Web collaboration through synchronization

Abstract

The present invention provides a collaboration technique for synchronizing display scrolling and the locations of remote pointers in the windows of web browsers, independent of the types and the setups of the web browsers. An example embodiment of an information processing system comprises: a collaboration server to be connected to a web server, and a plurality of terminals, for obtaining web content from the collaboration server and for performing a cooperative operation. Terminal devices includes a web browser for displaying web content, and obtains identification information for an object selected as a synchronization reference among objects in the web content, and transmits the information to the other terminal, with which it performs a cooperative operation. The terminal employs the identification information for a predetermined object that it receives, calculates the location of the pertinent object, and controls the web browser in accordance with the location of the object.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a support server connected to a web server via a network; and

a plurality of terminal devices for obtaining a web content from said web server through said support server, and for performing a cooperative operation by using said web content,

wherein each of said terminal devices includes

display means for displaying said web content obtained through said support server,

information provision means for obtaining identification information for an object that is selected as a synchronization reference from among objects in said web content, and for transmitting said identification information to a different terminal device that performs said cooperative operation, and

synchronization means for calculating the location of a predetermined object in said web content, based on identification information that is received from a different terminal device for said predetermined object to be used as a synchronization reference, and for changing the display screen employed for said web content based on said location of the predetermined object;

wherein the information provision means is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web content; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a previously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the previously detected marker object, to obtain identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device; and

wherein the synchronization means is operative: (i) to receive the identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and (ii) to reposition the display area based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said information provision means selects, as said synchronization reference, said object that is located near the center of a window of web browser that displays web content; and wherein said synchronization means controls the display of said window, so that an object corresponding to the identification information transmitted by the different terminal device is located near the center of the window of web browser.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, based on a predetermined event, said information provision means selects said object that serves as said synchronization reference; and said synchronization means controls the display of a window of web browser, so that an object corresponding to said identification information transmitted by said different terminal device is located near the center of said window.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said information provision means selects, as said synchronization reference, the object that is located near a mouse cursor manipulated by a pointing device employed as input means; and wherein said synchronization means displays a pointer image used for a cooperative operation, at the location of an object that corresponds to the identification information received from the different terminal device.

5. An information processing system comprising:

a support server connected to a web server via a network; and

a plurality of terminal devices for obtaining a web content from said web server through said support server, and for performing a cooperative operation by using said web content,

wherein said support server further includes

storage means for storing a computer program that controls the operation of a terminal device when a cooperative operation is being performed,

wherein said terminal device includes

web content acquisition means for obtaining a target web content for the cooperative operation through said support server,

display means for displaying said web content obtained by said web content acquisition means,

reception means for obtaining said computer program from said support server in order to participate in the cooperative operation, and

cooperative operation means for performing a process required for said cooperative operation under the control of said computer program, and

wherein, based on position information within the web content for an object that is selected as said synchronization reference from among objects in web content displayed by said display means, said cooperative operation means obtains synchronization of display screens with a different terminal device;

wherein a first one of the terminal devices is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web content; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a previously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the preciously detected marker object, to obtain identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device; and

wherein a second one of the terminal devices is operative: (i) to receive the identification information corresponding to the new marker object from the first terminal device; and (ii) to reposition the display area of the web content based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein said cooperative operation means controls the scrolling of said display screen of said display means so that said display screen is synchronized with the display screen of the display means of said different terminal device that performs a cooperative operation.

7. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein said cooperative operation means displays a cooperative operation pointer image in web content displayed by said display means, and synchronizes the display location of said pointer image with said display screen of said display means of said different terminal device that performs a cooperative operation.

8. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein said support server includes

storage means for holding said web content that is obtained from said web server as a target for a cooperative operation, and

process means for adding an object used as said synchronization reference to said web content stored in said storage means; and

wherein said web content acquisition means of said terminal device obtains, as a cooperative operation target, said web content to which said object has been added by said process means of said support server.

9. An information processing system, wherein a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network and the display screens of display devices for said terminal devices are synchronized with each other, comprising:

a transmission side terminal device for, in response to an operation on said display screen of the display device, selecting a marker object as a synchronization reference from among objects in content displayed on said display screen of the display device, and for transmitting, to a different terminal device, identification information for said selected marker object; and

a reception side terminal device for controlling said display screen of the display device based on the location of an object that corresponds to said identification information received from the different terminal device;

wherein the transmission side terminal is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web content; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a previously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the preciously detected marker object, to obtain identification information for the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device; and

wherein the reception side terminal is operative: (i) to receive the identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and (ii) to reposition the display area based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said transmission side terminal device selects, as said marker object, the object located near the center of the display area for said content on said display device; and wherein said reception side terminal device controls the display screen, so that an object corresponding to said identification information transmitted by said transmission side terminal device is located near the center of the display area of the display device.

11. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said transmission side terminal device selects said marker object based on a predetermined event; and wherein said reception side terminal device controls the display screen, so that an object corresponding to said identification information received from said transmission side terminal device is located near the center of the display area of the display device.

12. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said transmission side terminal device selects, as said marker object, the object that is located near a mouse cursor manipulated by a pointing device employed as input means; and wherein said reception side terminal device displays a pointer image used for a cooperative operation, at the location of an object that corresponds to the identification information received from said reception side terminal device.

13. A terminal device comprising:

a display unit for displaying predetermined content, said terminal device being connected to a different terminal device via a network and is synchronized with said different terminal device;

a marker selector for selecting a marker object as a synchronization reference from among objects in the content displayed on the screen of said display unit, and for obtaining identification information for said marker object; and

a data transmitter for transmitting, to the different terminal device, said identification information for said marker object obtained by said marker selector;

wherein the terminal device is device is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area of the predetermined content; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a preciously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the preciously detected marker object, to obtain identification information for the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device.

14. The terminal device according to claim 13, wherein said marker selector selects, as said marker object, the object located near the center of the display area for the content on said display unit.

15. The terminal device according to claim 13, wherein said marker selector selects, as said marker object, the object located near a mouse cursor manipulated by a pointing device employed as input means.

16. A terminal device, which is connected to a different terminal device via a network and is synchronized with said different terminal device, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a predetermined content;

a data receiver for receiving identification information for a predetermined object in the content received from said different terminal device;

a marker position calculator for calculating the location in said content of the object that corresponds to said identification information received by said data receiver; and

a synchronization controller for controlling the screen of the display unit based on said location of the object obtained by said marker position calculator;

wherein the different terminal device is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in predetermined content displayed on a display screen of the different terminal; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a preciously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the preciously detected marker object, to obtain identification information for the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the terminal device; and

wherein the terminal device is operative: (i) to receive the identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and (ii) to reposition the screen of the display based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

17. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein, based on said location of the object obtained by said marker position calculator, said synchronization controller controls the display screen of said display unit, so that said object is located near the center of the display screen.

18. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein said synchronization controller displays a pointer image used for a cooperative operation at the location of an object calculated by said marker position calculator.

19. A support server, which is connected to a web server and a plurality of terminal devices via a network, and which supports a cooperative operation among said terminal devices, comprising:

web content acquisition means for obtaining a web content from said web server, upon the receipt of a request from said terminal device;

process means for adding an object used as a synchronization reference for the cooperative operation to said web content; and

communication means for returning to the terminal device said web content to which said object has been added;

wherein the support server is operative: (i) to periodically detect a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web content displayed on each of the plurality of terminal devices; (ii) to compare the new marker object to a previously detected marker object; (iii) when the new marker object is different from the previously detected marker object, to obtain identification information for the new marker object; and (iv) to transmit the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the plurality of terminal devices for repositioning the respective display areas of the plurality of terminal devices so as to correspond to one another.

20. The support server according to claim 19, wherein said process means adds, as the object used as said synchronization reference, an HTML object whose coordinates in said web content can be obtained.

21. The support server according to claim 19, wherein said process means adds an anchor object as the object used as said synchronization reference.

22. A method for displaying the same web page on display devices of a plurality of terminal devices, and for synchronizing the display screens of said display devices, comprising the steps of:

firstly permitting a predetermined terminal device to select an object that is used as a synchronization reference;

secondly permitting said predetermined terminal device to transmit identification information for said selected object to a different terminal device; and

thirdly permitting said different terminal device to control the display screen of the display device thereof based on the location of said object that corresponds to identification information received from said predetermined terminal device, and to synchronize the display screen thereof with said predetermined terminal device;

periodically detecting a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web page displayed on the predetermined terminal device;

comparing the new marker object to a previously detected marker object;

when the new marker object is different from the previously detected marker object, obtaining identification information for the new marker object;

transmitting the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device;

the different terminal device receiving the identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and

repositioning a display area of the different terminal device based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

23. The information processing method according to claim 22, wherein said firstly permitting step permits the predetermined terminal device:

to obtain the location of the center of a window of a web browser that displays a web content; and

to select, as said synchronization reference, the object located near said center,

and wherein said thirdly permitting step permits the different terminal device:

to calculate the location of an object corresponding to said identification information; and

to control the display screen of the display device based on the location of the object, so that said object is located near the center of the display screen.

