Method and apparatus for effecting web page access in a plurality of media applications

• US 10,153,995 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Inventors: Krishnamoorthy, Prabhakaran
• Primary Examiner(s): Thieu, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US14/902,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

One or more media applications are configured to facilitate Web page access. Such media applications receive a request from a user for access to a Web page. The Web page is retrieved from, for example, one or more Web servers, a file, and so on, and the content of the Web page is displayed within the media application. Display of the Web page content within the media application obviates the need to change applications to view the Web page content. By remaining within the application, a more natural and intuitive technique for inter-user communication is provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for Web page access, comprising:

providing a processor executing instructions for provisioning a chat application to facilitate Web page access;

said processor receiving a request for access to a Web page from a user via a hyperlink embedded in an ongoing online conversation displayed in a messaging window of a chat interface of the chat application through at least one of a plurality of channels;

said processor retrieving contents of the requested Web page from a Web server in response to the request;

said processor opening the Web page that corresponds to said embedded hyperlink and displaying the contents of the requested Web page embedded in the ongoing online conversation displayed in the messaging window of the chat interface of the chat application; and

said processor enabling Web browsing within the ongoing online conversation displayed in the messaging window in each of (a) a private mode in which other chat participants cannot see Web pages that are accessed by the user and embedded in the ongoing online conversation displayed in the messaging window and h a co-browsing mode in which the other chat participants are allowed to view Web pages that are accessed by the user and embedded in the ongoing online conversation displayed in the messaging window.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating, by the chat interface, the exchange of any of textual content and graphical elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the chat application, a Web page display section for displaying textual content and graphical content that corresponds to the Web page and a comprising a search section with which the user searches on the Web page displayed in a Web page display section; and

providing, by the chat application, a menu section comprising a link display section for displaying a hyperlink which corresponds to the Web page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface for selecting a type of content selected by a user, wherein the chat application provisions the type of content selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface for communicating any of textual and graphical content input with which a user performs at least one of entering text messages and providing graphical content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface including a menu option for facilitating the Web browsing, in which textual content that corresponds to a Web uniform resource locator (URL) is added in an input bar that is associated with the chat interface and is treated as a URL/hyperlink, wherein the user enters a URL to start browsing a corresponding Website of the Web page in the messaging window.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface including a menu option with which a user provides any of textual and graphical content input by default and a menu option for Web browsing that is manually selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface including a menu option for Web browsing by default and a menu option manually selected by the user with which a user provides any of textual and graphical content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface having a menu option for selecting each of either the private mode and the co-browsing mode.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing the chat interface in which a user provides a URL as text to another chat participant with which said another chat participant is able to access a Website that is associated with said URL within the messaging window in either of the private or the co-browsing mode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

said user opting for the co-browsing mode; and

said user sharing an accessed Web page with one or more of the other chat participants upon accessing a Web page in the private mode.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

facilitating display of Web pages in a messaging window of another user'"'"'s chat application in the co-browsing mode by converting one user'"'"'s browser view into an image and displaying that image on another user'"'"'s chat application interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user device for operating the chat application;

providing for the user device one or more to include in-built plug-ins to effect recording, transmitting, storing, and executing of instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

activating a required plug-in by supplying an input to the chat application.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a user to drag and drop a URL into a chat application messaging window of the chat application; and

automatically converting a Web page that corresponds to said URL into a Web page for display in said messaging window.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface for setting a life of any of a message, graphics, and an opened Web page, wherein setting a life specifies a time period for which said message, graphics, and/or Web page is retained in a messaging window or storage, subsequent to which said message, graphics, and/or Web page is permanently deleted.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface for synchronizing user actions across a number of chat participants.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining an order in which operations are performed by said processor, depending upon a preset configuration.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface for storing any of conversations and browsing sequences, and for facilitating retrieval thereof at a later point of time.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the chat interface with which a user freezes and/or unfreezes selected opened Web pages;

wherein if a Web page is frozen, users are restricted from performing any action on said Web page; and

wherein, upon unfreezing a frozen Web page, users are able to perform required operations.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening newly accessed Web pages in the messaging window below previously opened Web pages.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a scroll bar in the messaging window for user scrolling of content that is displayed in said messaging window;

wherein scroll-based access to Web pages is provided to eliminate need for said user to switch tabs and/or Web pages, and to provide sequential, logical access to said content.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a scroll bar in the messaging window for scrolling in a horizontal direction.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the chat interface to point to a location of the previously opened Web page when re-accessing a previously opened Web page.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the chat interface to open a previously opened Web page at a new location.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving a previously opened Web page to an end of any of a conversation and browsing within the messaging window.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said chat application providing a Web browser for facilitating Web page access;

said Web browser providing a menu section including one or more text entry bars that allow a user to enter Web uniform resource locators (URLs) that allow a user to perform a search via one or more search engines, wherein at least one text entry bar displays a URL that corresponds to a presently displayed Web page from among the Web pages that are accessed using said Web browser, and a Web page display section showing Web pages displayed one after the other within a same browser window.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

opening new Web pages below previously opened Web pages or at a preconfigured location within the messaging window.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

said Web browser pointing to a location of a previously opened Web page when a previously opened Web page is re-accessed within the messaging window.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

said Web browser opening a previously opened Web page at a new location within the messaging window.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

moving a previously opened Web page to an end of a recently opened Web page within the messaging window.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

opening a new copy or multiple copies of an already opened page at a new location within the messaging window.

33. A computer implemented method for Web page access, comprising:

providing a processor executing instructions for provisioning a chat application to facilitate Web page access;

said processor receiving a request for access to a Web page from a user via a hyperlink embedded in an ongoing online conversation displayed in a messaging window of a chat interface of the chat application through at least one of a plurality of channels;

said processor retrieving contents of the requested Web page from a Web server in response to the request; and

said processor opening the Web page that corresponds to said embedded hyperlink to display the contents of the requested Web page embedded in the ongoing online conversation displayed in the messaging window and enable browsing of the embedded Web page within the chat application.