Browser supporting multiple users

• US 8,392,837 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Richard Ding
• Primary Examiner(s): Pillai, Namitha
• Application Number:
  US11/713,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 715/739, 715/735, 715/745, 715/747, 715/206
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a browser supporting multiple user identifying states. A plurality of browser instances are initiated on a client. One of a plurality of user identifying states is selected for each of the plurality of browser instances. Each selected user identifying state is used in a distinct session between the browser and a server.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

initiating, by a client machine executing a browser, a first browser instance of the browser;

receiving first user input selecting a first user identifying state for the first browser instance, wherein the first user identifying state is associated with a first user;

selecting the first user identifying state by the client machine for the first browser instance based on the first user input, prior to accessing any web pages by the first browser instance, wherein the first user identifying state is associated with a first data structure set that includes two or more of a first browser history, a first browser cache or a first cookie that are stored at the client machine;

updating one or more of the first browser history, the first browser cache or the first cookie of the first data structure set based on a first session between the first browser instance and a first server without updating a second data structure set associated with a second user identifying state, wherein the second data structure set includes two or more of a second browser history, a second browser cache or a second cookie;

initiating, by the client machine, a second browser instance of the browser while the first browser instance is open;

receiving second user input selecting the second user identifying state for the second browser instance, wherein the second user identifying state is associated with a second user;

selecting the second user identifying state by the client machine for the second browser instance based on the second user input, prior to accessing any web pages by the second browser instance; and

updating one or more of the second browser history, the second browser cache or the second cookie of the second data structure set based on a second session between the second browser instance and one of the first server or a second server without updating the first data structure set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the browser instances is one of a browser tab or a browser window, the method further comprising:

presenting in the first browser instance content pertaining to the first session based on the first user identifying state; and

presenting in the second browser instance content pertaining to the second session based on the second user identifying state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first user identifying state determines how the content pertaining to the first session is presented and the second user identifying state determines how the content pertaining to the second session is presented.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a first unique visual indication for the first browser instance based on the first user identifying state and providing a second unique visual indication for the second browser instance based on the second user identifying state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first unique visual indication and the second unique visual indication each include at least one of a unique color, label, text or icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a first user profile for the first browser instance, the first user profile being defined by a first set of user preferences;

selecting a second user profile for the second browser instance, the second user profile being defined by a second set of user preferences;

using the first user profile in the first session; and

using the second user profile in the second session.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

creating at least one of the first user profile or the second user profile based on user input.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first user profile and the second user profile include at least one of a webpage viewing preference, a formatting preference, a print preference, a layout preference, a security preference, a popup window blocking preference, a feature enablement preference, or a language enablement preference.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least one of creating a user identifying state or deleting a user identifying state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting selection of the first user identifying state for the first browser instance by the client machine upon initiating the first browser instance; and

requesting selection of the second user identifying state for the second browser instance by the client machine upon initiating the second browser instance.

11. A non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium including data that, when accessed by a client machine, cause the client machine to perform a method comprising:

initiating, by the client machine executing a browser, a first browser instance of the browser;

receiving first user input selecting a first user identifying state for the first browser instance, wherein the first user identifying state is associated with a first user;

selecting the first user identifying state by the client machine for the first browser instance based on the first user input, prior to accessing any web pages by the first browser instance, wherein the first user identifying state is associated with a first data structure set that includes two or more of a first browser history, a first browser cache or a first cookie that are stored at the client machine;

updating one or more of the first browser history, the first browser cache or the first cookie of the first data structure set based on a first session between the first browser instance and a first server without updating a second data structure set associated with a second user identifying state, wherein the second data structure set includes two or more of a second browser history, a second browser cache or a second cookie;

initiating, by the client machine, a second browser instance of the browser while the first browser instance is open;

receiving second user input selecting the second user identifying state for the second browser instance, wherein the second user identifying state is associated with a second user;

selecting the second user identifying state by the client machine for the second browser instance based on the second user input, prior to accessing any web pages by the second browser instance; and

updating one or more of the second browser history, the second browser cache or the second cookie of the second data structure set based on a second session between the second browser instance and one of the first server or a second server without updating the first data structure set.

12. The non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium of claim 11, wherein each of the browser instances is one of a browser tab or a browser window, the method further comprising:

presenting in the first browser instance content pertaining to the first session based on the first user identifying state; and

presenting in the second browser instance content pertaining to the second session based on the second user identifying state.

13. The non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a first unique visual indication for the first browser instance based on the first user identifying state and providing a second unique visual indication for the second browser instance based on the second user identifying state, the first unique visual indication and the second unique visual indication including at least one of a unique color, label, text or icon.

14. The non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a first user profile for the first browser instance, the first user profile being defined by a first set of user preferences;

selecting a second user profile for the second browser instance, the second user profile being defined by a second set of user preferences;

using the first user profile in the first session; and

using the second user profile in the second session.

15. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

requesting selection of the first user identifying state for the first browser instance upon initiating the first browser instance; and

requesting selection of the second user identifying state for the second browser instance upon initiating the second browser instance.

16. A client machine comprising:

a memory to store instructions for a browser; and

a processing device, connected with the memory, to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to;

initiate a first browser instance of the browser;

select a first data structure set from a plurality of data structure sets for a first user based on first user input, wherein the first data structure set is selected prior to initiating a first session between the client machine and a first server, and wherein the first data structure set includes two or more of a first browser history, a first browser cache or a first cookie;

update one or more of the first browser history, the first browser cache or the first cookie of the first data structure set based on the first session without updating a second data structure set of the plurality of data structure sets that is associated with a second user identifying state, wherein the second data structure set includes two or more of a second browser history, a second browser cache or a second cookie;

initiate a second browser instance of the browser while the first browser instance is open;

select a second data structure set from the plurality of data structure sets for a second user based on second user input, wherein the second data structure set of the plurality of data structure sets is selected prior to initiating a second session between the client machine and one of the first server and a second server; and

update one or more of the second browser history, the second browser cache or the second cookie of the second data structure set based on the second session without updating the first data structure set.

17. The client machine of claim 16, further comprising the instructions to cause the processing device to present the first session and the second session in separate browser instances, the first selected data structure set determining how content pertaining to the first session is presented in a first browser instance, and the second selected data structure set determining how content pertaining to the second session is presented in a second browser instance.

18. The client machine of claim 16, further comprising:

a data store having a plurality of user profiles, each of the plurality of user profiles being defined by a set of user preferences, wherein the instructions further cause the processing device to select a first one of the plurality of user profiles to use in the first session, and to select a second one of the plurality of user profiles to use in the second session.

19. The client machine of claim 16, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

request selection of the first user identifying state for the first browser instance upon initiating the first browser instance; and

request selection of the second user identifying state for the second browser instance upon initiating the second browser instance.