Initiating communications with web page visitors and known contacts

• US 8,839,120 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUONG, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/045,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/745, 715/751, 715/752, 715/811
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for initiating communication between two users among several users while at least one of the two users is browsing a web page. User information is collected about each user among the several users. Page information is collected about what web page each user among the several users is browsing. A portion of the user information and page information for a first user and a second user is shared between the first user and the second user when a predetermined criterion is met, and request by the first user to initiate communication with the second user is processed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for initiating communication between a plurality of users, the method comprising:

determining page information, the page information including information indicative of web content areas displayed by a first web browser and a second web browser among a plurality of web browsers, wherein the first web browser and the second web browser are associated with a first user and a second user respectively;

determining whether the first web browser and the second web browser among the plurality of web browsers are simultaneously displaying a same web site;

in response to determining that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

providing an indication to the first web browser and the second web browser that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

sharing identifiers of the first user and the second user and a portion of the page information of the web site displayed in the first web browser and the second web browser, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a menu of the second web browser associated with the second user and the identifier of the second user is provided in a menu of the first web browser associated with the first user; and

processing a request to initiate communication between the first user and the second user using respective identifiers of the first user and the second user, wherein the communication is performed via a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user or via a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining page information includes collecting a name of a Uniform Resource Locator for a web content area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user and the second user correspond to users using a toolbar in their respective web browsers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the second user'"'"'s web browser and the identifier of the second user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein page information includes information about what web pages the first web browser and the second web browser indicate as being bookmarked.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication to the second web browser and first web browser when the second web browser and the first web browser are displaying the same sub-site of the web site or the same web page of the web site.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing a computer program product for initiating communication between a plurality of users, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause a computer to:

determine page information, the page information including information indicative of web content areas displayed by a first web browser and a second web browser among a plurality of web browsers, wherein the first web browser and the second web browser are associated with a first user and a second user respectively;

determine whether the first web browser and the second web browser among the plurality of web browsers are simultaneously displaying a same web site;

in response to determining that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

provide an indication to the first web browser and the second web browser that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

share identifiers of the first user and the second user and a portion of the page information of the web site displayed in the first web browser and the second web browser, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a menu of the second web browser associated with the second user and the identifier of the second user is provided in a menu of the first web browser associated with the first user; and

process a request to initiate communication between the first user and the second user using respective identifiers of the first user and the second user, wherein the communication is performed via a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user or via a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine page information include instructions to collect a name of a Uniform Resource Locator for a web content area.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the first user and the second user correspond to users using a toolbar in their respective web browsers.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the second user'"'"'s web browser and the identifier of the second user is provided in a drop-down menu of a toolbar installed in the first user'"'"'s web browser.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

provide an indication to the first web browser when the first web browser is displaying a web page bookmarked using the second web browser; and

provide an indication to the second web browser when the second web browser is displaying a web page bookmarked using the first web browser.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

provide an indication to the second web browser and the first web browser when the first web browser and second web browser are displaying the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site.

15. A computer system for initiating communication among a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions; and

a hardware processor configured to execute the instructions to;

determine page information, the page information including information indicative of web content areas displayed by a first web browser and a second web browser among a plurality of web browsers, wherein the first web browser and the second web browser are associated with a first user and a second user respectively;

determine whether the first web browser and the second web browser among the plurality of web browsers are simultaneously displaying a same web site in response to determining that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

provide an indication to the first web browser and the second web browser that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site;

share identifiers of the first user and the second user and a portion of the page information of the web site displayed in the first web browser and the second web browser, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a menu of the second web browser associated with the second user and the identifier of the second user is provided in a menu of the first web browser associated with the first user; and

process a request to initiate communication between the first user and the second user using respective identifiers of the first user and the second user, wherein the communication is performed via a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user or via a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first user and the second user have given permission to contact each other.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the web browser application determines the page information using respective toolbars installed in the first web browser and the second web browser.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the web browser application is operable to:

provide an indication to the second web browser and the first web browser when the first web browser and the second web browser are displaying the same sub-site of a web site or the same web page of a web site.