Establishing a chat session between users in a network system

Abstract

A method and system for establishing a chat session between users in a network system. A request is received, from a first user at a first browser, to enter a chat session with a second user at a second browser. A request for information from a server specified by the second user is received asynchronously from the second user at the second browser, wherein the second browser has not received notice of the request from the first user to enter the chat session. The server is accessed to receive the information. The received information is modified by addition to the received information of a chat user interface to open a browser window at the second browser. Content of the browser window causes a chat applet instance to be downloaded for execution at the second browser to instantiate the chat session between the first user and the second user.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for establishing a chat session between users in a network system, said method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor of a computer from a first user at a first browser, a request to enter a chat session with a second user at a second browser;   after said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, said processor receiving asynchronously from the second user at the second browser a request for information from a server specified by the second user, said second browser not currently executing a chat applet instance and not having received notice of the request from the first user to enter the chat session; and   in response to the request for information from the server, said processor accessing the server to receive the information, modifying the received information by adding to the received information a chat user interface to open a browser window at the second browser, and transmitting the modified information to the second browser, wherein content of the browser window causes a chat applet instance to be downloaded from the computer for execution at the second browser, and wherein execution of the chat applet instance at the second browser instantiates the chat session between the first user and the second user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 said processor setting a time of life of the transmitted modified information in the header of pages of the modified information, wherein the time of life is sufficiently short to enable timely delivery of the modified information to the second browser via said transmitting the modified information to the second browser.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 said processor authenticating the second user to a message engine to enable unicast messaging capabilities; and thereafter   said processor serving to the second user, in further response to the request for information from the specified server, an interface to a collaboration tool for conveying text and/or multimedia messages with respect to the second user and the server.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 a processing unit at the second browser executing the chat applet instance to instantiate the chat session between the first user and said second user; and   said processing unit at the second browser establishing a persistent connection between the second browser and the computer to establish a channel for message exchange between the first and second browsers with the computer acting as proxy.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request to enter the chat session uses a chat invitation form which includes an identity of the second user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , said method further comprising:
 before said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, a processing unit at the first browser downloading a Java applet and executing the Java applet to display the chat invitation form to the first user; and   said a processing unit at the first browser receiving from the first user an entry of the identity of the second user in the displayed chat invitation form.   
     
     
         7 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable physically tangible storage having a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code upon being executed by a processor of a computer performs a method for establishing a chat session between users in a network system, said method comprising:
 said processor receiving, from a first user at a first browser, a request to enter a chat session with a second user at a second browser;   after said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, said processor receiving asynchronously from the second user at the second browser a request for information from a server specified by the second user, said second browser not currently executing a chat applet instance and not having received notice of the request from the first user to enter the chat session; and   in response to the request for information from the server, said processor accessing the server to receive the information, modifying the received information by adding to the received information a chat user interface to open a browser window at the second browser, and transmitting the modified information to the second browser, wherein content of the browser window causes a chat applet instance to be downloaded from the computer for execution at the second browser, and wherein execution of the chat applet instance at the second browser instantiates the chat session between the first user and the second user.   
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , said method further comprising:
 said processor setting a time of life of the transmitted modified information in the header of pages of the modified information, wherein the time of life is sufficiently short to enable timely delivery of the modified information to the second browser via said transmitting the modified information to the second browser.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , said method further comprising:
 said processor authenticating the second user to a message engine to enable unicast messaging capabilities; and thereafter   said processor serving to the second user, in further response to the request for information from the specified server, an interface to a collaboration tool for conveying text and/or multimedia messages with respect to the second user and the server.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , said method further comprising:
 a processing unit at the second browser executing the chat applet instance to instantiate the chat session between the first user and said second user; and   said processing unit at the second browser establishing a persistent connection between the second browser and the computer to establish a channel for message exchange between the first and second browsers with the computer acting as proxy.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , wherein the request to enter the chat session uses a chat invitation form which includes an identity of the second user. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , said method further comprising:
 before said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, a processing unit at the first browser downloading a Java applet and executing the Java applet to display the chat invitation form to the first user; and   said a processing unit at the first browser receiving from the first user an entry of the identity of the second user in the displayed chat invitation form.   
     
     
         13 . A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable physically tangible storage coupled to the processor, said storage storing program code which upon being executed by the processor performs a method for establishing a chat session between users in a network system, said method comprising:
 said processor receiving, from a first user at a first browser, a request to enter a chat session with a second user at a second browser;   after said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, said processor receiving asynchronously from the second user at the second browser a request for information from a server specified by the second user, said second browser not currently executing a chat applet instance and not having received notice of the request from the first user to enter the chat session; and   in response to the request for information from the server, said processor accessing the server to receive the information, modifying the received information by adding to the received information a chat user interface to open a browser window at the second browser, and transmitting the modified information to the second browser, wherein content of the browser window causes a chat applet instance to be downloaded from the computer for execution at the second browser, and wherein execution of the chat applet instance at the second browser instantiates the chat session between the first user and the second user.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 13 , said method further comprising:
 said processor setting a time of life of the transmitted modified information in the header of pages of the modified information, wherein the time of life is sufficiently short to enable timely delivery of the modified information to the second browser via said transmitting the modified information to the second browser.   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 13 , said method further comprising:
 said processor authenticating the second user to a message engine to enable unicast messaging capabilities; and thereafter   said processor serving to the second user, in further response to the request for information from the specified server, an interface to a collaboration tool for conveying text and/or multimedia messages with respect to the second user and the server.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 13 , said method further comprising:
 a processing unit at the second browser executing the chat applet instance to instantiate the chat session between the first user and said second user; and   said processing unit at the second browser establishing a persistent connection between the second browser and the computer to establish a channel for message exchange between the first and second browsers with the computer acting as proxy.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the request to enter the chat session uses a chat invitation form which includes an identity of the second user. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 17 , said method further comprising:
 before said receiving the request from the first user to enter the chat session, a processing unit at the first browser downloading a Java applet and executing the Java applet to display the chat invitation form to the first user; and   said a processing unit at the first browser receiving from the first user an entry of the identity of the second user in the displayed chat invitation form.