24. The information processing method according to claim 22, wherein said firstly permitting step permits the predetermined terminal device:

to obtain position information for a mouse cursor manipulated by a pointing device used as input means; and

to employ said position information for said mouse cursor to select, as said synchronization reference, said object located near the mouse cursor,

and wherein said thirdly permitting step permits the different terminal device:

to calculate the location of an object corresponding to said identification information; and

to display a cooperative operation pointer image at the location of said object.

25. A tangible storage medium on which a computer-readable program is stored, which permits said computer to perform:

a process for receiving, from a predetermined terminal device, identification information for specifying an object on a web page displayed by a display device of said computer;

a process for calculating the location, on said web page, of an object that corresponds to said received identification information; and

a process for controlling the display screen of said display device based on the obtained location of said object, and for synchronizing said display screen with the display screen of the display device of said predetermined terminal device that has transmitted said identification information;

wherein the process for controlling the display screen of said display device comprises:

periodically detecting a marker object located nearest a center point of a display area in the web page displayed on the predetermined terminal device;

comparing the new marker object to a previously detected marker object;

when the new marker object is different from the previously detected marker object, obtaining identification information for the new marker object;

transmitting the identification information corresponding to the new marker object to the different terminal device;

the different terminal device receiving the identification information corresponding to the new marker object; and

repositioning a display area of the different terminal device based on the identification information corresponding to the new marker object.

26. A tangible computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing an information processing system, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 1.

27. A tangible computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a terminal device, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 13.

28. A tangible computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a support server, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 19.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a display, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 22.

30. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for displaying the same web page on display devices of a plurality of terminal devices, and for synchronizing the display screens of said display devices, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 22.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to web collaboration technique where web browsers at a plurality of terminals connected by a web-based network are synchronized for performance of a cooperative operation.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, a collaboration technique has become popular whereby a plurality of terminal users on a web-based network, such as the Internet, perform a cooperative operation (browsing, moving or alteration) on a web page. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a cooperative operation which is performed on web pages displayed by two terminals through collaboration technique. In FIG. 17, for terminals A and B, a window size and a displayed web page (its URL) are matched for web browser windows 1710 on display devices. Further, the display locations of scroll bars 1720 and remote pointers 1730 are also matched. The remote pointer 1730 is a pointer displayed for a cooperative operation, and when the remote pointer 1730 is moved by one terminal (e.g., terminal A), accordingly, the remote pointer 1730 displayed by the other terminal (e.g., terminal B) is moved.

Further, in FIG. 17, displays 1740, which are described as annotations, and the entries on input forms 1750 are matched. This means that an operation performed on one of the terminals A and B is reflected and displayed on the screen of the other terminal by synchronizing the web browsers of the terminals A and B. When, for example, the terminal of a customer and the terminal of an agent or operator are synchronized using this collaboration technique, and the customer and the agent write on the same web page, a service can be provided whereby the agent can cope with the request of the customer.

For conventional collaboration, absolute coordinates, for which the window 1710 of a browser is used as a reference, are employed to specify the synchronous locations of the scroll bar 1720 and the remote pointer 1730. That is, the display size of the window 1710 of the web browser is set in advance, and the locations of scroll bars 1720 and the remote pointers 1730 in the windows 1710 are matched between the terminals, so that the locations of the scroll bars 1720 and the remote pointers 1730 are synchronized.

This collaboration is implemented by using software that provides the collaboration (hereinafter referred to as collaboration software) required to synchronize a plurality of terminal devices that are engaging in a cooperative operation. The collaboration software includes software that is installed in advance in terminals that perform a cooperative operation, and software that is downloaded by each terminal before execution.

When the collaboration software to be installed in terminals in advance is employed, various setups for the individual terminals can be used in common. Therefore, it is easy for the displays in the windows 1710 of the web browsers to be matched. However, this type of collaboration software must be installed in advance for all the terminals engaging in a cooperative operation. This can be done easily when, for example, the cooperative operation is an intra-company event or is one that involves companies whereat a large number of users are to participate and predetermined terminal devices are to be employed, while it is difficult to provide the collaboration software for an unspecified number of individual users. This is because of the problems that will be encountered when individual users having different capabilities and knowledge levels are requested to install and setup the collaboration software.

The required collaboration software that must be downloaded to each terminal before a cooperative operation is prepared using Java applets or JavaScript, and for the event, must be downloaded from a server machine by a terminal. Therefore, since it is not necessary to install the collaboration software on a terminal device in advance, it is easy for each user to download and set up the software. Further, if the collaboration software is prepared in a form that is platform (operating system) and web browser independent, such as Java applets or JavaScript installing the collaboration software will be easier.

