Apparatus and method for communication between multiple browsers

• US 6,314,458 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• 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:
  US09/540,260
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/227, 709/313, 709/329, 707/10, 707/104
• 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 network resources between a plurality of browsers, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for service from one of the plurality of browsers;

performing the request for service;

generating a database change notice if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified while performing the request for service; and

transmitting the database change notice to a security server for retransmission to the plurality of browsers.

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

determining if the database data, accessible to the plurality of browsers, was modified while performing the request for service.

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

receiving a sign-on request from a client browser;

adding the client browser to a list of currently connected client browsers;

receiving a database change notice from an application server if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified by the client browser; and

retransmitting the database change notice to the plurality of browsers.

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

determining the client browsers that are currently connected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining currently connected client browsers step further includes the step of:

checking the list of currently connected client browsers.

6. An application apparatus for providing flexible communications of data modification of network resources between a plurality of client browsers, comprising:

means for receiving a request for service from one of the plurality of browsers;

means for performing the request for service;

means for generating a database change notice if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified while performing the request for service; and

means for transmitting the database change notice to a security server for retransmission to the plurality of browsers.

7. The application apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for determining if the database data, accessible to the plurality of browsers, was modified while performing the request for service.

8. A security server apparatus for providing flexible communications of data modification of network resources between a plurality of client browsers, comprising:

means for receiving a sign-on request from a client browser;

means for adding the client browser to a list of currently connected client browsers;

means for receiving a database change notice from an application server if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified by the client browser; and

means for retransmitting the database change notice to the plurality of browsers.

9. The security server apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for determining a plurality of active browsers.

10. The security server apparatus of claim 9, wherein the active browsers determining means further comprises:

means for checking the list of currently connected client browsers.

11. An application apparatus for communication of data modifications of network resources between a plurality of browsers, comprising:

a first application mechanism that receives a request for service from one of the plurality of browsers;

a second application mechanism that provides the requested service to the one of the plurality of browsers;

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

a fourth application mechanism that transmits the database change notice to a security server for retransmission to the plurality of browsers.

12. The application apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a fifth application mechanism that determines if the database data, accessible to the plurality of browsers, was modified while performing the request for service.

13. A security server for communication of data modifications of network resources between a plurality of browsers, comprising:

a first security server mechanism that receives a sign-on request from a client browser;

a second security server mechanism that adds the client browser to a list of currently connected client browsers;

a third security server mechanism that receives a database change notice from an application server if database data accessible to the plurality of browsers was modified by the client browser; and

a fourth security server mechanism that retransmits the database change notice to the plurality of browsers.

14. The security server of claim 13, further comprising:

a fifth security server mechanism that determines a plurality of active browsers by checking the list of currently connected client browsers.