Web site cobrowsing

• US 8,190,670 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gavrilescu, Alexandru, Anderson, Noel W., Bassali, Harpal
• Primary Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US09/681,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,061 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/203, 709/208, 709/209, 709/225, 709/227, 709/230, 709/248, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

Cobrowsing web sites by two or more users is disclosed. For a cobrowsing session between a first client of a first user and a second client of a second user, the cobrowsing session is first initiated. The first user browses a web site on the first client. The first client sends to the second client a synchronization message. The synchronization message indicates one or more commands reflecting the browsing performed by the first user. The second client receives the synchronization message, and cobrowses the web site in accordance with the message and its included commands. Cobrowsing continues until the cobrowsing session is terminated. The commands of the synchronization message allow for fine granularity of cobrowsing.

Claims

1. A method for a first user to cobrowse a plurality of pages formatted according to one or more markup languages and organized into one or more web sites with a second user comprising:

initiating a cobrowsing session between a first client of the first user and a second client of the second user;

browsing a web site on the first client by the first user;

sending a synchronization message by the first client to the second client, the synchronization message indicating at least one command comprising an indication of a cookie of the web site;

receiving the synchronization message by the second client; and

cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user in accordance with the synchronization message, wherein the cobrowsing uses the indication of the cookie to access the web site.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating browsing on the first client, sending the synchronization message by the first client, receiving the synchronization message by the second client, and cobrowsing on the second client until the cobrowsing session is terminated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the cobrowsing session between the first client of the first user and the second client of the second user is in accordance with a preexisting protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the preexisting protocol is the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein browsing the web site on the first client by the first user comprises browsing a new page of the web site, such that the synchronization message indicates the current page being navigated as the new page.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user comprises opening a new browser window for the current page where no other browser window is open for the cobrowsing session on the second client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein browsing of the web site on the first client by the first user comprises scrolling within the current page at least one of vertically and horizontally such that the current relative position on the current page being navigated and viewed is changed, such that the synchronization message indicates the current relative position as changed, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly scroll within the current page.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current relative position on the current page being navigated is indicated in accordance with a preexisting model specifying page layout.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the preexisting model is the Document Object Model (DOM).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of commands further comprises a portion of the current page being highlighted by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the portion of the current page being highlighted, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly highlight the portion of the current page.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of commands further comprises a change of focus from a first browser window to a second browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the change of focus, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly change focus from a first browser window on the second client to a second browser window of the second client.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of commands further comprises a resizing of a browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the resizing, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly resize a browser window on the second client.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the synchronization message and receiving the synchronization message are received in accordance with a preexisting protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the preexisting protocol is one of:

the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization message is formatted in accordance with an extension to a preexisting protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the preexisting protocol is the Session Description Protocol (SDP).

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the cobrowsing session.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing control of the cobrowsing session from the first client of the first user to the second client of the second user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the group of commands further comprises a transfer of control of the cobrowsing session from the first client to the second client, such that the synchronization message indicates the transfer of control.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the group of commands further comprises a request to obtain control of the cobrowsing session by the second client from the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the request to obtain control.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

browsing a web site on the second client by the second user;

sending a synchronization message by the second client to the first client, the synchronization message indicating at least one command selected from the group of commands comprising;

a current page of the web site being browsed on the second client by the second user and a current relative position on the current page being navigated and viewed by the second user on the second client;

receiving the synchronization message by the first client; and

,

cobrowsing the web site on the first client by the first user in accordance with the synchronization message.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising repeating browsing on the second client, sending the synchronization message by the second client, receiving the synchronization message by the first client, and cobrowsing on the first client until the cobrowsing session is terminated.

23. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for execution by a processor of a first client to perform a method for a first user to cobrowse a plurality of pages formatted according to one or more markup languages and organized into one or more web sites with a second user, the method comprising:

initiating a cobrowsing session between the first client of the first user and a second client of the second user;

browsing a web site on the first client by the first user; and

sending a synchronization message by the first client to the second client, the synchronization message indicating at least one command comprising an indication of a cookie of the web site, wherein the second client receives the synchronization message and cobrowses the web site in accordance with the synchronization message and uses the indication of the cookie when accessing the web site.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises repeating browsing the web site and sending the synchronization message until the cobrowsing session is terminated.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein browsing the web site on the first client by the first user comprises browsing a new page of the web site, such that the synchronization message indicates the current page being navigated as the new page.

26. The medium of claim 23, wherein browsing of the web site on the first client by the first user comprises scrolling within the current page at least one of vertically and horizontally such that the current relative position on the current page being navigated and viewed is changed, such that the synchronization message indicates the current relative position as changed, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly scroll within the current page.

27. The medium of claim 23, wherein the group of commands further comprises a portion of the current page being highlighted by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the portion of the current page being highlighted, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly highlight the portion of the current page.

28. The medium of claim 23, wherein the group of commands further comprises a change of focus from a first browser window to a second browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the change of focus, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly change focus from a first browser window on the second client to a second browser window of the second client.

29. The medium of claim 23, wherein the group of commands further comprises a resizing of a browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the resizing, causing cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user to correspondingly resize a browser window on the second client.

30. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for execution by a processor of a second client to perform a method for a second user to cobrowse a plurality of pages formatted according to one or more markup languages and organized into one or more web sites with a first user, the method comprising:

initiating a cobrowsing session between a first client of the first user and the second client of the second user;

receiving a synchronization message by the second client from the first client, the synchronization message indicating at least one command comprising an indication of a cookie; and

cobrowsing the web site on the second client by the second user in accordance with the synchronization message and using the indication of the cookie when cobrowsing.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises repeating receiving the synchronization message and cobrowsing the web site until the cobrowsing session is terminated.

32. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first user browses a new page of the web site on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the current page being navigated as the new page, and cobrowsing the web site comprises cobrowsing the new page.

33. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first user scrolls within the current page at least one of vertically and horizontally on the first client such that the current relative position on the current page being navigated and viewed is changed, such that the synchronization message indicates the current relative position as changed, and cobrowsing the web site comprises correspondingly scrolling within the current page.

34. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first user highlights a portion of the current page on the first client and the group of commands further comprises the portion of the current page being highlighted by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the portion of the current page being highlighted and cobrowsing the web site comprises correspondingly highlighting the portion of the current page.

35. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first user changes focus from a first browser window to a second browser window on the first client and the group of commands further comprises a change of focus from the first browser window to the second browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the change of focus and cobrowsing the web site comprises correspondingly changing focus from a first browser window on the second client to a second browser window of the second client.

36. The medium of claim 30, wherein first user resizes a browser window on the first client and the group of commands further comprises a resizing of the browser window by the first user on the first client, such that the synchronization message indicates the resizing and cobrowsing the web site comprises correspondingly resizing a browser window on the second client.

37. A method for cobrowsing a plurality of pages formatted according to one or more markup languages and organized into one or more web sites, comprising:

initiating a cobrowsing session between a first client and a second client;

browsing a web site on the first client;

determining using a document object model an action performed at the first client; and

sending a synchronization message by the first client to the second client, the synchronization message indicating at least one command comprising indications of the determined action and a cookie, the at least one command for causing the second client to cobrowse in accordance with the synchronization message.