Bi-directional sharing of a document object model

• US 8,806,024 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OMG Holdings, Inc. (Nordstrom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OMG Holdings, Inc. (Nordstrom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toba Francis, Brian Alejandro, Gereda Pico, Reymarx, Cuevas, Renee Mauricio, Rallo, Christopher Lee, Figueroa, Javier, Cabrera, Alejandro E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US13/231,876
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for bi-directionally sharing DOMS in order to enable a shared internet browsing experience between first and second client computing devices. The client computing devices share the DOMs of the webpages each is currently viewing via a central server. In this manner, the webpage being viewed at the first client computing device is rendered at the second client computing device and the webpage being viewed at the second client computing device is rendered at the first client computing device.

Claims

1. A method for bi-directionally sharing document object models (DOMs) to enable a shared internet browsing experience, that method comprising:

sending a first request to a first website server for computer readable code corresponding to a first webpage;

receiving the computer readable code from the first website server;

generating a first DOM using the computer readable code, the first DOM including instructions for rendering the first webpage and a share script, the share script including instructions for rendering a toolbar in conjunction with the first webpage, the toolbar comprising user controls including a first control for initiating sharing of the first webpage and a second control for adding an annotation to the first webpage;

rendering the first DOM in a first frame of a web browser, wherein the rendering includes obtaining resources from the first website server and a central server;

filtering the first DOM to remove unnecessary data, the unnecessary data including the share script;

sending the first DOM to the central server;

receiving, from the central server, a second DOM corresponding to a second webpage being viewed on a remote computer, the second webpage hosted at a second website server, the second website server different than the central server; and

rendering the second DOM in a second frame of the web browser, wherein the rendering includes obtaining resources from the second website server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to the central server and responsive to user-selection of the first control, a second request to initiate a shared browsing session with the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the central server, a third request to initiate the shared browsing session with a remote computer, the third request sent from the central server responsive to the central server receiving a second request to initiate the shared browsing session from the remote computer;

determining whether the share script is available to the web browser;

providing a prompt to install a browser plug-in, responsive to determining the share script is not available to the web browser; and

sending, to the central server and the browser plug-in being successfully installed, confirmation that the request to initiate the shared browsing session has been accepted.

4. A method for bi-directionally sharing document object models (DOMs) to enable a shared internet browsing experience, that method comprising:

downloading computer readable code that corresponds to a first webpage from a first website server;

generating a first DOM using the computer readable code, the first DOM including instructions for rendering the first webpage and a share script, the share script including instructions for rendering a toolbar in conjunction with the first webpage, the toolbar comprising user controls including a first control for initiating sharing of the first webpage and a second control for adding an annotation to the first webpage;

rendering, using the first DOM, the first webpage in a first frame of a web browser;

rendering the toolbar in conjunction with the first webpage;

receiving, from a central server, a second DOM corresponding to a second webpage being viewed on a remote client computing device, the second webpage hosted at a second website server, the second website server different than the central server;

rendering, using the second DOM, the second webpage in a second frame of the web browser such that the first webpage, the second webpage, and the toolbar can be simultaneously viewed;

filtering the first DOM to remove data not required to render the first webpage, the data removed including the share script; and

sending the first DOM to the central server to be provided to the remote client computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the share script is provided by the first website server as part of the computer readable code that corresponds to the first webpage.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the share script is inserted into the first DOM by a browser plug-in.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein rendering the first DOM includes obtaining resources from the first website server and the central server.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

updating the first DOM responsive to user-selection of the second control, the updating comprising adding, to the first DOM, instructions to render an annotation in conjunction with the first webpage; and

sending the updated first DOM to the central server to be provided to the remote client computing device such that annotation can be rendered in conjunction with the first webpage at the remote client computing device.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein rendering the second DOM includes obtaining resources from the second website server.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the second frame is an IFrame.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending, to the central server, a request to initiate a shared browsing session with the remote client computing device.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the central server, a request to initiate a shared browsing session with the remote client computing device; and

sending, to the central server, confirmation that the request to initiate the shared browsing session has been accepted.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the share script is available to the web browser;

providing a prompt to install a shared browsing plug-in, responsive to determining that the share script is not available to the web browser.

