Systems and methods for shared browsing among a plurality of online co-users

• US 7,287,054 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wentz, Brian D., Schwartz, Jordan L. K., Lee, Oliver, Araman, Christopher J., Guo, Quji, van Dok, Cees, Grossman, Joel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US10/160,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/227, 709/231, 709/245, 715/738
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for establishing and maintaining a shared browsing experience are disclosed. A method for establishing a shared browsing experience includes an inviter computer communicating to an invitee computer, via an online messenger communication path, an invitation to establish a co-browsing experience. The invitee computer communicates to the inviter computer, via the first communication path, an acceptance of the invitation. A co-browsing communication path is then established between the inviter computer and the invitee computer. Information relating to the shared browsing experience is then communicated between the inviter and invitee computers via the co-browsing communication path.

Claims

1. A method for sharing a browsing experience, the method comprising:

determining, at an inviter computer, whether a pre-specified online co-user account is currently active on an invitee computer;

sending to the invitee computer, via an online messenger communication path, an invitation to establish a co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

receiving an acceptance of the invitation from the invitee computer;

establishing a co-browsing communication path between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

communicating information relating to the co-browsing browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer via the co-browsing communications path;

receiving from the invitee computer, data relating to a current position of a cursor within a browser window at the invitee computer;

displaying a remote cursor indicator at a position within a browser window at the inviter computer that corresponds to the current position of the cursor within the browser window at the invitee computer; and

determining if a webpage selected by the inviter computer is blocked at the invitee computer, and if so, preventing the webpage from being displayed at the invitee computer, and further preventing a user of the inviter computer from determining that the webpage was blocked at the invitee computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an online message window at the inviter computer;

providing a browser window at the inviter computer; and

arranging the online message window and the browser window, in response to receiving the acceptance from the invitee computer, such that a user of the inviter computer has unobscured access to each of the online message window and the browser window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at the inviter computer, in response to receiving the acceptance from the invitee computer, a user interface that includes a browser window and an online message window arranged such that a user of the inviter computer has unobseured access to each of the online message window and the browser window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the remote cursor indicator at the inviter computer comprises displaying a ghosted cursor at the position within the browser window at the inviter computer that corresponds to the current position of the cursor within the browser window at the invitee computer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the invitee computer, data relating to a current scroll position of a web page within a browser window at the invitee computer; and

displaying a remote scroll bar indicator at a position within a browser window at the inviter computer that corresponds to the current scroll position of the web page within the browser window at the invitee computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the remote scroll bar indicator comprises displaying a ghosted scroll bar at a position within the browser window at the inviter computer that corresponds to the current scroll position of the web page within the browser window at the invitee computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a status display at the inviter computer that provides a current status associated with the browsing experience at the invitee computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the status display includes status relating to load progress of a web page being downloaded onto the invitee computer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the status display includes online messenger status.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the co-browsing browsing experience includes a URL.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the co-browsing browsing experience includes a URL relating to a form.

10. A method for sharing a browsing experience, the method comprising:

determining, at an inviter computer, whether a pre-specified online co-user account is currently active on an invitee computer;

sending to the invitee computer, via an online messenger communication path, an invitation to establish a co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

receiving an acceptance of the invitation from the invitee computer;

establishing a co-browsing communication path between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

communicating information relating to the co-browsing browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer via the co-browsing communications path;

receiving from the invitee computer, data relating to a current position of a cursor within a browser window at the invitee computer;

displaying a remote cursor indicator at a position within a browser window at the inviter computer that corresponds to the current position of the cursor within the browser window at the invitee computer; and

determining if a webpage selected by the invitee computer is blocked at the inviter computer, and if so, preventing the webpage from being displayed at the inviter computer, and further preventing a user of the invitee computer from determining that the webpage was blocked at the inviter computer.