Jin Kun Lin

US Patent:

20030061286, Mar 27, 2003

Filed:

Sep 27, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/966682

Inventors:

Jin Lin - Chapel Hill NC, US

International Classification:

G06F015/16

US Classification:

709/205000, 715/501100, 709/218000

Abstract:

Described are a system and its methods for extending the web co-browsing functions of both secure and non-secure web pages. The extension includes form synchronization and focal-point synchronization. Focal-point synchronization is accomplished using a shared pointer and page scrolling. To provide these functions for both non-secure and secure web pages without breaking the security models of web browsers, two control applets, one in a non-secure frame and the other in a secure frame, are downloaded to the web browser of a conference participant. The control applets function as control and communication gateways for shared HTTP and HTTPS pages. Form synchronization is accomplished by detecting update events of form elements. Focal-point synchronization is achieved by adding mouse click events to embedded images or hyperlinks in web pages. These events are then decoded by the control applets and sent to a co-browse server. The co-browse server notifies other users' control applets to update the form data, to change the location of the shared pointer, or to scroll the displayed page to a common focal point.