Enterprise web browser extension

• US 8,527,881 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Selig, Roy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US11/978,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715205-208, 715/781, 715/783, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with web browsers are described. One exemplary embodiment includes a browser extension for a web browser that can communicate with a remote web service from an enterprise application to retrieve content. The content can then be displayed in sidebar window panes within the browser.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a browser extension, for operating with a web browser on a computing device having a display screen, the browser extension comprising:

toolbar logic to create and display, on the display screen, a toolbar with icons for a group of sidebar windows, where an icon is configured to initiate an associated command; and

sidebar logic to;

query a remote web service for sidebar content by sending a request over a network to the remote web service, where the request includes user credentials from a user login;

dynamically determine a number and types of the group of sidebar windows based on types of sidebar content received from the remote web service in response to the request, where the number and types of sidebar content received from the remote web service are determined from a user'"'"'s access rights in an enterprise system, and where the user'"'"'s access rights are verified from the user credentials in the request;

display the group of sidebar windows on the display screen where a sidebar content is displayed in an associated sidebar window of a corresponding type, the group of sidebar windows being displayed in combination with the toolbar; and

configure one of the sidebar windows to communicate to one or more remote web services on behalf of the group of sidebar windows,

wherein the browser extension is configured to be installed in the web browser on the computing device and executed as part of the web browser, wherein the browser extension is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) User-interface Language (XUL) extension that provides a content specific template for a type of sidebar window, and wherein the browser extension is integrated with the web browser by augmenting the web browser using an overlay to hook into the web browser and add a function associated with the content specific template.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 where the browser extension is configured to display the toolbar and the group of sidebar windows separate from a web page window configured to display web page content by the web browser, where the toolbar and the group of sidebar windows are not related to web page content in the web page window and the sidebar is rendered as part of the browser.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 where the group of sidebar windows are configured to be selectively expanded or collapsed on the display screen based, at least in part, on a rule.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 where the browser extension is embodied as processor readable instructions on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 where the sidebar content includes different types of sidebar content and where the sidebar logic displays a different type of sidebar window for containing each different type of sidebar content and where the type of sidebar content received from the remote web service is enterprise application content.

6. A computing device including a web browser for locating and displaying web pages from a network, the computing device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which has stored thereon a browser extension comprising;

toolbar logic to create and display a toolbar with icons for initiating an associated command; and

sidebar logic to query, over the network, a remote enterprise application in response to detecting an installed browser extension, to dynamically determine a number and types of window panes based on a reply including sidebar content from the enterprise application, and to create and display multiple window panes in combination with the toolbar using the sidebar content, the multiple window panes being displayed simultaneously within the web browser and being integrated as part of the web browser and not as part of a web page displayed in the web browser,

where the number and types of window panes are determined by the remote enterprise application from user rights assigned to a user for an enterprise system, and where the user rights are verified from user login information in the query,

wherein the browser extension is configured to be installed in the web browser on the computing device and executed as part of the web browser, wherein the browser extension is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) User-interface Language (XUL) extension that provides a content specific template for a type of sidebar window, and wherein the browser extension is integrated with the web browser by augmenting the web browser using an overlay to hook into the web browser and add a function associated with the content specific template.

7. The computing device of claim 6 where the multiple window panes are configured to be selectively expanded or collapsed based on a rule and are integrated as part of a chrome of the web browser.

8. The computing device of claim 6 where the toolbar logic is further configured to create and display an icon in the toolbar for each of the multiple window panes that are displayed so that the icons in the toolbar are synchronized with the multiple window panes, where a selected icon is associated to function with a corresponding window pane.

9. The computing device of claim 6 further including a display screen.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor executable instructions that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a web browser window on a display screen including a web page window for displaying web page content;

detecting and executing a browser extension associated with the web browser window prior to loading a web-page;

querying, over a network, a pre-determined remote web service associated with an enterprise application in response to detecting the browser extension;

dynamically determining a number and types of sidebar window panes based on a number and types of sidebar content received in response to the querying, where the number and types of sidebar content are determined from a user'"'"'s access rights verified from user login information provided in the querying;

displaying, on the display screen, sidebar window panes corresponding to the number and types of sidebar windows;

displaying the sidebar content in the corresponding sidebar window panes; and

displaying, on the display screen, a toolbar with an icon for each sidebar window pane where an icon is configured to initiate a command for an associated sidebar window pane from the sidebar window panes,

wherein displaying the web browser on the computing device includes using the browser extension that is installed in and executed as part of the web browser, wherein the browser extension is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) User-interface Language (XUL) extension that provides a content specific template for a type of sidebar window, and wherein the browser extension is integrated with the web browser by augmenting the web browser using an overlay to hook into the web browser and add a function associated with the content specific template.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 further including executable instructions to:

establish communications between each of the sidebar window panes and one or more remote web services associated with the enterprise application based on a type of the sidebar content displayed therein.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 further including executable instructions for:

communicating with the remote web service associated with the enterprise application to retrieve sidebar content that has been pre-designated for a user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 where the querying the pre-determined remote web service associated with the enterprise application includes:

transmitting user identification data to the remote web service that causes the remote web service to;

determine a user profile associated with the user identification data; and

transmit user-specific sidebar content associated with the user profile; and

receiving the user-specific sidebar content for the sidebar window panes from the enterprise application based on the user profile.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 where the icon, configured to initiate the command for the associated sidebar window pane, is configured to cause a display option of the associated sidebar window pane to change values.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 further including:

communicating with a web site to retrieve and display the web page content within the browser window;

where the web site is a different entity from the remote web service, the web page content is distinct from the sidebar content, and where the browser extension is a template for a type of sidebar window.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor executable instructions that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a web browser window on a display screen including a web page window for displaying web page content;

authenticating a user including obtaining authentication information;

querying, over a network, a pre-determined remote web service associated with an enterprise application using the authentication information;

receiving user specific sidebar content in response to the querying and based on access rights of the user verified from the authentication information, where user specific sidebar content includes a number and types of sidebar windows;

displaying, with the web browser window, the user specific sidebar content using previously installed templates in sidebar window panes that are integrated with chrome of the web browser window and are separate from web page content; and

allowing the sidebar window panes to communicate with a remote web service to automatically update the sidebar window panes with updated sidebar content, where the user specific sidebar content and the updated sidebar content include enterprise application data,

wherein displaying the web browser on the computing device includes using a browser extension that is installed in and executed as part of the web browser, wherein the browser extension is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) User-interface Language (XUL) extension that provides a content specific template for a type of sidebar window, and wherein the browser extension is integrated with the web browser by augmenting the web browser using an overlay to hook into the web browser and add a function associated with the content specific template.