Remote co-browsing session management

• US 9,152,970 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trahan, Matthew L., Taylor, Brett R., Jenkins, Jonathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, David X
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUKHARI, SIBTE H
• Application Number:
  US13/246,550
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 715/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A remote browsing process is directed to the generation and management of a collaborative application session between client computing devices and content providers in conjunction with a network computing provider. The client computing devices request access to a group browsing context at a network computing provider. The network computing provider provides processing results corresponding to processed representations of requested content to the client computing devices. The client computing devices may each display the representations of the requested content in a browser. The network computing provider may further provide co-interaction data to the client computing devices for display. The co-interaction data may represent interactions of one or more users with the representations of content displayed at the user'"'"'s respective client computing devices. Additionally, one or more interactions may be associated to be local to client computing devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for remote session browsing comprising:

as executed by a server system comprising one or more computing devices configured to execute specific instructions,

providing, using a network-based browser application instance executing on the server system, one or more representations of first network content to each of a plurality of client computing devices for display by a browser application instance, separate from the network-based browser application instance, executing on each client computing device of the plurality of client computing devices,

wherein the plurality of client computing devices are associated with a group browsing context identifier, the group browsing context identifier corresponding to a group browsing session comprising sharing of data from two or more of the plurality of computing devices regarding interactions with one or more user interface controls of commonly browsed network content displayed by the browser application instance executing on each of the plurality of client computing devices,

wherein a first client computing device of the plurality of client computing devices is configured to display a representation of the first network content in a first frame of the browser application instance executing at the first client computing device,

and wherein the first client computing device is associated with an individual browsing context identifier;

obtaining first interaction data from the first client computing device, wherein the first interaction data corresponds to a first interaction with a first user interface control of the received representation of the first network content displayed at the first client computing device;

determining that the first interaction with the first user interface control is associated with the individual browsing context identifier based on the first interaction data;

responsive to the determination that the first interaction is associated with the individual browsing context identifier;

processing, using the network-based browser application instance, second network content according to an individual browse session configuration to generate an individual processing result reflecting the first interaction, wherein the second network content is obtained from a network content provider, and wherein the individual browse session configuration based at least partly on the first client computing device; and

providing the individual processing result exclusively to the first client computing device for display in a second frame of the browser application instance executing at the first client computing device;

obtaining second interaction data from the first client computing device, wherein the second interaction data corresponds to a second interaction with a second user interface control of the received representation of the first network content displayed at the first client computing device;

determining that the second interaction with the second user interface control is associated with the group browsing context identifier based on the second interaction data; and

responsive to the determination that the second interaction is associated with the group browsing context identifier;

processing, using the network-based browser application instance, third network content to generate group processing results reflecting the second interaction, the third network content obtained from the network content provider, wherein an individual group processing result is generated according to a browse session configuration that is based at least partly on a corresponding client computing device of the plurality of client computing devices; and

providing the group processing results to the plurality of computing devices including the first client computing device, wherein the first client computing device is configured to display the third network content in the first frame of the browser application instance executing on the first client computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the individual browsing context identifier includes information associated with at least one of a user of the first client computing device, the first client computing device, an account of the user of the first client computing device, or a physical or logical location of the first client computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the group processing results comprise updated information associated with the first network content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interaction with the first user interface control is associated with at least one of a purchase request, a request to display a wish list, a request to display an electronic shopping cart, and a request to display user information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the second network content comprises information associated with the electronic shopping cart.

6. A computer-implemented method for remote session browsing comprising:

as executed by one or more computing devices configured to execute specific instructions,

providing, using a network-based browser application executing on a server system, one or more representations of network content to a plurality of computing devices for display by a browser application, separate from the network-based browser application, executing on each computing device of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the plurality of computing devices is associated with a group browsing context corresponding to a group browsing session, the group browsing session comprising sharing of data from two or more of the plurality of computing devices regarding interactions with one or more user interface controls of commonly browsed network content;

obtaining first interaction data from a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the first computing device is associated with an individual browsing context corresponding to an individual browsing session, and wherein the first interaction data corresponds to an interaction with a user interface control of a representation of the network content displayed at the first computing device;

determining whether the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the group browsing context or the individual browsing context based on the first interaction data;

responsive to a determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the group browsing context;

processing, using the network-based browser application, the network content to generate group processing results based at least partly on the interaction, wherein an individual group processing result is generated according to a browse session configuration that is based at least partly on a corresponding computing device of the plurality of computing devices; and

