Collaborative web browsing system integrated with social networks

• US 8,769,004 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebedo
• Original Assignee: Zebedo
• Inventors: Jakobson, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/589,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards to computerized social networks and e-commerce and facilitating ad-hoc screen sharing and co-browsing between users of a social network. The collaborative browsing is integrated with social networks. The collaborative browsing method comprises a server computer having a Shopping With A Friend (SWAF) server engine coupled to a database, a SWAF client engine coupled to the SWAF server engine and a plurality of client computers each having a web browser program that runs the SWAF client engine. The web browser program does not include a collaboration plug-in.

Claims

1. A collaborative web browsing method comprising:

providing a social network server, a social network website, a server computer having a Shopping With A Friend (SWAF) server engine coupled to a database, a SWAF client engine coupled to the SWAF server engine and a plurality of client computers each having a web browser program that runs the SWAF client engine, the web browser program does not include a collaboration plug-in;

establishing, by the SWAF server engine, a collaborative website having a friend connection button;

displaying by the SWAF server engine, the collaborative website on each of the plurality of client computers;

detecting by the SWAF client engine, browser activity data of a first client computer of the plurality of client computers;

storing by the SWAF server engine, the browser activity data of the first client computer of the plurality of client computers on the database at a first frequency;

detecting by the SWAF client engine, actuation of the friend connection button by a first client computer of the plurality of client computers;

transmitting by the SWAF client engine, a friend connection request to the social network server at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is slower than the second frequency;

displaying by the social network server, the friend connection request on the social network website;

detecting by the social network server, an acceptance of the friend connection request from a second client computer’

of the plurality of client computers; and

transmitting by the SWAF server engine, the browser activity data that has been stored on the database to the second client computer of the plurality of client computers.