However, in this method, it is too difficult to do detailed setup work for the software and terminal devices, and the contents that can be synchronized are limited. Generally, conventional collaboration software of this type includes only a function for synchronizing the URLs of the web pages that are displayed by web browsers.

As is described above, the conventional collaboration technique employs absolute coordinates, for which only the window of a web browser is used as a reference, in order to synchronize scrolling and the locations of the remote pointers in windows. Thus, when different web browsers are employed by different terminal devices to be used for a cooperative operation, the display locations of the web pages and the locations of the remote pointers may not match because of differences in rendering methods. Further, even though the same web browser may be employed, when the font sizes and/or window sizes differ, accordingly, the sizes and locations of objects displayed in the windows of the web browsers will also differ from one terminal device to the other, so that the synchronization of scrolling and of the positioning of remote pointers will be impossible.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state wherein the remote pointers 1730 point at different web page locations because font sizes differ, even though a common web browser and the same window size are employed. According to one of the conventional collaboration techniques by which collaboration software is installed in advance for terminal devices, setup items for a web browser can be common when the software is installed, so that scrolling and remote pointers can be synchronized, and the same locations are always pointed at on all web pages. In this case, however, if a user changes the setup items for the web browser, synchronization of the scrolling and of the remote pointers will not be possible, as is shown in FIG. 18. Therefore, an environment must be provided that a user can not easily alter.

According to the other conventional collaboration technique, whereby the downloading of collaboration software by a terminal device serves as a prelude to a cooperative operation, a user of a terminal device can arbitrarily set up a web browser; however, as is described above, since synchronization of the scrolling and of the remote pointers can not be obtained, a cooperative operation can be performed only for extremely limited contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide a collaboration technique for synchronizing the scrolling of display screens and the locations of remote pointers in the windows of web browsers, regardless of the type or the setup of the web browser.

It is another aspect of the invention to provide a collaboration technique, by which collaboration software is downloaded on a terminal device at the time of execution, for synchronizing the scrolling of display screens and the locations of remote pointers in the windows of web browsers.

To achieve the above aspects, in an example embodiment according to the invention, an information processing system (collaboration system) comprises: a support server (collaboration server) connected to a web server via a network; and a plurality of terminal devices for obtaining a web content from the web server through the support server, and for performing a cooperative operation by using the web content.

In the embodiment, each of the terminal devices includes: display means for displaying the web content obtained through the support server; information provision means for obtaining identification information for an object that is selected as a synchronization reference from among objects in the web content; and for transmitting the identification information to a different terminal device that performs the cooperative operation; and synchronization means for calculating the location of the predetermined object in the web content, based on identification information that is received from a different terminal device for the predetermined object to be used as a synchronization reference, and for changing the display screen employed for the web content based on the location of the predetermined object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon further consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration for carrying out a collaboration according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a collaboration server according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the system configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example HTML document into which anchor objects are inserted as markers;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the HTML document in FIG. 4 displayed by a web browser;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing in which the cashe manager of the collaboration server inserts anchor objects into an HTML document as markers;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the processing in which the cashe manager of the collaboration server inserts anchor objects into an HTML document as markers;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a collaboration applet that carries out scrolling synchronization and remote pointer synchronization;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example wherein scrolling synchronization and remote pointer synchronization have been performed for the input form "PASSWORD";

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the overall area of a web page and a display area provided by a web browser;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example wherein scrolling synchronization is performed using the marker located nearest the center point in the window of a web browser;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing an example wherein scrolling synchronization is performed in accordance with the occurrence of an event;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a remote pointer synchronization example;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a JavaScript example for obtaining the position (coordinates) of the center point of a window (display area);

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a JavaScript example for detecting the marker located nearest the center point of a window (display area);

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a JavaScript example for exercising scroll control based on a marker;

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the state wherein a cooperative operation for web pages displayed by two terminal devices is performed through collaboration; and

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the state wherein scrolling synchronization and remote pointer synchronization are not obtained by a conventional collaboration technique.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS

• Inventors
  Nakamura, Kohichi;
• Assignee
  International Business Machines Corp. (Armonk, NY)
• Published
  Aug-30-2005
• Current US Classes:
  715/748
  715/751
  715/752
  715/753
  715/759
• Application #
  999300
• International Classes
  G09G 005/00
• Field of Search
  715/748 715/751 715/752 715/753 715/759 709/204 709/208 709/213 709/232 709/227 709/236 345/738 345/751 345/752 345/753 345/754 345/755 345/759
• Examiner
  Huynh; Ba
• Agent
  Herzberg; Louis P
• US Patent References:
  6115027
  6144991
  6181689
  6192383
  6212192
  6230171
  6487195
  6584493
  6687878
  6732145