Instant messaging with browser collaboration
View Patent ↗The invention enables collaboration between first and second users at first and second workstations having first and second browsers, respectively. A page is loaded into the first browser. An instant messaging connection is established between the first workstation and the second workstation. Then an address of the page loaded at the first browser is sent to the second browser via the instant messaging connection. At the second browser the page is loaded in response to receipt of the page address. A network connection is then established between the first browser and the second browser. Thereafter, messages are sent from the first browser to the second browser via the network connection responsive to screen events by a user at the first workstation to control screen events at the second workstation.
1. A method of collaborating between first and second users at first and second workstations, the first and second workstations having first and second web browsers and first and second display screens, respectively, comprising:
loading a web page into the first web browser;
establishing an instant messaging connection between the first workstation and the second workstation;
sending an address of the web page loaded at the first web browser to the second web browser at the second workstation via the instant messaging connection;
loading the web page at the second web browser in response to receipt of the web page address;
establishing a network connection between a TCP/IP protocol between the first web browser and the second web browser; and
transmitting messages from the first web browser to the second web browser via the TCP/IP protocol network connection responsive to screen events by a user at the first web browser to control screen events at the second web browser;
caching source language of the web page displayed at the first and second web browsers;
parsing, separately at the first web browser and the second web browser, the source language of the cached source language of the web page displayed at the first web browser and the second web browser to identify one or more screen components defined by the source language;
assigning a unique identifier to each screen component of the one or more screen components, the unique identifiers being used to synchronize the screen events at the first and second web browsers, wherein the screen components for the web page displayed at the second web browser are assigned the same unique identifiers as the unique identifiers assigned to the screen components for the web page displayed at the first web browser; and
detecting a text selection in the web page at the first web browser, wherein a message is sent to the second web browser comprising a copy of the text selected in the web page at the first web browser, wherein text in the web page at the second web browser that corresponds to the copy of the text selected in the web page at the first web browser is highlighted in the second web browser.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
using a plug-in at the first web browser to monitor screen events at the first web browser.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
monitoring screen events at the first web browser;
in response to a screen event on a screen component by a user at the first web browser, sending a message to the second web browser via the TCP/IP protocol network connection to perform the same event on the same screen component at the second web browser.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring the screen events at the first web browser further comprises detecting a selection operation of a screen component by a user at the first web browser.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:
sending a message from the first web browser to the second web browser via the TCP/IP protocol network connection to swap roles between the first and second web browsers.