Method and system for communicating and exchanging data between browser frames

• US 7,979,807 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Routeone LLC
• Original Assignee: Routeone LLC
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Taruvai N
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US10/936,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 715/804, 715/743, 715/749, 715/760, 715/769
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

Browser frames residing on different domain servers may exchange information indirectly without compromising security that ordinary restricts frame to frame communication. The first browser frame causes the browser to generate a notification of a change of state of the browser frame. The browser sends the notification, together with data values from the content of the first browser frame, to a domain server that hosts the second frame. The server software running on the domain server receives and interprets the notification and data values, and updates the content of the second frame according to the interpretation. The domain server then sends the updated content back to the browser that issued the notification. The browser displays the updated content in the area allocated to the second frame.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between browser frames, wherein said browser frames are part of one frameset element served by a first domain server, and wherein at least one of said browser frames is served by a second domain server different from the first domain server, said method comprising:

generating a notification of a change of state of a first browser frame directly served by said first domain server, said notification comprising a URL call to an address on said second domain server;

transmitting, using said frameset element, said notification to said second domain server, wherein said frameset element is transmitting on behalf of a second browser frame directly served by said second domain server in order to cause a change of state of second browser frame;

interpreting said notification on said second domain server; and

causing a change of state of said second browser frame in accordance with said interpretation of said notification on said second domain server by pulling data from said second domain server into said second browser frame.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating comprises causing a change of state of said second browser frame based on said change of state of said first browser frame.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises change of displayed content in said second browser frame.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises occurrence of an action in said second browser frame.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises generation of an event in said second browser frame.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said change of state of said first browser frame comprises change of displayed content in said first browser frame.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises an action occurring in said second browser frame.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said change of state of said first browser frame comprises an occurrence of an event in said first browser frame.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said notification of change of state of said first browser frame comprises a URL call to a browser page on said second domain server, which serves said second browser frame.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said notification is a command in logic of said frameset element indicating an address of said second browser frame.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said notification comprises:

calling an intermediate portion of software logic;

selecting a type of notification depending on a type of said change of state of said first browser frame; and

initiating a command in logic of said frameset element depending on said selection, said command indicating a content address of said second browser frame.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said command in said logic of said frameset element is an assignment of a location property of said second browser frame.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said URL call includes parameters representing values of data in said first browser frame.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said URL call includes parameters representing a state of said first browser frame.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said interpreting comprises manipulating parameters of said URL call on said second domain server and changing stored content for said second browser frame in accordance with said parameter values and according to predetermined logic on said second domain server.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein causing a change of state of said second browser frame comprises a display refresh of said second browser frame from said frameset element.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said frames and said frameset element are programmed using HTML.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said notification is programmed using JavaScript™

.

19. A system allowing communication between browser frames, wherein said browser frames are part of one frameset element served by a first domain server, and wherein at least one of said browser frames is served by a second domain server different from the first domain server, said system comprising:

a user-viewable interface device in communication with said first and second domain servers for displaying said browser frames, said interface device comprising a processor configured to run software comprising;

frameset element logic that controls properties of said browser frames, and that causes display of content of said browser frames on said interface device; and

a portion of software logic adapted for execution upon a change of state of said first browser frame directly served by said first domain server, and for communicating, using said frameset element, a notification of said change of state to said second domain server, wherein said frameset element is communicating on behalf of said second browser frame directly served by said second domain server in order to cause a change of state of said second browser frame;

wherein;

said portion of software logic comprises a URL call to a browser page on said second domain server,

said second domain server is adapted to receive and interpret said notification, to update the content of said second frame according to said notification by pulling data from said second domain server, and to return said updated content to said frameset.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein communication comprises causing a change of state of said second browser frame based on said change of state of said first browser frame.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises a change of displayed content in said second browser frame.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises occurrence of an action in said second browser frame.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said second browser frame comprises generation of an event in said second browser frame.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said first browser frame comprises a change of displayed content in said first browser frame.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said first browser frame comprises an action occurring in said first browser frame.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein said change of state of said first browser frame comprises an occurrence of an event in said first browser frame.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein said portion of software logic further comprises a command in logic of said frameset element indicating an address of said second browser frame.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein said portion of software logic further comprises a dispatcher function running logic comprising:

selecting a type of notification depending on the type of said change of state of said first browser frame; and

sending said notification to said second domain server by executing a command pointing to a content address of said second browser frame.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein said URL call includes parameters representing values of data in content of said first browser frame.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said second domain server performs said receiving and interpreting by:

manipulating the parameters of said notification on said second domain server; and

changing the stored content for said second browser frame in accordance with said parameter values and according to predetermined logic on said second domain server.

