Method and system for collaborative and private sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9378523-B2
Application number	US-201414567833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2007
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Examples of a method and system for collaborative and private sessions are provided. A plurality of users is associated with a collaborative session. A common interface is displayed to the plurality of users, the common interface displaying a shared cursor. A first authority level is assigned to a first user of the plurality of users and a second authority level is assigned to a second user of the plurality of users. A first cursor movement request is received from the first user and a second cursor movement request is received from the second user. The first user is selected based on determining that the first authority level is higher than the second authority level. The shared cursor displayed in the common interface is moved according to the first cursor movement request from the first user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
associating a plurality of users with a collaborative session that includes displaying a common interface to a plurality of users, the common interface displaying a shared cursor;
assigning a first authority level to a first user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session and a second authority level to a second user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session;
receiving a first cursor movement request from the first user of the plurality of users and a second cursor movement request from the second user of the plurality of users;
determining that the first authority level of the first user meets a threshold authority level;
selecting, using one or more processors, the first user based on determining that the first authority level of the first user is higher than the second authority level of the second user; and
moving the shared cursor displayed in the common interface according to the first cursor movement request from the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the first user is further based on the determination that the first authority level meets the threshold authority level.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request from the first user to begin the collaborative session associated with the plurality of users, wherein the assigning the first authority level to the first user includes assigning a higher authority level than the remaining plurality of users associated with the collaborative session.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an execution request from a first user of the plurality of users and a second execution request from a second user of the plurality of users; and
processing the execution request from the first user based on the selecting the first user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the execution request includes a request to process an indication made on the common interface of the collaborative session.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the first user is further based on satisfaction of at least one cursor movement criterion.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to conduct a side session, the side session being displayed to a subset of the plurality of users;
providing a side session to the subset of the plurality of users;
determining that merge criterion associated with the collaborative session is satisfied; and
including the side session within the collaborative session based on the determination.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing the side session to the subset of the plurality of users includes providing an additional interface separate from the common interface of the collaborative session.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an order request for an item during the collaborative session;
designating a primary account to provide value in exchange for the item purchased with the order request, the primary account associated with at least one of the plurality of users; and
processing the order request for the item against the primary account.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that completion criterion for the first user associated with the collaborative session is satisfied; and
terminating the collaborative session for the first user based on the determination.

11. A system comprising:
an application server; and
an application operating within the application server configured to:
associate a plurality of users with a collaborative session that includes displaying a common interface to a plurality of users, the common interface displaying a shared cursor;
assign a first authority level to a first user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session and a second authority level to a second user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session;
receive a first cursor movement request from the first user of the plurality of users and a second cursor movement request from the second user of the plurality of users;
determine that the first authority level of the first user meets a threshold authority level;
select the first user based on determining that the first authority level of the first user is higher than the second authority level of the second user; and
move the shared cursor displayed in the common interface according to the first cursor movement request from the first user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to select the first user based on the determination that the first authority level meets the threshold authority level.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to receive a request from the first user to begin the collaborative session associated with the plurality of users, and assign a higher authority level than the remaining plurality of users associated with the collaborative session.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to receive an execution request from a first user of the plurality of users and a second execution request from a second user of the plurality of users, and process the execution request from the first user based on the selecting the first user.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the execution request includes a request to process an indication made on the common interface of the collaborative session.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to select the first user based on satisfaction of at least one cursor movement criterion.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to:
receive a request to conduct a side session, the side session being displayed to a subset of the plurality of users;
provide a side session to the subset of the plurality of users;
determine that merge criterion associated with the collaborative session is satisfied; and
include the side session within the collaborative session based on the determination.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the application is further to provide an additional interface separate from the common interface of the collaborative session.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the application is further to:
receive an order request for an item during the collaborative session;
designate a primary account to provide value in exchange for the item purchased with an order request, the primary account associated with at least one of the plurality of users; and
processing the order request for the item against the account.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
associating a plurality of users with a collaborative session that includes displaying a common interface to a plurality of users, the common interface displaying a shared cursor;
assigning a first authority level to a first user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session and a second authority level to a second user of the plurality of users associated with the collaborative session;
receiving a first cursor movement request from the first user of the plurality of users and a second cursor movement request from the second user of the plurality of users;
determining that the first authority level of the first user meets a threshold authority level;
selecting the first user based on determining that the first authori

Assignees

• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Gould Helen M
• Garcia Edward O'Neil
• Melcher Ryan
• Lagunas Diego
• Bolivar Alvaro
• Anderson Jennifer T
• Susilo Karenina
• Spoon Ryan
• Lewis Alan

Classifications

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L51/04

  Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] · CPC title

• H04L67/20

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06F3/04812

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title