Real-time web sharing system

• US 8,346,868 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC), NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woolcock, Madhu
• Application Number:
  US10/536,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,325 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/203, 709/223, 707/8
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The customer presses the Connect button (2240) on the customer terminal (1230). By this, a connection request to an operator terminal is notified to an operator terminal (1210) via the push sharing server (2100). On receiving this notification, the operator terminal (1210) changes the Respond button (2310) to the Incoming button. When the operator presses the Respond button (2310) on the operator web page (2300), the push sharing server (2100) transmits a difference notification command to the operator terminal (1210), and the operator terminal displays the same web page as the web page on the customer terminals (1230).

Claims

1. A system which enables real-time sharing of a web page being viewed on a plurality of terminals, comprising:

a server configured to transmit, to said plurality of terminals displaying said web page, an update detecting script which detects whether the web page being displayed on each of the plurality of terminals was updated and an updating script which updates the web page being displayed, wherein the update to the web page being displayed comprises a change in a URL of the web page;

said server further configured to receive update information from a prescribed terminal among the plurality of terminals which indicates contents of updating to the web page on the prescribed terminal and transmitting said received update information to the other of the plurality of terminals displaying said web page;

said plurality of terminals each configured to receive the update detecting script and the updating script transmitted from said server and to insert said update detecting script and said updating script into said web page on each of said plurality of terminals;

each of the terminals further configured to cause the received update detecting script to detect an update to the web page being displayed, the update to the web page comprising a change in a URL of the web page, and, if any, generate update information which indicates contents of the update to the web page and to transmit said update information to said server; and

each of the plurality of terminals further configured to cause the updating script to update the web page based on update information generated by another of the plurality of terminals and received from said server,

wherein said server is configured to;

transmit, to said plurality of terminals, a part update detecting script, which detects an updated part among parts provided on said web page, an incorporating script, which incorporates said part update detecting script into the web page, and a part updating script which updates a part provided on the web page, wherein the updated part among parts provided on said web page comprises a scroll of the web page, a resize of the web page, or an updated of a value in an entry form on said web page; and

transmit part update information, which is received from said prescribed terminal and which indicates contents of an updated part on the web page displayed on the prescribed terminal, to said other of the plurality of terminals which are displaying the web page; and

said plurality of terminals each configured to;

receive the part update detecting script, the incorporating script and the part updating script which are transmitted from said server;

cause the incorporating script to incorporate said part update detecting script into the web page, cause said part update detecting script to detect an updated part on said web page, and to transmit to said server said part update information indicating contents of said updated part; and

cause said part updating script to update a part on the web page based on part update information received from said server,

wherein said server is further configured to;

store, in a storing part, identification information, which identifies each of said plurality of terminals, respectively, in association with corresponding update information and part update information sent from said each of said plurality of terminals;

when said prescribed terminal logs in using identification information of another of said plurality of terminals, retrieve from said storing part update information and part update information associated with said identification information used for said login; and

first transmit said retrieved update information and then transmit said retrieved part update information to said prescribed terminal.

2. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

an update to a part provided on said web page

is a scroll or resize of said web page or an update of a value in the entry form on said web page.

3. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said server is configured to

when receiving a connection request which requests a connection from the prescribed terminal to another terminal, transmit said connection request to such another terminal;

when receiving from said another terminal a notification that said another terminal is ready to respond to the connection request, retrieve from said storing part the update information and part update information associated with the identification information of said prescribed terminal.

4. The real-time web sharing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said server is configured to

transmit a pointer script which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between the terminals and which obtains the movement location for the pointer, and a moving script which moves the pointer;

and

transmit the location information which notifies the movement location for the pointer on the web page, such information being sent from the prescribed terminal, to other terminals which are displaying the same web page as said prescribed terminal; and

said terminals each configured to

receive the pointer script and location information which are sent from said server;

cause said pointer script to incorporate the tags for sharing the pointer into the web page, obtain the location of the pointer after movement, and transmit to said server the location information which notifies the location thus obtained; and

cause said moving script to move the pointer on the web page based on said received location information.

