Remotely controlling a browser program

• US 8,397,154 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unblu Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unblu Inc.
• Inventors: Haldimann, Luc, Bieri, Philipp, Anderegg, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Jr., Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta, Soumya
• Application Number:
  US12/663,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/205, 715/851, 715/743
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method for remotely controlling a browser program is executed on a source computer from a target computer. A browser program generates a browser window in which objects are displayed in a structurally coordinated manner, and simultaneously transmitted to the target computer. The objects are individually transmitted to the target computer and displayed on the target computer by a second browser program that is executed on the target computer. The second browser program generates a second browser window in which the objects are displayed. The objects are displayed in a structurally coordinated manner on both the source computer and the target computer, and can thus be efficiently controlled. There is no dependency between the display views of the objects on the source computer and the target computer with respect to the size and/or resolution of the browser window.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling a first browser program executed on a first computer, from a second computer, the method comprising:

generating by the first browser program, a first browser window in which objects are displayed in a structurally coordinated manner in accordance with the first browser window, where objects that are displayed in the first browser window are simultaneously transmitted to the second computer and are displayed on the second computer;

transmitting the objects individually to the second computer wherein the objects are displayed on the second computer by a second browser program that is executed on the second computer;

wherein the second browser program generates a second browser window in which the objects are displayed in a structurally coordinated manner in accordance with the second browser window;

wherein the first browser program and the second browser program each comprise an interpretation unit for evaluating a markup language and for executing script commands, and the remote control of the first browser program that is executed on the first computer is executed completely by the interpretation unit of the first browser program and by the interpretation unit of the second browser program, wherein the entire functionality necessary for the remote control of the first browser program is transmitted to at least the first computer or to the first computer and the second computer, within the markup language and the script commands;

wherein a page which comprises markup language and is transmitted to the first computer is displayed and executed by the first browser program;

wherein script commands for remotely controlling the first browser program that is executed on the first computer are added to the page before transmission to the first computer;

wherein the page comprises script commands for executing the page; and

wherein before transmission to the first computer, at least one of the script commands for executing the page is replaced by a corresponding script command for remotely controlling the first browser program that is executed on the first computer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the objects that are displayed in the second browser window are at least partly transmitted individually and simultaneously to the first computer, and displayed by the first browser program that is executed on the first computer, in a structurally coordinated manner in accordance with the first browser window.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising displaying and executing in the first browser window, by means of the first browser program and a third-party program that is executed on the first computer, a page which comprises an embedded object and has been transmitted to the first computer, wherein the embedded object is displayed and executed by the third-party program and wherein the embedded object is extended before being transmitted to the first computer so that it is remotely controllable.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying and executing on the first computer, by means of the first browser program, a server page that comprises a markup language, script commands for executing the page and script commands for remotely controlling the browser program executed on the first computer, wherein a client page comprising a markup language and script commands for remotely controlling the first browser program executed on the first computer is transmitted to the second computer and displayed and executed on the second computer.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second browser program changes an object of the client page on the second computer, and the changed object is transmitted to the first computer and is stored by the first computer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a computer program is executed by means of an extended page, wherein the extended page comprises objects that are defined by a markup language and by script commands for remotely controlling the first browser program executed on the first computer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a communication device comprising an editing service and a server service executed on a server computer, from which a page that comprises objects defined by a markup language, are transmitted to the first computer, wherein the editing service extends the page before transmission to the first computer by script commands for remotely controlling the first browser program executed on the first computer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interpretation unit of the first browser program and the interpretation unit of the second browser program are standardized interpretation units.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in instances when the replaced script commands for executing the page generate an object displayed outside of the first browser window, the script command for remotely controlling the first browser program that is executed on the first computer comprises adapted JavaScript functions which generate same functionalities as the replaced script command, inside the first browser window.