HTML file acquisition method, information terminal support device, and storage medium for storing a software product for acquiring HTML files

• US 6,668,276 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Akira, Ohkado, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Hady, Nabil
• Application Number:
  US09/636,160
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203-205, 709/217-219, 705/1, 705/35, 705/42
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention achieves internet-based collaboration without having to install collaboration software on one of the computer. For example, a customer of a bank would like to collaborate with an agent of the bank. The customer accesses an external web server via a collaboration server. The collaboration server replaces a transition destination URL of HTML code acquired according to a request from the customer with a character string including a host name for the collaboration server and transition destination identification information and sends this character string to the user. When the customer clicks a link, the actual URL to be acquired is specified from the transition destination identification information at the collaboration server, and this URL is acquired by proxy and returned to the customer'"'"'s browser. A browser monitor program then monitors the agent'"'"'s browser, the URL to actually be acquired is specified based on transition notification from the collaboration server and the same HTML code as for the customer is acquired.

Claims

1. An HTML file acquisition method executed in a computing environment including an information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to the HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to the content information, said HTML file acquisition method comprising the steps of:

(a) substituting a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information;

(b) sending the HTML file whose transition destination URL was substituted to said first information terminal;

(c) receiving, at said first information terminal, a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string;

(d) acquiring transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request;

(e) acquiring a transition destination HTML file including content information from a web server based on said transition destination identification information;

(f) sending content information included in said transition destination HTML file to said first information terminal; and

(g) sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal.

2. An HTML file acquisition method executed in a computing environment including an information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to the HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to the content information, said HTML file acquisition method comprising the steps of:

(a) substituting a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information, and sending said HTML file to said first information terminal;

(b) receiving, at said first information terminal, a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string;

(c) acquiring transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request; and

(d) sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal.

3. An HTML file acquisition method executed in a computing environment including an information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to said HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to the content information, said HTML file acquisition method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a collaboration request from said first information terminal;

(b) allocating said second information terminal to carry out collaboration with said first information terminal in reply to said collaboration request;

(c) receiving an HTML file acquisition request from said first information terminal;

(d) substituting a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information;

(e) sending the HTML file whose transition destination URL was substituted to said first information terminal;

(f) receiving, at said first information terminal, a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string;

(g) acquiring transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request;

(h) acquiring a transition destination HTML file including content information from a web server based on said transition destination identification information;

(i) sending content information included in said transition destination HTML file to said first information terminal; and

(j) sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal.

4. An information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to said HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to said content information, said information terminal support device comprising:

(a) an HTML translator for substituting a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information;

(b) a web server for sending the HTML file whose transition destination URL was substituted to said first information terminal;

(c) an HTML analyzer for, at said first information terminal, analyzing a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string and then transmitted, and acquiring transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request;

(d) a cache manager for acquiring a transition destination HTML file including content information from a web server based on said transition destination identification information; and

(e) an agent notifier for sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal.

5. Computer readable code stored on media including an HTML file acquisition program executed in a computing environment including an information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to said HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to said content information, said computer readable code comprising:

(a) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to substitute a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information;

(b) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to send an HTML file with a replaced transition destination URL to said first information terminal;

(c) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to, at said first information terminal, receive a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string;

(d) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to acquire transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request;

(e) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to acquire a transition destination HTML file including content information from a web server based on said transition destination identification information;

(f) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to send content information included in said transition destination HTML file to said first information terminal; and

(g) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal by sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal.

6. Computer readable code stored on media including an HTML file acquisition program executed by a system including an information terminal support device for receiving an HTML file acquisition request from a first information terminal equipped with an input device and a display device, acquiring an HTML file including content information corresponding to said HTML file acquisition request from a web server, and having a second information terminal display content corresponding to said content information, said program comprising:

(a) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to substitute a transition destination URL of an HTML file acquired by said information terminal support device for a replacement character string including a host name of said information terminal support device and transition destination identification information, and send said HTML file to said first information terminal;

(b) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to, at said first information terminal, receive a transition destination HTML file acquisition request including said replacement character string created as a result of specification of said replacement character string;

(c) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to acquire transition destination identification information included in said transition destination HTML file acquisition request; and

(d) program code for instructing said information terminal support device to display content corresponding to content information included in said transition destination HTML file at said second information terminal by sending information corresponding to said transition destination identification information to said second information terminal.