included in the session list.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the session list includes the network addresses of the group of terminals.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising:

(a) designating any one of the group of user terminals as the leading terminal;

(b) inquiring of each of the remaining user terminals whether to join the session;

(c) receiving responses from the group of remaining user terminals indicating whether or not to join the session; and

(d) creating a session list including the user terminals that have indicated to join the session.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising designating a different user terminal as the leading terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising requesting by a user terminal to the leading terminal that the user interact with the leading terminal by sending a web page request.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving a session request from any of the group of user terminals.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the group of user terminals and the leading terminal are in a local area network.

17. A computer architecture for performing a collaborative web site navigation session to enable a group of user terminals each having a web browser to share web site information during the session, said computer architecture comprising:

(a) inquiring means at one of the user terminals for inquiring each of the other remaining user terminals whether to join the session;

(b) receiving means for receiving responses from the group of remaining user terminals indicating whether or not to join the session; and

(c) creating means for creating a session list including the user terminals that have indicated to join the session.

18. A computer system for performing a collaborative web site navigation session to enable a group of user terminals each having a web browser to share web site information during the session, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to said processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions, which, when executed by said processor, causes caused said processor to perform the steps of;

(a) inquire of each of the other remaining user terminals whether to join the session;

(b) receiving responses from the other group of remaining user terminals indicating whether or not to join the session; and

(c) creating a session list including the user terminals that have indicated to join the session.