Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Cooperative computer processing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2004-06-08
Harvey, Jack B. (Department: 2144)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Cooperative computer processing
C709S204000, C709S227000, C709S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06748420
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to systems for providing shared access to a software application, and more particularly, to systems and techniques which provide concurrent access by multiple participants to a single shared session of a software application served by a web server.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Due to the widespread use and popularity of computer networks such as the Internet, software application developers have developed software applications which a computer user can access remotely over a network. As an example, a computer user can use web browser software to access, via the World Wide web suite of protocols, a web server that provides access to, or “serves” a software application. Typically, the web server operates as a front-end to receive requests from the web browser software and to forward those requests to the software application. The software application then performs some processing in response to receipt of the request and returns application response information to the web server. The web server then forwards the application response information back to the web browser software over the computer network in the form of a web page which the browser can display for use by the computer user.
Many applications which web servers serve in this manner are transactional in nature. The application receives requests via the web server that originate from specific client browsers associated with specific computer users. The application processes those requests in relation to some application data associated with those individual computer users as specified in some manner within the requests. Once processed, the application returns application response information that is customized or personalized to the identity of the computer user associated with the web browser that originated the request. Such multi-user applications can typically handle requests from many users concurrently, with each set of requests from each user defining a particular set of transactions carried out on behalf of that user alone.
As a simple example, a computer user may use a web browser to connect to a web server provided on the Internet by a bank or other business institution. Via the web browser, the computer user may query a financial software application served by the web server to determine bank balances, stock holdings, or other transaction information. Such information is generally specific to the user originating the request. Other computer users using other web browsers may provide similar queries to the web server to obtain information specific to those users. These types of web and application server arrangements support a distinct communications session for each respective computer user to manage a set of respective transactions related to that user.
In certain instances, a computer user accessing a web server may request or require assistance from another person to properly interact with a web site (a web server providing access to an application). Perhaps the computer user is unfamiliar with the application being served by the web server and therefore may require some assistance during initial attempts to interact with the application. The computer user might be able to place a telephone call to a representative or agent within a call center operated by the institution (business, agency, etc.) that provides the web site to ask questions about how to interact with the software application served from the site. Based on the advice of the agent, the computer user is then able to properly interact with the software application.
The ease by which a computer user is able to contact a representative or agent associated with a particular web site defines a level of customer relationship management (CRM) provided by the business or other institution within its call or support center in relation to the web site. Some conventional web sites, for instance, allow computer users to send email containing questions to the support center associated with the web site. An agent or representative within the support or call center can receive the email and reply to the customer via a callback (via telephone) or can simply reply to the customer using e-mail.
In other cases, a computer user may select a callback feature via their computer which automatically establishes a telephone call between an agent and the computer user. In the case of an automatic callback, assuming the computer user can access the application via their browser over the computer network (e.g., via a dedicated network connection) while simultaneously receiving the callback (e.g., via a telephone call), the agent or representative of the institution associated with the web site can guide the computer user through the process of interacting with the web site application in real-time. This simple form of interaction between the computer user and the agent or representative is called collaboration.
Another form of collaboration occurs when two or more people (e.g., a customer and an agent) share access to a software application. In the context of a web site serving a particular software application, conventional collaboration techniques may allow, for instance, a computer user such as a customer to first interact with the software application to enter or provide some information or data which is maintained within the software application. Subsequently, possibly in response to the customer calling or sending an email to the agent of the institution providing the application, an agent user may further interact with the application via an agent computer to view and/or manipulate the data entered by the computer user.
By way of example, suppose a computer user interacts with a retailing web site to make a purchase but incorrectly enters his or her address information and is unable to determine how to alter the address information for correction. The user may subsequently provide email or place or request a telephone call to a call center staffed with agents responsible for assisting customers associated with the retailing web site. In response to receiving the correct address information from a customer (via an email or the telephone call), an agent can access the application to retrieve the order placed by the customer to update the customer address information. The update operation may be made while the customer interacts with other portions of the retailing web site besides the address information portion. When the customer returns to the portion of the web site containing that customers address information, the customer may observe that the address has been properly updated based on the collaboration between the customer and the agent.
Another prior art mechanism providing collaboration between two users and a software application over a computer network is called a proxy browser or proxy server. Generally, a proxy server is a software entity that operates in-between computer user web browsers and a web server that serves an application. The proxy server contains proxy information (e.g., proxied web pages) obtained from the application via the web server during an initial user request for the information. When a proxy server receives a new web page of information from the application, the proxy server replaces links within that page of information with links corresponding to information (e.g., web pages) provided within the proxy server. The proxy server then provides or serves the altered or proxied page(s) to other users that request the same information (i.e., that request the same page) as the initial request.
As an example of the operation of a proxy server, if page “A” of an application references application pages “B” and “C” (e.g., via hyperlinks) a conventional proxy server coupled to a web site serving the application will replace references (e.g., links) to application pages “B” and “C” in a proxy server version of page “A” (i.e., the proxied page “A”) with references to proxy server versions of pages “B” and “C” (i.e., proxied pages “B” and “C”). The proxy server thereafter may handle
Anuszczyk Jeffrey J.
Cleasby Andrew R.
Cummings Charles D.
Gladstein Brian S.
Quatrano Stephen R.
Chapin & Huang LLC
Chapin, Esq. Barry W.
Cisco Technology Inc.
Harvey Jack B.
Phan Tam T.
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