Abstract:
A call center system allows a representative and a user to jointly browse World Wide Web content while simultaneously conducting a voice conversation over either a circuit switched or packet switched network. A user may initiate a joint browsing, or synchronous collaboration, session by accessing a web page associated with the call center. A call center server downloads a user applet to the user&#39;s computer. The user applet communicates state information about the user computer&#39;s browser display, or user view, to the server. The server stores this state information. The server then downloads a service applet to the browser of a selected call center representative. The service applet generates a service view including a representation of the user view and a script frame that controls the representation of the user view. The representative may, for example, alter the representation of the user view by selecting a hyperlink or entering information into an HTML form. The service applet communicates these alterations to the server. The user applet periodically polls the server to detect the representatives alterations to the representation of the user view and updates the user view accordingly. In a similar manner, the user applet conveys to the server the user&#39;s alterations to the user view so the representative computer&#39;s representation of the user view may be updated. Although only the single user and representative case is described here, multiple users and multiple representatives may conduct a single conference.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/017,027 filed May 7, 1996. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for coordinating Internet communication between two users. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for coordinating Internet multi-media communication such that the two users can view and modify a copy of the same multi-media content, where any modifications made by one user are subsequently viewed by a second user, as well as enhancing the communication by supplementing any visual communication with audio communication. 
     Businesses commonly service customers through call centers staffed with technical support personnel, sales support personnel, or service personnel (hereinafter collectively referred to as sales representative) that can answer the customer&#39;s questions. Typically, these centers use an automated call distributor (“ACD”) system to handle incoming calls from the telephone network. Commercially available ACD systems provide call processing, voice processing, data processing and network capabilities for the call centers. The ACD system usually routes customer calls to a sales representative. The sales representative typically uses a headset and a user device connected to the ACD system to respond to the incoming calls. The ACD system can route the calls to queues, which can be customized to reflect how a business wants to prioritize and route incoming calls. 
     While the customer is on-hold, the ACD system also provides the customer with information. Typically, the ACD system will notify the customer that the customer&#39;s call is important, “please hold”, suggest that the customer call back during non-peak hours, or inform the customer the time the customer can expect to be on-hold, for example. In such an implementation, the customer has to wait on the telephone while listening to the repeated messages of the ACD system. This can frustrate the customer. It also restricts the customer from performing many other tasks while the customer is waiting on the phone for the sales representative or technical specialist. In some implementations, the ACD systems pipe advertising to the customer while the customer is on-hold. The customer, however, may not be interested in the products or services that are being advertised, and may have further frustration from being subjected to the advertisements. Alternatively, the ACD system can provides the customer with melodies during the on-hold period. In this implementation, however, the customer is still restricted from doing other tasks and the business looses an opportunity to advertise. 
     Another way businesses communicate with customers is via Internet web pages. Businesses elicit questions from customers by advertising the business&#39;s products on Internet web pages. Such web pages allow the customer requesting that a sales representative of the business contact them. To request service, the customer inserts their name and e-mail address or phone number in a space provided on the web page and activates a call-me button. Thereafter, the sales representative is sent an e-mail containing the request for service, to which the sales representative responds. However, when the sales representative responds, either by phone or e-mail, the customer is most likely no longer viewing the business&#39;s web page, and thus the business&#39;s web page cannot contribute to the sales representative&#39;s pitch. Moreover, the response is not immediate, sometimes with log times measured in days, and during the interim the customer may buy another product. 
     An intermediate solution to answer a customer&#39;s questions regarding products is presented by allowing the customer to use or view a demonstration of the business&#39;s product while on the Internet. By way of example, if a customer wants to buy software, the customer may go to the business&#39;s web site and request a software demonstration. The web site downloads to the customer the software demonstration. If all the customer&#39;s questions are answered by viewing the demonstration, then the customer can then purchase the software. If the customer still has unanswered questions, however, the customer will again have to either place a telephone call or wait for a delayed e-mail or call response. 
     A further disadvantage of providing the customer a software demonstration downloaded from the Internet is the amount of time it takes a customer to go to each web site, ascertain the product the customer wants to view, and then wait while the appropriate plug-in or code, for example, is downloaded to the customer&#39;s computer. If the customer only needs to view a part of the demonstration, downloading the entire code to a customer unnecessarily uses resources of the customer. In addition, the time the customer waits for code to be downloaded is again wasted time, just as was waiting on the phone. One solution to this problem is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,643 to Judson which claims a method for displaying information on a graphic user interface when a customer is waiting for a link to download on the Internet. However, this is akin to the making the customer listen to unwanted advertisements on the phone and, thus, still has the previously described problems. 
