Shared views for browsing content

• US 7,698,364 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Andrew, Felix G. T. I., Smith, Michael D., Sobeski, David A., Post, Lisa G.
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US10/068,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,989 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/208, 715733-759
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling users at a plurality of client computers to share a common browsing experience are provided. A server computer according to the invention includes an interface to a communications network for establishing a first link between the server and the host client computer and a second link between the server and the slave client computer. The server has a shared view engine for receiving from the host client computer, an identifier that identifies the slave client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server. The shared view engine causes the server to deliver the content corresponding to the locator to both the host client computer and the slave client computer. Thus, the host client computer and the slave client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server. To enable the slave clients to share in the browsing experience, the host client can send information such as URL and cookie data to the slave clients. Using the information from the host client, the slave clients can request the same Web pages being viewed by the host client. Alternatively, the host client can request the content not only for itself, but for the slave clients as well.

Claims

1. In a system comprising a server, at least one slave client computer and a host client computer, the host client computer comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a browser application resident in the memory, the browser application issuing a request for content on a server, the request comprising a locator corresponding to the content;

a communications interface to a communications network, the communications interface resident in the memory and configured to establish a communications link between the host client computer and the at least one slave client computer on the communications network, wherein the communications link utilizes a tunneling protocol; and

a shared view engine resident in the memory for receiving an identification of the at least one slave client computer, intercepting the request issued by the browser application, determining a required cookie data on the host client computer associated with the request, wherein the required cookie data describes state information of the host client computer in relation to the server and does not describe state information of the at least one slave client computer in relation to the server, and providing, via the communications link to the at least one slave client computer, a message comprising the locator and the required cookie data, wherein the shared view engine is configured to selectively direct at least one slave shared view engine resident in the at least one slave client computer to prevent the at least one slave client computer from requesting a Web site from the server.

2. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the server is a Web server, the content is a Web page, and the locator is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to the Web page.

3. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the communications interface enables the host client computer to establish a plurality of communications links to a plurality of slave client computers on the communications network.

4. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

5. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is an intranet.

6. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a wide area network.

7. The host client computer of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a local area network.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a process comprising:

receiving by a shared view engine on a host client computer an identification of a slave client computer;

establishing a communications link between the host client computer and the slave client computer on a communications network utilizing a tunneling protocol;

issuing by a browser application on the host client computer a request for content from a server;

intercepting by the shared view engine the request;

determining required cookie data associated with the request, wherein the cookie data is associated with a state of the host client in relation to a server and is not associated with a state of the slave client in relation to the server;

sending by the shared view engine to the slave client a message identifying the content and the required cookie data and

using the shared view engine to selectively prevent the slave client computer from requesting a Web page.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the server is a Web server and the content is a Web page.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the communications network is an intranet.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the communications network is a local area network.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises establishing a plurality of communications links to a plurality of slave client computers on the communications network.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the communications network is a wide area network.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the process further comprises issuing by a browser application on the slave client computer a request for the content from the server.

16. A system for generating shared views for browsing a web page, the system comprising:

a host client computer comprising;

a host processor;

a host memory in communication with the host processor;

a host web browser application resident in the host memory, the host web browser application issuing a host request for the web page on a web server, the host request comprising a uniform resource locator corresponding to the web page and cookie data associated with the web page;

a communications interface to a communications network, the communications interface resident in the host memory and configured to establish a communication link between the host client computer and a slave client computer on the communications network, wherein the communication link utilizes a tunneling protocol; and

a host shared view engine resident in the host memory for receiving an identification of the slave client computer, intercepting the host request issued by the host web browser application, determining required cookie data on the host client computer associated with the host request, and providing, via the communications link to the slave client, a message comprising the uniform resource locator and the required cookie data associated with the host request with the web page; and

the slave client computer comprising a slave processor, a slave memory in communication with the slave processor, and a slave shared view engine resident in the slave memory for receiving the message from the host client computer, upon receiving the message from the host client computer, storing a copy of a current state of a client cookie file on the slave client computer, updating the cookie file on the slave client computer using the required cookie data from the host client computer received in the message, issuing a slave request for the web page, the slave request comprising a uniform resource locator corresponding to the web page and updated cookie data associated with the web page, and upon a receipt of a termination signal, terminating the communication link with the host client computer and restoring the cookie file to an original state using the copy of the client cookie file, wherein the slave shared view engine is configured to prevent the slave client computer from requesting content from the web server unless the host shared view engine directs the slave shared view engine to allow the slave client computer to request the content from the web server.