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

• US 7,937,440 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Oliver, Araman, Christopher J., Guo, Quji, Dok, Cees Van, Grossman, Joel K., Wentz, Brian D., Schwartz, Jordan L. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US11/296,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 715/738, 715/751, 715/753, 715/754, 715/759
• 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 establishing a shared browsing experience, the method comprising:

receiving from an invitee computer, via a first communication path between an inviter computer and an online message server, an acceptance of an invitation to establish a co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

establishing a second communication path between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

communicating to the invitee computer, via the second communication path, information relating to a browsing experience at the inviter computer; and

providing a status display at the inviter computer that provides a current status associated with the browsing experience at the invitee computer, wherein the status display includes, upon a determination that the inviter and computer and the invitee computer may see different content when browsing the web together, a warning indicative of the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the online message server, via the first communication path, an address associated with the invitee computer, and an indication that an online co-user account is currently active on the invitee computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending to the invitee computer, via the first communication path, the invitation to establish the co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the invitee computer, via the second communication path, information relating to a browsing experience at the invitee computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication path comprises:

communicating to the invitee computer, via the first communications path, a connection message that identifies an available port of the inviter computer;

determining whether a reply from the invitee computer has been received via the identified port; and

if a reply is received via the identified port, defining the second communications path to be established between the identified port and the invitee computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reply identifies an available port of the invitee computer, the method further comprising:

defining the second communications path to be established between the identified port of the inviter computer and the identified port of the invitee computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication path further comprises:

receiving from the invitee computer, via the first communication path, a connection message that identifies an available port of the invitee computer;

sending a reply message to the invitee computer via an available port of the inviter computer; and

defining the second communication path to be established between the identified port of the invitee computer and the available port of the inviter computer.

8. A method for establishing a shared browsing experience, the method comprising:

communicating to an inviter computer, via a first communication path between an invitee computer and an online message server, an acceptance of an invitation to establish a co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

establishing a second communication path between the inviter computer and the invitee computer;

communicating to the inviter computer, via the second communication path, information relating to a browsing experience at the invitee computer; and

providing a status display at the inviter computer that provides a current status associated with the browsing experience at the invitee computer, wherein the status display includes, upon a determination that the inviter and computer and the invitee computer may see different content when browsing the web together, a warning indicative of the determination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving from the inviter computer, via the first communication path, the invitation to establish the co-browsing experience between the inviter computer and the invitee computer.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving from the inviter computer, via the second communication path, information relating to a browsing experience at the inviter computer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the second communication path comprises:

receiving from the inviter computer, via the first communications path, a connection message that identifies an available port of the inviter computer;

communicating a reply to the identified port of the inviter computer to thereby define the second communications path to be established between the identified port and the invitee computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reply identifies an available port of the invitee computer, the method further comprising:

defining the second communications path to be established between the identified port of the inviter computer and the identified port of the invitee computer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the second communication path further comprises:

communicating to the inviter computer, via the first communication path, a connection message that identifies an available port of the invitee computer; and

receiving a reply message from the inviter computer via an available port of the inviter computer, to thereby define the second communication path to be established between the available port of the invitee computer and the available port of the inviter computer.

14. A method for co-browsing, comprising:

determining from an online message service whether a pre-specified online co-user account is currently active on an invitee computer;

retrieving from the online message service, an address associated with the invitee computer;

establishing a communication path between an inviter computer and the invitee computer;

communicating, via the communication path to the invitee computer, information relating to a current browsing experience at the inviter computer; and

providing a status display at the inviter computer that provides a current status associated with the browsing experience at the invitee computer, wherein the status display includes, upon a determination that the inviter and computer and the invitee computer may see different content when browsing the web together, a warning indicative of the determination.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

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

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.

16. The method of claim 15, 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.

17. The method of claim 14, 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.

18. The method of claim 17, 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.