31. A method for communicating between browser frames, wherein said browser frames are part of one frameset element served by a first domain server, and wherein at least one of said browser frames is served by a second domain server different from the first domain server, said method comprising:

generating a notification of a change of state of a first browser frame having a first browser page served by said second domain server, said notification comprising a first URL call to an address on said first domain server;

unloading said first browser page of said first browser frame;

interpreting said notification on said first domain server and providing executable code according to said notification;

loading in said first browser frame a blank browser page served by said first domain server and containing said executable code, said executable code generating an event;

in response to said event, causing a change of state of said second browser frame served by said first domain server in accordance with said executable code; and

reloading said first browser page in said first browser frame in place of said blank browser page.

32. A method for communicating between browser frames, wherein said browser frames are part of one frameset element served by a first domain server, and wherein at least one of said browser frames is served by a second domain server different from the first domain server, said method comprising:

generating a notification of a change of state of a first browser frame having a first browser page served by said second domain server, said notification comprising a first URL call to an address on said first domain server;

interpreting said notification on said first domain server and providing executable code according to said notification;

loading in a third browser frame, said third browser frame being a hidden frame, a browser page served by said first domain server and containing said executable code, said executable code generating an event; and

in response to said event, causing a change of state of said second browser frame served by said first domain server in accordance with said executable code.

33. A method for communicating between a first browser frame and a second browser frame served by a first domain server and a second domain server, respectively, wherein said first and second browser frames are part of one frameset element served by said first domain server, said method comprising:

in communications initiated by said first browser frame and targeting said second browser frame;

generating a notification of a change of state of said first browser frame having a first browser page served by said first domain server, said notification comprising a first URL call to an address on said second domain server,

transmitting from said frameset element served by said first domain server said first URL call on behalf of said second browser frame; and

interpreting said notification on said second domain server, and

causing a change of state of said second browser frame having a second browser page served by said second domain server in accordance with said interpretation of said notification; and

in communications initiated by said second browser frame and targeting said first browser frame;

generating a notification of a change of state of said second browser frame having said second browser page served by said second domain server, said notification comprising a second URL call to an address on said first domain server;

unloading said second browser page of said second browser frame;

interpreting said notification on said first domain server and providing executable code according to said notification;

loading in said second browser frame a blank browser page served by said first domain server and containing said executable code, said executable code generating an event;

in response to said event, causing a change of state of said first browser frame served by said first domain server in accordance with said executable code; and

reloading said second browser page in said second browser frame in place of said blank browser page.

34. A method for communicating between a first browser frame and a second browser frame served by a first domain server and a second domain server, respectively, wherein said first and second browser frames are part of one frameset element served by said first domain server, said method comprising:

in communications initiated by said first browser frame and targeting said second browser frame;

generating a notification of a change of state of said first browser frame having a first browser page served by said first domain server, said notification comprising a first URL call to an address on said second domain server,

transmitting from said frameset element served by said first domain server said first URL call on behalf of said second browser frame; and

interpreting said notification on said second domain server, and

causing a change of state of said second browser frame having a second browser page served by said second domain server in accordance with said interpretation of said notification; and

in communications initiated by said second browser frame and targeting said first browser frame;

generating a notification of a change of state of said second browser frame having said second browser page served by said second domain server, said notification comprising a second URL call to an address on said first domain server;

interpreting said notification on said first domain server and providing executable code according to said notification;

loading in a third browser frame, said third browser frame being a hidden frame, a blank browser page served by said first domain server and containing said executable code, said executable code generating an event; and

in response to said event, causing a change of state of said first browser frame served by said first domain server in accordance with said executable code.