Browser for use in accessing hypertext documents in a multi-user computer environment

• US 7,076,546 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLAND, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US09/247,502
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 709204-207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/228, 709/245, 709/223, 709/200, 709224-229, 715/501.1, 715513-515, 715/745, 715/738, 715/526, 345/339, 707/500
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus, program product, and method that track where particular users are browsing within a multi-user computer environment, and provide such information to one or more users within the environment to permit greater interactivity among the users. By enabling users to identify and interact with other users in a browsing environment, users may be permitted to access lists of favorite documents, home pages, navigational histories, etc. of other users while browsing to facilitate the dynamic location and retrieval of useful information. Also, users may be permitted to directly communicate with one another while browsing, e.g., via electronic messages, real-time discussions, etc.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to hypertext documents in a multi-user computer environment, the method comprising:

(a) tracking accesses to a plurality of preexisting hypertext documents by a plurality of users;

(b) notifying a first user that is currently accessing one of the plurality of preexisting hypertext documents of the identity of a second user that is accessing the same hypertext document;

(c) associating a second hypertext document with the second user in response to user input from the second user; and

(d) notifying the first user of the association of the second hypertext document with the second user;

wherein associating the second hypertext document with the second user includes storing an identifier for the second hypertext document in a list of favorite links associated with the second user, wherein notifying the first user of the association of the second hypertext document with the second user includes displaying the list of favorite links to the first user, and wherein the method further comprises building a list of favorite links associated with the hypertext document being viewed by the first user by combining lists of favorite links associated with only those users currently viewing the same hypertext document as the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining on behalf of the first user a user-editable saved user list that identifies at least the second user such that the first user is notified of the identity of any user in the user-editable saved user list that is accessing the same hypertext document, wherein maintaining the user-editable saved user list includes at least one of adding a third user to the user-editable saved user list and removing the second user from the user-editable saved list in response to user input received form the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking accesses to the plurality of preexisting hypertext document includes maintaining a list of users that access each hypertext document, and wherein notifying the first user includes notifying the first user of the identity of each user in the list of users.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein notifying the first user of the identity of each user in the list of users includes displaying the list of users to the first user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein notifying the first user of the identify of each user in the list of users includes separately notifying the first user of each user from the list of users that is no longer accessing the hypertext document.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein tracking accesses to the hypertext document further includes removing from the list of users a user that is no longer accessing the hypertext document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user has a home hypertext document associated therewith, the method further comprising communicating to the first user a copy of the home hypertext document associated with the second user in response to user input from the first user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking accesses to the hypertext document further includes maintaining a navigation history for the second user, the nagivation history including a set of hypertext documents previously accessed by the second user, and wherein the method further comprises notifying the first user of the set of hypertext documents in the navigation history for the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking accesses to the hypertext document further includes maintaining a navigation history for the second user, the navigation history including a set of hypertext documents previously accessed by the second user, and wherein the method further comprises displaying a first hypertext document to the first user, the first hypertext document including a hypertext link to a second hypertext document that is in the navigation history for the second user, wherein displaying the first hypertext document includes display withing the first hypertext document and in association with the hypertext link an indication that the second hypertext document is in the navigation history for the second user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the indication includes displaying the hypertext link to the second hypertext document in a color associated with the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the first user of the identity of the second user includes notifying the first user of whether the second user is currently active in the multi-user computer environment.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing a predetermined list management operation on the user list in response to user input from the first user, the predetermined list management operation selected from the group consisting of sending a message to a user in the user list, navigating to a hypertext document currently being viewed by a user from the user list, and navigating to a home hypertext document for a user from the user list.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the second hypertext document to the first user in response to user input from the first user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the list of favorite links is performed responsive to user input received from the first user while the first and second users are currently viewing the same hypertext document.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) associating a second hypertext document with a first hypertext document in response to user input from the second user; and

(b) notifying the first user of the association of the second hypertext document with the first hypertext document.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein associating the second hypertext document with the ifrst hypertext document includes temporarily associating the second hypertext document with the first hypertext document such that the association therebetween is discarded whenever the second user is not active in the multi-user computer-environment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking accesses to the plurality of preexisting hypertext documents is performed in a first computer, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of preexisting hypertext documents are stored externally from the multi-user computer environment.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a program, resident in the memory, the program configured to track accesses to a plurality of preexisting documents by a plurality of users, to notify a first user among the plurality of users that is currently accessing one of the plurality of preexisting hypertext documents of the identity of a second user among the plurality of users that is accessing the same hypertext document, and to maintain on behalf of the first user a user-editable saved user list that identifies at least the second user such that the first user is notified of the identify of any user in the user-editable saved user list that is accessing the same hypertext document, wherein the program is configured to maintain the user-editable saved user list by performing at least one of adding a third user to the user-editable saved user list and removing the second user from the user-editable saved user list in response to user input received from the first user;

wherein the program is further configured to associate a second hypertext document with the second user in response to user input from the second user, and to notify the first user of the association of the second hypertext document with the second user, and wherein the program is further configured to build a list of favorite links associated with the hypertext document being viewed by the first user by combining lists of favorite links associated with each user currently viewing the same hypertext document as the first user.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the program is further configured to maintain a list of users that access each hypertext document, and to notify the first user of the identity of each user in the list of users.

20. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second user has a home hypertext document associated therewith, the program further configured to communicate to the first user a copy of the home hypertext document associated with the second user in response to user input form the first user.

21. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the program is further configured to retrieve a navigation history for the second user, the navigation history including a set of hypertext documents previously accessed by the second user.

22. the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory is disposed in a server computer, the apparatus further comprising a client computer coupled to the server computer, the client computer including a second memory and a second program resident in the second memor, the second program configured to display a first hypertext document to the first user, the first hypertext document including a hypertext link to a second hypertext document that is in the navigation history for the second user, the second program further configured to display within the first hypertext document an indication that the second hypertext document is in the navigation history for the second user.

23. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the program is further configured to associate a second hypertext document with the second user in response to user input from the second user;

and to notify the first user of the association of the second hypertext document with the second user.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the program is further configured to store an identifier for the second hypertext document in a list of a favorite links associated with the second user.

25. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the program is further configured to associate a second hypertext document with a first hypertext document in response to user input from the second user, and to notify the first user of the assciation of the second hypertext document with the first hypertext document.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the program is further configured to temporarily associate the second hypertext document with the first hypertext document such that the association therebetween is discarded whenever the second user is no active.

27. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a first computer within which the memory is disposed, wherein the program is configured to retrieve at least a portion of the plurality of preexisting hypertext documents from a second computer remote from the first computer and external from the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second computer is coupled to the first computer over the Internet.