Session completion through co-browsing

• US 9,098,592 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ivory, Andrew J., Kaplinger, Todd E., Pellas, Barry J., Pellas, Matthew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US13/326,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 713/164, 713/168, 713/180, 709/208, 709/227, 709203-205, 709/228, 715/7, 715/44, 715/738, 715/500, 715/753, 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for session completion through co-browsing is claimed. The method can include establishing a content browsing session between a first computing device and a content server serving access to content to the first computing device and maintaining state data for the content browsing session. A co-browsing arrangement of the content can be created as between the first computing device and a second computing device and at least a subset of the state data can be cloned for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content. Thereafter, a modified form of the subset of the state data can be received from the second computing device resulting from the co-browsing of the content by the second computing device and the modified form of the subset of the state data can be provided to the first computing device for use during the content browsing session.

Claims

1. A method of session completion through co-browsing comprising:

establishing a content browsing session between a first computing device of a user and a content server serving access to content to the first computing device;

maintaining state data for the content browsing session by the content server;

creating a co-browsing arrangement of the content as between the first computing device and a second computing device of the user in response to a request by the first computing device when interaction of the first computing device with the content becomes inhibited;

cloning at least a subset of the state data for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content by storing the subset of the state data in the content server in connection with a key, providing the key to the second computing device during the co-browsing session and granting access to the subset of the state data in response to the second computing device providing the key to the content serve;

receiving a modified form of the subset of the state data from the second computing device resulting from the co-browsing of the content by the second computing device; and

,

providing the modified form of the subset of the state data to the first computing device for use to continue the content browsing session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloning of at least a subset of the state data for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content comprises:

storing an encrypted form of the subset of the state data in the content server in connection with an encryption key;

providing the encryption key to the second computing device during the co-browsing session;

decrypting the subset of the state data in response to the second computing device providing the key to the content server; and

,

providing the decrypted subset of the state data to the second computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is a mobile computing device and the second computing device is a personal computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is provided by a Web application executing in the content server.

5. A content browsing data processing system comprising:

a host server with at least one processor and memory and configured for communicative coupling to different computing devices over a computer communications network;

a content server executing in the memory of the host server;

co-browsing management logic coupled to the content server; and

,

a session completion module coupled to the co-browsing management logic, the module comprising program code enabled upon execution in the memory of the host server to direct establishment of a co-browsing arrangement of content accessed by a first computing device of a user in a content browsing session of the content, as between the first computing device and a second computing device of the user in response to a request by the first computing device when interaction of the first computing device with the content becomes inhibited, to clone at least a subset of state data created during the content browsing session for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content by storing the subset of the state data in the content server in connection with a key, providing the key to the second computing device during the co-browsing session and granting access to the subset of the state data in response to the second computing device providing the key to the content serve, to receive a modified form of the subset of the state data from the second computing device resulting from the co-browsing of the content by the second computing device, and to provide the modified form of the subset of the state data to the first computing device for use to continue the content browsing session.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first computing device is a mobile computing device and the second computing device is a personal computer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the content is provided by a Web application executing in the content server.

8. A computer program product for of session completion through co-browsing, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium comprising a storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for establishing a content browsing session between a first computing device of a user and a content server serving access to content to the first computing device;

computer readable program code for maintaining state data for the content browsing session by the content server;

computer readable program code for creating a co-browsing arrangement of the content as between the first computing device and a second computing device of the user in response to a request by the first computing device when interaction of the first computing device with the content becomes inhibited;

computer readable program code for cloning at least a subset of the state data for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content by storing the subset of the state data in the content server in connection with a key, providing the key to the second computing device during the co-browsing session and granting access to the subset of the state data in response to the second computing device providing the key to the content serve;

computer readable program code for receiving a modified form of the subset of the state data from the second computing device resulting from the co-browsing of the content by the second computing device; and

,

computer readable program code for providing the modified form of the subset of the state data to the first computing device for use during the content browsing session.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program code for the cloning of at least a subset of the state data for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content comprises:

computer readable program code for storing an encrypted form of the subset of the state data in the content server in connection with an encryption key;

computer readable program code for providing the encryption key to the second computing device during the co-browsing session;

computer readable program code for decrypting the subset of the state data in response to the second computing device providing the key to the content server; and

,

computer readable program code for providing the decrypted subset of the state data to the second computing device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first computing device is a mobile computing device and the second computing device is a personal computer.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the content is provided by a Web application executing in the content server.