Automatic co-browsing invitations

• US 8,261,198 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burckart, Eric John, Ivory, Andrew, Kaplinger, Todd Eric, Shook, Aaron Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): POHLMAN, JAMES GREGORY
• Application Number:
  US12/826,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/753, 705/3
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments can include instructions or steps, which when carried out, detect that copy operations are being performed on website data displayed to a user. Further to this detection, a co-browsing query for display to a user may be generated, an instruction to associate a co-browsing invitation with website data copied by the user may also be generated and a co-browsing invitation and pasted website data may be sent to an invitee.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium storing instructions thereon for providing co-browsing invitations when copy operations are detected, the instructions, which when executed, comprise;

detecting that copy operations are being performed on website data displayed to a user;

responsive to detecting copy operations, generating a co-browsing query for display to a user;

receiving, in response to the co-browsing query, an instruction to associate a co-browsing invitation with website data previously displayed to the user and previously copied by the user;

associating a co-browsing invitation with pasted website data, the pasted website data previously copied by the user,

the invitation including a query identifying the user,

the invitation including a query for a recipient to participate in a co-browsing session; and

sending the associated co-browsing invitation and pasted website data to an invitee.

2. The article of claim 1 storing instructions, which when executed, further comprise:

updating session information that an invitation for co-browsing has been created and sent; and

periodically polling session information to determine if a previously sent invitation for co-browsing has been accepted.

3. The article of claim 1 storing instructions, which when executed, further comprise:

creating a co-browsing session on a website when the co-browsing invitation is accepted and an invitation recipient has an established browsing session on the website.

4. The article of claim 1 storing instructions, which when executed, further comprise:

querying session data to identify website data copied by a user; and

providing instruction to highlight the identified website data once the co-browsing session starts.

5. The article of claim 1 storing instructions wherein the website data is services or merchandise offered for sale on the website.

6. The article of claim 1 storing instructions, wherein the copy operations detected are performed in a web-browser and wherein the query is displayed to the user after determining if a threshold for displaying queries has been exceeded.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the instructions are JavaScript instructions for a web server.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the instructions are JavaScript instructions for a web browser plug-in.

9. A method comprising:

detecting that copy operations are being performed on website data displayed to a user;

responsive to detecting copy operations, generating a co-browsing query for display to a user;

receiving, in response to the co-browsing query, an instruction to associate a co-browsing invitation with website data previously displayed to the user and previously copied by the user;

associating a co-browsing invitation with pasted website data, the pasted website data previously copied by the user, the invitation including a query identifying the user, the invitation including a query for a recipient to participate in a co-browsing session; and

,

sending the associated co-browsing invitation and pasted website data to an invitee.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

updating session information that an invitation for co-browsing has been created and sent; and

periodically polling session information to determine if a previously sent invitation for co-browsing has been accepted.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

creating a co-browsing session on a website when the co-browsing invitation is accepted and an invitation recipient has an established browsing session on the website.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

querying session data to identify website data copied by a user; and

providing instruction to highlight the identified website data once the co-browsing session starts.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the website data is services or merchandise offered for sale on the website.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, wherein the copy operations detected are performed in a web-browser and wherein the query is displayed to the user after determining if a threshold for displaying queries has been exceeded.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting, receiving, and associating are performed using JavaScript instructions for a web server.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting, receiving, and associating are performed using JavaScript instructions for a web-browser.

17. A computer comprising:

a non-volatile computer readable medium, the computer readable medium storing instructions thereon for providing co-browsing invitations when copy operations are detected, the instructions, which when executed, comprise;

detecting that copy operations are being performed on website data displayed to a user;

responsive to detecting copy operations, generating a co-browsing query for display to a user;

receiving, in response to the co-browsing query, an instruction to associate a co-browsing invitation with website data previously displayed to the user and previously copied by the user;

associating a co-browsing invitation with pasted website data, the pasted website data previously copied by the user, the invitation including a query identifying the user, the invitation including a query for a recipient to participate in a co-browsing session; and

,

sending the associated co-browsing invitation and pasted website data to an invitee.

18. The computer of claim 17 comprising further instructions, which when executed, comprise:

updating session information that an invitation for co-browsing has been created and sent; and

periodically polling session information to determine if a previously sent invitation for co-browsing has been accepted.

19. The computer of claim 17, storing further instructions, which when executed, further comprise:

creating a co-browsing session on a website when the co-browsing invitation is accepted and an invitation recipient has an established browsing session on the website.

20. The computer of claim 17, storing further instructions, which when executed, further comprise:

querying session data to identify website data copied by a user; and

providing instruction to highlight the identified website data once the co-browsing session starts.