Method for recording and reproducing the browsing activities of an individual web browser

• US 6,418,471 B1
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Shelton, James A., Ingrassia, Jr., Michael I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/151,907
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/227, 709/245, 709/204, 709/205, 709/217, 709/218, 707/5, 707/104
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

A mechanism for recording browser activities performed at a first web browser and subsequently replaying the recorded browser activities at one or more web browsers. The browsing activities can be recorded together with time references corresponding to various browsing activities such as when a web page is retrieved, or the length of time a page is displayed. The browsing activities can be replayed in accordance with the recorded time references. If desired, the browsing activities that are being repeated can be synchronized among multiple browsers.

Claims

1. A method for repeating browsing activities performed during a web browsing session using a first web browser on a first client computer, said browsing activities including a series of requests for retrieving web pages from a web server, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at said web server an initial request from said first web browser for retrieving an initial page, said initial request indicating the beginning of said web browsing session;

(b) creating a session file at said web server for said web browsing session in response to said initial request;

(c) recording said browsing activities performed during said web browsing session to said session file;

(d) assigning a unique session ID to said session file;

(e) retrieving the browsing activities recorded during said web browsing session to said session file from said web server to a second web browser in response to a request from said second web browser identifying said session file by said session ID; and

(f) repeating the recorded browsing activities at said second web browser; and

wherein

said web server includes multiple session files, each one of said multiple session files identified by a unique session ID, said multiple session files corresponding to multiple web browsing sessions occurring at said first client computer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(d) retrieving the recorded browsing activities to a third web browser;

(e) repeating the recorded browsing activities at said third web browser; and

(f) synchronizing the browsing activities that are being repeated at said second and third web browsers.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of recording browsing activities performed using said first web browser includes the step of recording a time reference for said browsing activities; and

said step of repeating the recorded browsing activities at said second web browser includes the step of repeating browsing activities according to said time references.

4. In a computer network including a network server and at least one client computer, a method for repeating browsing activities occurring during multiple web browsing sessions on said at least one client computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a plurality of session files at said network server, each of said session files being associated with a respective one of said multiple web browsing sessions;

(b) recording the browsing activities for each of the multiple web browsing sessions into associated session files at the network server;

(c) assigning a unique session ID to each one of said session files;

(d) selecting one of said session files for replay, said selected session file being identified for selection by its assigned session ID;

(e) retrieving the selected session files to an administrative web browser; and

(f) repeating the recorded browsing activities associated with said selected session file at said administrative web browser.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said step of recording the browsing activities for each of said web browsing sessions into associated session files at the network server includes the step of recording a time reference for said browsing activities with each session file; and

said step of repeating the recorded browsing activities associated with said selected session file at said administrative web browser includes the step of repeating browsing activities according to the time reference associated with said selected session file.