Maintaining independent states for multiple web browser instances

• US 9,479,613 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, Matthew, MacDonald, Jared, Beskrowni, Andre, Spiewak, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): GORTAYO, DANGELINO N
• Application Number:
  US14/109,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 707/608, 707/792, 707/805, 707/712, 707/812, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method includes receiving a request for a target Web page, the request containing a session identifier (ID) associated with an instance of a Web browser, and determining if the session ID is new or existing. If the session ID is new, the method includes creating a window session object, and initializing the window session object with data defining a state of the instance of the Web browser. If the session ID is existing, the method includes accessing a stored window session object using the session ID, the stored window session object containing data defining a state of the instance of the Web browser, generating the target Web page based on the data, and providing the target Web page to the Web browser.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device in communication with a device configured to monitor data sources, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first instance of a Web browser, a request for a target Web page containing information about a data source monitored by the device, the request comprising a uniform resource locator-encoded (URL-encoded) session identifier (ID) associated with a control feature on an original Web page in the first instance of the Web browser, the first instance of the Web browser comprising first state information, the original Web page having a first state that is based on the first state information;

determining, by the computing device, that the URL-encoded session ID already exists in a communication session between the computing device and the Web browser;

based on determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists, identifying, in computer memory, a session object associated with the URL-encoded session ID, the session object containing data representing second state information for a second instance of the Web browser;

generating, by the computing device, data representing the target Web page based on the second state information, the target Web page having a second state that is independent of the first state of the original Web page; and

outputting the data representing the target Web page to the second instance of the Web browser to generate a display of the target Web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state comprises at least one of user input to, or configuration of, the original Web page;

and

wherein the second state comprises at least one of user input to, or configuration of, the target Web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the session object is indexed to the URL-encoded session ID;

and

wherein identifying the session object comprises searching for the session object that corresponds to the URL-encoded session ID.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a URL and the URL-encoded session ID.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the URL-encoded session ID comprises a parameter that uniquely identifiers the second instance of the Web browser in the communication session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists, generating the session object based on the second state information, the generating being performed in response to a determination that the URL-encoded session ID does not already exist in the communication session between the computing device and the Web browser.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the data representing the Web page comprises rewriting links in the target Web page based on the URL-encoded session ID.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, for the original Web page, the first state information corresponds to at least one of selected tabs, selected columns, search criteria, sort order, or data set viewed;

and

wherein, for the target Web page, the second state information corresponds to at least one of selected tabs, selected columns, search criteria, sort order, or data set viewed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second state information is usable to generate multiple Web pages in multiple Web browser instances, including the second Web browser instance.

11. Non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions that are executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first instance of a Web browser, a request for a target Web page containing information about a data source monitored by a device, the request comprising a uniform resource locator-encoded (URL-encoded) session identifier (ID) associated with a control feature on an original Web page in the first instance of the Web browser, the first instance of the Web browser comprising first state information, the original Web page having a first state that is based on the first state information;

determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists in a communication session between the computing device and the Web browser;

based on determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists, identifying, in computer memory, a session object associated with the URL-encoded session ID, the session object containing data representing second state information for a second instance of the Web browser;

generating data representing the target Web page based on the second state information, the target Web page having a second state that is independent of the first state of the original Web page; and

outputting the data representing the target Web page to the second instance of the Web browser to generate a display of the target Web page.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the first state comprises at least one of user input to, or configuration of, the original Web page;

and

wherein the second state comprises at least one of user input to, or configuration of, the target Web page.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the communication session comprises a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) session.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the session object is indexed to the URL-encoded session ID;

and

wherein identifying the session object comprises searching for the session object that corresponds to the URL-encoded session ID.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the control feature is for initiating the request, the control feature comprising an embedded hyperlink, the embedded hyperlink comprising a URL and the URL-encoded session ID.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the URL-encoded session ID comprises a parameter that uniquely identifiers the second instance of the Web browser in the communication session.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the operations comprise:

prior to determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists, generating the session object based on the second state information, the generating being performed in response to a determination that the URL-encoded session ID does not already exist in the communication session between the computing device and the Web browser.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein generating the data representing the Web page comprises rewriting links in the target Web page based on the URL-encoded session ID.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein, for the original Web page, the first state information corresponds to at least one of selected tabs, selected columns, search criteria, sort order, or data set viewed;

and

wherein, for the target Web page, the second state information corresponds to at least one of selected tabs, selected columns, search criteria, sort order, or data set viewed.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the second state information is usable to generate multiple Web pages in multiple Web browser instances, including the second Web browser instance.

21. A system comprising:

a device to monitor multiple data sources; and

a computing device to execute instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a first instance of a Web browser, a request for a target Web page containing information about a data source monitored by the device, the request comprising a uniform resource locator-encoded (URL-encoded) session identifier (ID) associated with a control feature on an original Web page in the first instance of the Web browser, the first instance of the Web browser comprising first state information, the original Web page having a first state that is based on the first state information;

determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists in a communication session between the computing device and the Web browser;

based on determining that the URL-encoded session ID already exists, identifying, in computer memory, a session object associated with the URL-encoded session ID, the session object containing data representing second state information for a second instance of the Web browser;

generating data representing the target Web page based on the second state information, the target Web page having a second state that is independent of the first state of the original Web page; and

outputting the data representing the target Web page to the second instance of the Web browser to generate a display of the target Web page.