Sharing web sessions

Abstract

A web session may be shared between two or more browser clients both viewing the same content on the same web content server. By providing a proxy device on the server side of the network, bandwidth may be utilized effectively. As one example, a help session may be initiated via a proxy device on the server side of the network. Session sharing may be provided with an additional server side browser. The server side browser may be manned by help desk personnel who may communicate with the user of a client browser at the same time both the user and the help desk personnel are viewing the same web page.

1 . A method comprising: 
 detecting a request for a help session; and    upon detection of a request for a help session, sharing a browser session between at least two clients.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein detecting a help session includes detecting, at a server, a help session generated on the client.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein sharing a browser session includes intercepting a web page provided from a server to the client.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  including mapping a client address of the web page to a proxy.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  including enabling a proxy to provide the web page to a shadow browser client.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein enabling the proxy to provide the web page to a shadow browser client includes forwarding a refresh request to the shadow browser client.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  including detecting a request for a chat session.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  including detecting a request for a shared browser session.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2  including initiating the session sharing over a network between a client on one side of a network and a server on the other side of a network and sharing the session with another client coupled on the server's side of the network.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  including enabling an icon associated with the web page to be selected and generating an event in response to the selection of the icon.  
   
   
       11 . An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to: 
 detect a request for a help session; and    upon detection of a request for a help session, share a browser session between at least two clients.    
   
   
       12 . The article of  claim 11  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to detect, at a server, a help session generated on the client.  
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 12  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to intercept a web page provided from a server to the client.  
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 13  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to map a client address of the web page to a proxy.  
   
   
       15 . The article of  claim 14  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to enable a proxy to provide the web page to a shadow browser client.  
   
   
       16 . The article of  claim 15  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to forward a refresh request to the shadow browser client.  
   
   
       17 . The article of  claim 11  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to detect a request for a chat session.  
   
   
       18 . The article of  claim 12  further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to initiate the session sharing over a network between a client on one side of the network and a server on the other side of the network and share the session with another client coupled on the server's side of the network.  
   
   
       19 . A system comprising: 
 a processor-based device; and    a storage coupled to said device, said storage storing instructions that enable the processor-based device to detect a request for a help session and upon the detection of a request for a help session, cause a browser session to be shared between at least two clients.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said processor-based device is a proxy which may be transparent to communications passing between a browser client and a server through said proxy until a help session is detected.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein in response to the detection of a help session, said processor-based device causes a browser session to be shared between at least two clients.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 19  adapted to be located on the server side of a network.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to intercept a web page provided from a server to a client.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to map a client address of the web page to a proxy.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to provide the web page to a shadow browser client.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to forward a refresh request to a shadow browser client.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to initiate session sharing over a network between a client on one side of the network and a server on the other side of the network and share the session with another client coupled on the server's side of the network.