Web content layout engine instance sharing across mobile devices

• US 10,565,287 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhageria, Gopal K., Ekambaram, Vijay, Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/185,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724097 Worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Web content layout engine instance sharing is provided by configuring a shared instance of a web browser layout engine shared between a first mobile device and a second mobile device; dynamically partitioning requested web content for display across the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the shared instance of the web browser layout engine, where the dynamically partitioning selects first interface element(s) of the web content for display by the first mobile device and selects second interface element(s) of the web content for display by the second mobile device, and where at least one second interface element of the second interface element(s) includes an action interface element, interaction with which is configured to advance a workflow of which the web content is a part; determining, based at least in part on user input, whether to advance the workflow; and performing processing based on the determining.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

configuring a shared instance of a web browser layout engine shared between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the first mobile device and the second mobile device each having installed software that detects that a common user is using the first mobile device and the second mobile device in a shared configuration having the shared instance of the web browser layout engine to execute a workflow of which requested web content is a part, and that selectively enables the shared instance of the web browser layout engine;

dynamically partitioning the requested web content for display across the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the shared instance of the web browser layout engine, wherein the dynamically partitioning selects one or more first interface elements of the web content for display by the first mobile device and selects one or more second interface elements of the web content for display by the second mobile device, and wherein at least one second interface element of the one or more second interface elements comprises an action interface element, interaction with which is configured to contribute at least in part to advancing the workflow;

determining, based at least in part on user input, whether to advance the workflow; and

performing processing based on the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action interface element comprises a button to confirm a submission or submit a form.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically partitioning splits the web content into non-action interface elements and at least one action interface element for advancing the workflow, wherein the one or more first interface elements comprise the non-action interface elements and the one or more second interface elements comprise the at least one action interface element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically partitioning separates the one or more first interface elements from the one or more second interface elements and provides the one or more second interface elements to the second mobile device for display, or the dynamically partitioning provides a plurality of interface elements of the web content to the second mobile device and the second mobile device selectively displays the one or more second interface elements by cropping-out other interface elements of the plurality of interface elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to advance the workflow comprises determining whether the user input is an appropriate user input for advancing the workflow, the appropriate user input comprising a user-selection of the action interface element when displayed by the second mobile device together with a concurrent user-selection of an interface element of the one or more first interface elements when displayed on the first mobile device, and the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow and loading additional web content based on determining that the user input is the appropriate user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to advance the workflow comprises determining whether the user input is an appropriate user input for advancing the workflow, the appropriate user input comprising performance of one or more gestures to advance the workflow, and the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow and loading additional web content based on determining that the user input is the appropriate user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to advance the workflow is based further on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(i) whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device are within a predefined proximity of each other, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device being within the predefined proximity; and

(ii) at least one security certificate, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device exchanging the at least one security certificate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the second mobile device from a plurality of second mobile devices with which the first mobile device is configured to share instances of a web browser layout engine, the selecting being based on selection criteria, wherein the selection criteria is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a time of the day, (ii) a location of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, and (iii) proximity of the first mobile device relative to each second mobile device of the plurality of second mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring the shared instance configures the first mobile device and the second mobile device in a shared web content display mode, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are also configured for a standalone web content display mode in which display of web content requested by a respective device of the first mobile device and the second mobile device is confined to the respective first mobile device or second mobile device, and where the method further comprises, based on configuring the first mobile device and the second mobile device in the shared web content display mode, enforcing a rule that prevents an attempt to place the first mobile device and the second mobile device in the standalone web content display mode unless the first mobile device and the second mobile device are within a predefined proximity of each other.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is a wearable mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mobile device is a smartphone and the second mobile device is a smartwatch wearable device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device comprises smart glasses, wherein the user input comprises a user staring at the action interface element to select the action interface element displayed by the second mobile device to advance the workflow.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device displays the one or more first interface elements in a dedicated web browser app of the first mobile device or a hybrid app, of the first mobile device, that incorporates the web browser layout engine, and the second mobile device displays the one or more second interface elements in a dedicated web browser app of the second mobile device or a hybrid app, of the second mobile device, that incorporates the web browser layout engine.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring enables the shared instance of the web browser layout engine based on the user entering credentials on the first device that selectively enables the shared configuration.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises the first mobile device and second mobile device communicating with each other to select which is to be the first mobile device to display the first interface elements and which is to be the second mobile device to display the second interface elements.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

configuring a shared instance of a web browser layout engine shared between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the first mobile device and the second mobile device each having installed software that detects that a common user is using the first mobile device and the second mobile device in a shared configuration having the shared instance of the web browser layout engine to execute a workflow of which requested web content is a part, and that selectively enables the shared instance of the web browser layout engine;

dynamically partitioning the requested web content for display across the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the shared instance of the web browser layout engine, wherein the dynamically partitioning selects one or more first interface elements of the web content for display by the first mobile device and selects one or more second interface elements of the web content for display by the second mobile device, and wherein at least one second interface element of the one or more second interface elements comprises an action interface element, interaction with which is configured to contribute at least in part to advancing the workflow;

determining, based at least in part on user input, whether to advance the workflow; and

performing processing based on the determining.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the dynamically partitioning splits the web content into non-action interface elements and at least one action interface element for advancing the workflow, wherein the one or more first interface elements comprise the non-action interface elements and the one or more second interface elements comprise the at least one action interface element.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the determining whether to advance the workflow is based further on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(i) whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device are within a predefined proximity of each other, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device being within the predefined proximity; and

(ii)at least one security certificate, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device exchanging the at least one security certificate.

19. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, the method comprising;

configuring a shared instance of a web browser layout engine shared between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the first mobile device and the second mobile device each having installed software that detects that a common user is using the first mobile device and the second mobile device in a shared configuration having the shared instance of the web browser layout engine to execute a workflow of which requested web content is a part, and that selectively enables the shared instance of the web browser layout engine;

dynamically partitioning the requested web content for display across the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the shared instance of the web browser layout engine, wherein the dynamically partitioning selects one or more first interface elements of the web content for display by the first mobile device and selects one or more second interface elements of the web content for display by the second mobile device, and wherein at least one second interface element of the one or more second interface elements comprises an action interface element, interaction with which is configured to a contribute at least in part to advancing the workflow;

determining, based at least in part on user input, whether to advance the workflow; and

performing processing based on the determining.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the determining whether to advance the workflow is based further on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(i)whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device are within a predefined proximity of each other, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device being within the predefined proximity; and

(ii)at least one security certificate, wherein the performing processing comprises advancing the workflow based on the first mobile device and the second mobile device exchanging the at least one security certificate.