Patent Application

App. No. 12/121,597

Abstract

Claims (39)

1 . A help service comprising:

proxying a first instance of a web application page between a user web browser and a web application server in response to a user help request;

providing an instance of the web application page to a customer service representative web browser; and

opening a live communication channel for communication between a user and a customer service representative.

2 . The help service of claim 1 , wherein the user help request is generated and received within a user network, and wherein providing a second instance of the web application page includes transmitting the second instance of the web application page over the Internet.

3 . The help service of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing server-side processing to the customer service representative web browser, wherein the customer service representative web browser is a COMET client.

4 . The help service of claim 3 , wherein activity by the user generates a plurality of events, wherein the customer service representative web browser is a COMET client for receiving data indicative of a portion of the plurality of events.

5 . The help service of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving server-side processing from the user web browser, wherein the user web browser is an AJAX server-side processor.

6 . The help service of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving server-side processing from the customer service representative web browser,

wherein the customer service representative web browser is an AJAX server-side processor.

7 . The help service of claim 3 , further comprising:

providing server-side processing to the user web browser, wherein the user web browser is a COMET client for receiving updates to the first instance of the web application page.

8 . A method of providing real-time help sessions, the method comprising:

establishing a browser channel through a help server between a customer service representative web browser and a user web browser in response to a user help request; and

establishing a communication channel for human communication between a user and a customer service representative.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the communication channel bypasses the help server.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication channel is for an instant message chat session.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication channel is for voice over IP communication.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the help server is within a software provider network that is for hosting the user application, and wherein the method further includes:

maintaining a COMET connection between the help server and the customer service representative web browser for sending data indicative of user actions through a help server queue module in a customer service representative network to the customer service representative web browser.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the help server communicates with the customer service representative web browser over the Internet.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the user help request results in the automated sending of user session identification information from the user web browser to the help server.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the user help request results in generation of an automated request for an application server of the user application to send a refreshed page of a user application to the user web browser.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein, in response to the user help request, a refreshed page of the user application includes a JavaScript library that at least partially enables the browser channel.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a version of the refreshed page is delivered to a web browser of the customer service representative, wherein the version includes a second JavaScript library for managing a COMET connection with a help server, wherein through the COMET connection user actions are pushed to the customer service representative's web browser substantially in real time.

18 . A server for providing real-time help services for users of web applications, the server for executing computer readable instructions stored on at least one computer readable media for enabling the server to:

receive a user help request generated from the user web browser by a user selecting a help service;

request a web application page from a web application server to establish a proxy connection between a user web browser and a customer service representative web browser;

provide a first version of the web application page to the user web browser, wherein the first version includes computer instructions that enable a browser channel for pushing data indicative of user actions to the customer service representative web browser substantially in real time; and

provide a second version of the web application page to the customer service representative web browser, wherein the second version includes computer instructions for managing a COMET connection between a help server and the customer service representative web browser.

19 . The server of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for enabling the server to:

link the browser channel to a live communication channel, wherein the communication channel is for human communication between the user and the customer service representative.

20 . The server of claim 19 , wherein the live communication channel is an instant message chat channel.

21 . The server of claim 19 , wherein the live communication channel is a voice over IP communication channel.

22 . The server of claim 21 , further comprising instructions for enabling the server to:

communicate with the customer service representative web browser over the Internet using public key encryption.

Assignments (11)