METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING WEB PAGE ACCESS IN A PLURALITY OF MEDIA APPLICATIONS

• US 20160352659A1
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 24/7 Customer Incorporated
• Inventors: KRISHNAMOORTH, Prabhakaran
• Granted Patent: US 10,153,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 content access, comprising:

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

said processor receiving a request for access to a Web page from a user via at least one of the media applications, 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 displaying the contents of the requested Web page within the media application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said media application comprise any of a chat application and an email application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said request and displaying said contents via a messaging window of a chat application interface.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

said chat application interface facilitating the exchange of any of textual content and graphical elements.

5. The method of claim 1, receiving said request further comprising:

displaying a hyperlink to access content that corresponds to a Web page associated with the hyperlink; and

receiving user selection of said hyperlink to retrieve and display a Web page that corresponds to said hyperlink opens in said media application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

said media application providing a menu section comprising a link display section for displaying a hyperlink which corresponds to said Web page. The menu section also includes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application interface for providing any of textual and graphical content input with which a user performs at least one of entering text messages and providing graphical content

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a menu option for facilitating 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 a chat application interface and is treated as a URL/hyperlink, and in which a Web page is retrieved from a network and displayed on a messaging window, wherein a user enters a URL to start browsing a corresponding Website in a media application messaging window.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing 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.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing 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.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application having a menu option for selecting either a private mode in which other chat participants cannot see Web pages that are accessed in a messaging window by the user, and a co-browsing mode in which said other chat participants are allowed to view Web pages that are accessed by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application 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 a messaging window in either of a private or a co-browsing mode.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

said user opting for said co-browsing mode; and

said user sharing an accessed Web page with one or more other users upon accessing a Web page in a private mode.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user device for operating said media application;

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

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

activating a required plug-in by supplying an input to said media application.

17. The method of claim 12, 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.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a media application comprising a chat application;

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

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

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application 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.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application interface for synchronizing user actions across a number of chat participants.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application 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.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

opening newly accessed Web pages in a chat application interface messaging window below previously opened Web pages.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

providing a scroll bar in a chat application 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.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

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

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

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

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

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

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media application providing a chat application; and

moving a previously opened Web page to an end of any of a conversation and browsing.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said media 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.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

opening new Web pages below previously opened Web pages or at a preconfigured location.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

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

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

said Web browser opening a previously opened Web page at a new location.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

moving a previously opened Web page to an end of a recently opened Web page.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

opening a new copy or multiple copies of an already opened page at a new location.