14. A method for bi-directionally sharing document object models (DOMs) to enable a shared internet browsing experience, that method comprising:

receiving, at a central server, a first DOM from a first user'"'"'s computing device, the first DOM corresponding to a first webpage hosted at a first webserver and displayed at the first user'"'"'s computing device;

receiving, at the central server, a second DOM from a second user'"'"'s computing device, the second DOM corresponding to a second webpage hosted at a second webserver and displayed at the second user'"'"'s computing device;

sending, by the central server, the first DOM to the second user'"'"'s computing device and the second DOM to the first user'"'"'s computing device, thereby enabling simultaneous display of the first and second webpages at both the first and second user'"'"'s computing devices;

storing, at the central server, a single database record describing a shared browsing history of the first and second users, the database record including identifiers of;

the first client computing device, the second client computing device, the first webpage, and the second webpage; and

providing, to both the first user'"'"'s and the second user'"'"'s computing devices, information for marketing purposes based on the shared browsing history.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising filtering the first DOM to remove data not needed to render the first DOM at the second user'"'"'s computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data includes a script node.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a first request from the first user'"'"'s computing device to initiate the shared browsing session with the second user'"'"'s computing device;

sending a first invitation to the second user'"'"'s computing device to initiate the shared browsing session with the first user'"'"'s computing device; and

receiving authorization from the second user'"'"'s computing device to initiate the shared browsing session with the first user'"'"'s computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second request to add a third user'"'"'s computing device to the shared browsing session;

sending a second invitation to the third user'"'"'s computing device to join the shared browsing session with the first user'"'"'s computing device and the second user'"'"'s computing device;

receiving authorization from the third user'"'"'s computing device to join the shared browsing session;

sending the first DOM and the second DOM to the third user'"'"'s computing device;

receiving a third DOM from the third user'"'"'s computing device, the third DOM corresponding to a third webpage displayed at the third user'"'"'s computing device; and

sending the third DOM to the first user'"'"'s computing device and the second user'"'"'s computing device, thereby enabling simultaneous display of the first, second, and third webpages at both the first and second user'"'"'s computing devices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adding, to the database record, identifiers of:

the third user'"'"'s computing device and the third webpage.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the information includes delivering a marketing message to the first user'"'"'s computing device based on the second webpage.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the information includes delivering a marketing message to the first and second client computing devices, the marketing message selected from a plurality of possible messages responsive to the database record.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the marketing message comprises offering a discount if a first purchase is made from a specific website via the first client computing device and a second purchase is made from the specific website via the second client computing device.

23. A system for managing a shared browsing session that uses bi-directional sharing of document object models (DOMs), comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions for;

a client linking subsystem, configured to cause the processor to initiate a shared browsing session between a first client computing device that is displaying a first webpage and a second client computing device that is displaying a second webpage, the shared browsing session being initiated responsive to receiving a request to initiate the shared browsing session from the first client computing device;

a synchronization subsystem, communicatively coupled to the client linking subsystem, configured to receive a first DOM from the first client computing device and send it to the second client computing device and receive a second DOM from the second client computing device and send it to the first client computing device, the first DOM including instructions for rendering the first webpage and a share script, the share script including instructions for rendering a toolbar in conjunction with the first webpage, the toolbar comprising user controls including a first control for initiating sharing of the first webpage and a second control for adding an annotation to the first webpage, and the second DOM including instructions to render a second webpage; and

a DOM filtering subsystem, communicatively coupled to the synchronization subsystem, configured to filter the first DOM to remove the share script prior to sending the first DOM to the second client computing device, thereby enabling simultaneous display of the first and second webpages at both the first and second client computing devices.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the DOM filtering subsystem is further configured to filter the second DOM, prior to sending the second DOM to the first client computing device, to remove data not needed to render the second DOM at the first client computing device.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising a database, wherein the synchronization subsystem is further configured to store, in the database, a single database record including identifiers of:

the first client computing device, the second client computing device, the first webpage, and the second webpage.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a marketing subsystem, communicatively coupled to the database, configured to deliver a marketing message to the first and second client computing devices, responsive to the database record.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the marketing message comprises offering a discount if a first purchase is made from a specific website via the first client computing device and a second purchase is made from the specific website via the second client computing device.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive, at a central server, a first DOM from a first user'"'"'s computing device, the first DOM corresponding to a first webpage hosted at a first webserver and displayed at the first user'"'"'s computing device;

receive, at the central server, a second DOM from a second user'"'"'s computing device, the second DOM corresponding to a second webpage hosted at a second webserver and displayed at the second user'"'"'s computing device; and

send, from the central server, the first DOM to the second user'"'"'s computing device and the second DOM to the first user'"'"'s computing device, thereby enabling simultaneous display of the first and second webpages at both the first and second user'"'"'s computing devices;

store, at the central server, a single database record describing a shared browsing history of the first and second users, the database record including identifiers of;

the first client computing device, the second client computing device, the first webpage, and the second webpage; and

provide, to the first user'"'"'s computing device, information for marketing purposes based on the shared browsing history.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to filter the first DOM to remove data not needed to render the first DOM at the second user'"'"'s computing device, wherein the data includes a script node.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide the information for presentation include instructions to deliver a marketing message to the first user'"'"'s computing device based on the second webpage.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide the information include instructions to deliver a marketing message to the first and second user'"'"'s computing devices, the marketing message selected from a plurality of possible messages responsive to the database record.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the marketing message comprises offering a discount if a first purchase is made from a specific website via the first user'"'"'s computing device and a second purchase is made from the specific website via the second user'"'"'s computing device.