Abstract:
A system enables a service provider to provide real time, on-line help to a web page user. When the web page user initiates a help request, a client agent may automatically provide a service provider with information, about the particular web page that is causing the problem, sufficient to enable the service provider to access the web page. The agent also initiates a chat session between the service provider and the client. In this way, the service provider can see the actual web page that is causing the problem and may communicate through the chat session channel with the user. In one embodiment, a chat session dialog box may overlie the associated web page.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   This invention relates generally to providing help service to web site users. 
   Users may require help in connection with various web sites or web pages. Generally, when the user needs help, the user either operates a help button and receives, in effect, pre-prepared information or the user contacts the web site provider through a telephone or e-mail link. In many cases, the web site provider has a large number of web pages and may be uncertain exactly which web page the user has concerns about. In many cases, the web site provider must provide assistance to the web page user without viewing the web page or completely understanding the precise nature of the user&#39;s problem. 
   The quality of the service provided and the amount of time needed to help the user may suffer because the web site provider may not have a clear understanding of the exact issue raised by the user. In some cases, the web site provider can attempt to work through the web pages starting from the home page to attempt to recreate the situation plaguing the user. However, in some cases the user may not remember exactly how the user arrived at a given page. In other cases, it may take an extended amount of time for the web site provider to arrive at the same location in the web site currently creating the problem for the user. 
   Thus, there is a need for better ways for help service providers to communicate with users requesting help with web pages. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a chart showing a process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart for software on a client in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart for software on the client in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart for software on a help server in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 6  is a screen display in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A system  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a client  12 , a web server  20  and a help server  22 , all of which communicate over the Internet  18  in one embodiment of the invention. In some cases, the web server  20  and the help server  22  may be combined into a single site. The web server  20  provides a web page for viewing on a client  12  and the help server  22  assists the user of the client  12  with problems the user may have in understanding or using a given web page. 
   The client  12  may be a processor-based system such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, an Internet appliance, or a set-top box, as examples. The connection between the client  12  and the Internet  18  may be a wired or a wireless connection. The client  12  may be coupled to a storage  14 , such as a hard disk drive, that stores software including the client help software  16  and the help agent  26 . 
   The web server  20  may be a conventional Hyptertext Transfer Protocol web site provider that provides a plurality of web pages for viewing using the client  12 . Some of these pages may include a variety of features which may give rise to user problems. For example, the web server  20  may provide web pages that reference executables that may raise compatibility problems. Similarly, the web pages may require a user to fill out a form, for example to purchase a product. The completion of such forms may also give rise to problems. 
   The help server  22  may be a processor-based system such as a Hypertext Transfer Protocol server that communicates with the client  12  using the Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) in one embodiment of the invention. Thus, the communications between the help server  22  and the client  12  may be secure from general viewing. The help server  22  may be coupled to a storage  24  that stores software such as the help service routine  50 . 
   The operation of the system  10 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 , begins when the client  12  requests a web page from an Internet web site. The web server  20  associated with the web page serves the web page to the client  10 , for example using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). In the course of using or viewing the web page, the user may encounter a problem with the web page. As a result, the user may request help, for example by operating a help icon. 
   The help icon may be a conventional graphical user interface associated with a browser or with a particular web page. In response to the selection of the help icon, a client agent, resident on the client  12 , intercepts the Internet web page information, such as its Uniform Resource Locator. The client agent may then forward information about the client  12 , the web page and the Uniform Resource Locator to a help server  22 . The help server  22  receives the help request and determines whether the request is an appropriate request for the help server  22  to handle. For example, the help server  22  may be associated with a particular web server  20  and may not take general requests for assistance in one embodiment. 
   The client agent then automatically initiates a chat session via an Internet Reply Chat (IRC) channel. The chat session sets up a text communication via electronic mail between the client  12  and the help server  22 . The client agent also initiates an automatic refresh that recalls the subject web page and assists the client agent in forwarding the appropriate information to the help server  22 . 
   As a result, the help server  22  can display the exact same web page that the user is viewing. A person monitoring the help server  22  may then use that information and the associated chat session to receive user queries and to provide text responses to the user. Alternatively, the help service and the user may communicate over a telephone link. 
   Turning next to  FIG. 3 , the client help software  16 , resident on the storage  14  associated with the client  12 , initially receives a client request for web page as indicated in block  30  in one embodiment of the invention. When the web page is received, as determined at diamond  32 , a check at diamond  34  determines whether there is a help request. As mentioned previously, the help request may occur through the selection of an appropriate icon. The icon may be selected using a mouse cursor system. 
   The icon may be generated by the web server  20  and may include a link to the help server  22 . Alternatively, the icon may otherwise provide information, such as a Uniform Resource Locator, to enable a link to the help server  22  in one embodiment. The location of the help server  22  may be provided to a client agent that administers the help function. 
   When a help request is identified, the client automatically notifies the client agent as indicated in block  36 . If a help request is not forthcoming in a reasonably timely fashion, as determined in diamond  38 , the flow may end. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the help agent software  26  begins by identifying a client help request as indicated in diamond  40 . In some embodiments of the present invention, the request is initiated when the user selects an appropriate help icon on the web page. The agent then receives a browser data stream as indicated in block  42 . The browser data stream may include information about data that the user has entered into the web page and the location of the web page such as its Uniform Resource Locator. 
   The help agent automatically initiates a chat session as indicated in block  44 . In addition, the client agent automatically requests a refresh of the web page, as indicated in block  46 , to facilitate the transmission of the Uniform Resource Locator for that page to the help server  22 . The appropriate information, including the identification of the particular web page viewed by the client  12 , is then forwarded to the help server  22  as indicated in block  48 . 
   At the help server  22 , the software  50  receives a help request as indicated in block  52  in  FIG. 5 . The help server  22  authenticates the help request and, if appropriate, establishes a help session as indicated in block  54 . The web page information is then received from the client agent as indicated in block  56 . This information is utilized to display, at the help server  22 , the appropriate web page as indicated in block  58 . A service provider using the help server  22  may then communicate with the user using the established chat session to walk the user through a solution to the user&#39;s problems. 
   Thus, in one example, shown in  FIG. 6 , a web page  60  may be associated with an electronic commerce provider who may be providing products or services over the Internet. To facilitate communications with the electronic commerce provider, the provider may request information about the user as indicated at  62 . A number of dialog boxes  64  may be provided for the user to enter appropriate information. After the user has indicated that the user needs help by operating an icon  65 , a chat session is automatically initiated. The chat session may be initiated through a dialog box  66  that overlays the web page  60 . Thus, the user may enter a question (indicated at  68 ) and the web server  22  may provide an answer (as indicated at  70 ). 
   A method may comprise receiving a client request for help relating to a web page. Information to remotely access the web page is automatically provided. 
   While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.