5. A method of sharing in real-time a web page being displayed on a first terminal and a second terminal via a remote server, comprising the steps of:

said server transmitting to the first terminal an update detecting script which detects whether the web page being displayed was updated on said first terminal and transmitting to said second terminal an updating script which updates the web page being displayed on said second terminal, wherein the update to the web page comprises a change in a URL of the web page;

said first terminal receiving the update detecting script sent from said server and causing the update detecting script to detect an update to the web page comprising a change in the URL of the web page;

said second terminal receiving the updating script sent from said server;

said first terminal, if said update detecting script detects the update to the web page, generating and transmitting to said server update information which indicates contents of updating to said web page;

said server forwarding said update information sent from the first terminal to the second terminal; and

said second terminal causing said received updating script to update the web page based on said update information sent from said server;

said server transmitting to the first terminal a part update detecting script which detects an updated part among parts provided on the web page and an incorporating script which incorporates said part update detecting script into the web page and transmitting to the second terminal a part updating script which updates a part provided on the web page, wherein the updated part among parts provided on the web page comprises a scroll of the web page, a resize of the web page, or an update of a value in an entry form on the web page;

said first terminal receiving said part update detecting script and said incorporating script sent from said server;

said second terminal receiving the part updating script sent from said server;

said first terminal causing said received incorporating script to incorporate said part update detecting script into said web page;

said first terminal, if the part update detecting script detects an updated part on the web page comprising a scroll of the web page, a resize of the web page, or an update of a value in an entry form on the web page, generating and transmitting to said server part update information which indicates contents of said updated part;

said server forwarding said part update information sent from said first terminal to the second terminal;

and said second terminal causing said received part updating script to update the part provided on the web page based on said part update information which has been sent from said server,

wherein further comprising;

using an additional third terminal; and

having the steps of;

said server storing identification information of said first terminal in association with update information and part update information received from said first terminal;

said third terminal logging into said server using the identification information of said first terminal;

said server retrieving said update information and said part update information associated with said identification information used for said login;

said server first transmitting said retrieved update information and then transmitting said retrieved part update information;

and said third terminal updating the web page based on said retrieved update information and then updating the part on the web page based on said retrieved part update information sent from said server.

6. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in claim 5, comprising the steps of:

said first terminal detecting that a Connect button which calls said second terminal has been pressed;

said first terminal, when said Connect button is pressed, notifying said server a connection request which requests a connection with said second terminal;

said server, when receiving the notification of the connection request from said first terminal, transmitting this notification to second terminal;

said second terminal, when receiving the notification of the connection request from said server, enabling a Respond button which responds to this connection request and detecting the pressing of said Respond button;

said second terminal, when detecting the pressing of said Respond button, notifying said server that the terminal is ready to respond to the connection request;

said server, when receiving the notification from said second terminal that the terminal is ready to respond to the connection request, retrieving the update information and part update information associated with the identification information of said first terminal;

said server first transmitting said retrieved update information and then transmitting said retrieved part update information; and

said second terminal first updating the web page and then updating the part on the web page, based on the update information and part update information, respectively, sent from said server.

7. The real-time web sharing method as set forth in claim 5, comprising the steps of:

said server transmitting a pointer script, which incorporates tags for displaying a pointer to be shared on the web page between the terminals and which obtains the movement location for the pointer, and a moving script which moves the pointer;

said first terminal receiving the pointer script sent from said server;

said second terminal receiving the moving script sent from said server;

said first terminal causing said received pointer script to incorporate the tags of the pointer to be shared between the terminals into said web page;

said first terminal causing said pointer script to obtain the movement location for said pointer and transmit the location information thus obtained to said server;

said server forwarding the location information sent from said first terminal to said second terminal; and

said second terminal causing said moving script to move the pointer being displayed on said web page, based on the location information sent from said server.