providing the group processing results to the plurality of computing devices for display; and

responsive to a determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the individual browsing context;

processing, using the network-based browser application, the network content to generate an individual processing result based at least partly on the interaction, wherein the individual processing result is generated according to an individual browse session configuration that is based at least partly on the first computing device; and

providing the individual processing result to the first computing device for display, wherein the individual processing result is provided exclusively to the first computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising, responsive to the determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the group browsing context, providing identification information associated with the group browsing context to a network content provider.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the identification information associated with the group browsing context includes at least one of an identifier associated with an aggregation of a plurality of users, an aggregation of the plurality of computing devices, an identifier associated with the group browsing context, and an identifier associated with a current browse session.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising obtaining updated network content from the network content provider based at least on the identification information associated with the group browsing context, wherein processing the network content to generate the group processing results comprises processing the updated network content to generate the group processing results.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising, responsive to the determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the individual browsing context, providing identification information associated with the individual browsing context to a network content provider.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the identification information associated with the individual browsing context includes a user of the first computing device, the first computing device, an account of the user of the first computing device, a current browse session, or a physical or logical location of the first computing device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising obtaining updated network content from the network content provider based at least on the identification information associated with the individual browsing context, wherein processing the network content to generate the individual processing result further comprises processing the updated network content to generate the individual processing result.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the interaction with the user interface control is associated with at least one of a purchase request, a request to display a wish list, a request to display an electronic shopping cart, and a request to display user information.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the individual processing result comprises information associated with the electronic shopping cart.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the browser application executing on the first computing device displays one of the group processing results in a first portion of the browser application and the individual processing result in a second portion of the browser application.

15. A system for remote session browsing comprising:

one or more computer processors;

at least one computer memory accessible by at least one of the one or more computer processors; and

a network computing component comprising a network-based browser application executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the network computing component is operable to;

determine whether an interaction with a user interface control of a representation of first network content displayed by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices is associated with a group browsing context or an individual browsing context,

wherein the group browsing context corresponds to a group browsing session shared by the plurality of computing devices, the group browsing session comprising sharing of data from two or more of the plurality of computing devices regarding interactions with one or more user interface controls of commonly browsed network content displayed by a browser application, separate from the network-based browser application, executing on each of the plurality of computing devices,

and wherein the individual browsing context corresponds to an individual browse session within a browser application executing on the first computing device;

responsive to a determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the group browsing context;

process, using the network-based browser application, network content to generate group processing results based at least partly on the interaction, wherein an individual group processing result is generated according to a browse session configuration that is based at least partly on a corresponding computing device of the plurality of computing devices; and

provide the group processing results to each computing device of the plurality of computing devices; and

responsive to a determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the individual browsing context;

process, using the network-based browser application, the network content to generate an individual processing result based at least partly on the interaction, wherein the individual processing result is generated according to an individual browse session configuration that is based at least partly on the first computing device; and

provide the individual processing result exclusively to the first computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network computing component is further operable to provide identification information associated with the group browsing context to a network content provider responsive to the determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the group browsing context.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification information associated with the group browsing context includes an identifier associated with an aggregation of a plurality of users, an aggregation of the plurality of computing devices, an identifier associated with the group browsing context, or an identifier associated with a current browse session.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the network computing component is further operable to obtain updated network content from the network content provider based at least on the identification information associated with the group browsing context, wherein processing the network content to generate the group processing results comprises processing the updated network content to generate the group processing results.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the network computing component is further operable to provide identification information associated with the individual browsing context to a network content provider responsive to the determination that the interaction with the user interface control is associated with the individual browsing context.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the identification information associated with the individual browsing context includes a user of the first computing device, the first computing device, an account of the user of the first computing device, a current browse session, or a physical or logical location of the first computing device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the network computing component is further operable to obtain updated network content from the network content provider based at least on the identification information associated with the individual browsing context, wherein processing the network content to generate the individual processing result further comprises processing the updated network content to generate the individual processing result.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the interaction with the user interface control is associated with a purchase request, a request to display a wish list, a request to display an electronic shopping cart, or a request to display user information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the individual processing result comprises information associated with the electronic shopping cart.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the browser application executing on the first computing device displays one of the group processing results in a first portion of the browser application and the individual processing result in a second portion of the browser application.