     A further disadvantage of downloading a software demonstration is that whatever is downloaded is viewed by the customer alone without the assistance of the sales representative. The software demonstrations are not usually concurrent-use software applications that can be viewed simultaneously at remote locations. Thus, the software applications cannot be viewed by both the customer and the sales representative simultaneously. Further, if they were, this would require even longer download periods. In addition, such applications would require a large amount of the customer&#39;s resources to run and be difficult for the customer to manipulate. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus to decrease the time between a customer&#39;s request for information over the Internet and a sales representative&#39;s response, such that the customer can still access the sales representative&#39;s web site. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide the customer with relevant information while they are on hold, thus enhancing the usefulness of the time that the customers are on-hold waiting to speak to a sales representative. 
     It is another object of this invention to allow business&#39;s to advertise products to customers while they are on hold that are of interest to the customer. 
     It is a further object of this invention to decrease the time and resources used to download information, such that the customer only has to wait for what that individual customer requires. 
     It is still another object of this invention to allow customers to communicate with the sales representative regarding the application without requiring the customer to learn the specific software applications. 
     It is still another object of this invention to allow customers to collaborate with the sales representative without using the customers time and resources to have a complex concurrent-use program downloaded to the customer. 
     It is a further object of this invention to allow sales representatives to conduct business over multiple networks, such as the telephone network and the Internet. 
     These and other objects of the invention will be obvious and will appear hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aforementioned and other objects are achieved by the invention which provides an apparatus for coordinating Internet communication between at least two users and a method associated therewith. The apparatus provides a visual communication across a network between a user computer and a second computer which is in communication with a server disposed between the user computer and the second computer. 
     The method facilitates visual communication across the network that is platform independent. As such, neither the user computer nor the second computer is restricted to using any particular operating system or software application. The only requirement of the user computer and the second computer is that it has a browser-like application for reading files. In the preferred embodiment, the browser is a hyper-text markup language (“HTML”) browser. 
     To provide the visual communication between the user computer and the second computer, a link is established between the user computer and the server and a link is established between the server and the second computer. The server, the user computer, and the second computer can be fully distributed across the network. 
     In addition to being part of the link that is established, the server selectively transmits to the user computer a user applet. The user applet enables the user computer to communicate with the server. The second computer either has a service applet disposed thereon or the service applet is provided to the second computer by the server. The service applet and the user applet enable the visual communication to occur without requiring either the user computer or the second computer to have any executable files pre-installed to enable the user computer or the second computer to have a shared view. Further, the user applet and the server applet bi-directionally communicate with the server, and thus can bi-directionally communicate with each other through the server. 
     After the user computer has received the user applet, the user computer generates a user view. Either in parallel or thereafter, the server communicates that the link is established between the server and the user computer to the service applet. Thereafter, a session is selectively established between the user computer and the second computer. 
     During the session, the second computer and user computer both display on the browser of their computer, respectively, a shared view in their user interfaces. The shared view allows a user of the user computer to see a copy of the same content as is displayed on the second computer, and vise versa. Thus, both users of the user computer and second computer will be looking at the same content displayed on the browser. 
     The user interface of the user computer is called a user view, while the user interface of the second computer is called a service view. The service view contains a representation of the user view, the representation of the user view is the shared view. 
     Either the user computer or the second computer can manipulate the shared view. For example, the second computer can change the shared view from content at one universal resource locator (“URL”) source location to content at a second URL source location. If the second computer implements a change to the shared view, the change is communicated to the service applet. The service applet transmits the change to the server, and the server subsequently transmits the changes to the user applet. The user applet then implements the change in the user view, and notifies the server that the change has been implemented. After the service applet receives notification from the server that the user view has changed, the service applet changes the representation of the user view in the service view, thereby conforming the shared view of the second computer to match the shared view of the user computer. This process enables the second computer to communicate to the user computer. The process can be performed bi-directionally, such that the user computer can change the user view and cause a conforming change in the second computer. 
     Various implementations of this method can be enabled by the user computer or the second computer. One implementation allows changes to the URL source location of the shared view. Another implementation allows changes to the images in the shared view. A further implementation of this embodiment of the invention allows the shared view to be a software application. A still further embodiment allows the shared view to display software demonstration programs. 
     An additional implementation of this embodiment is an interactive use of forms, where each form has objects. In this implementation, the form is represented as an array having arguments where the arguments represent the objects of the form. As the user computer or the second computer changes entries on the form, the user applet or the service applet, respectively, updates the objects in the array such that the array now represents any changes in the user interface. Then as previously described the changes are implemented in the shared view of both the user computer and the second computer. 
     A further implementation for the interactive use of forms supplements the forms to be event monitoring, such that when the objects on the forms change the objects notify the applets of the change. A still further implementation rewrites the objects as applets. Again, the changes to the objects are implemented in the shared view. 
     To enable the visual communication, the server must download the user applet to the user computer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the server enhances a resource collection function of the user&#39;s computer by only downloading to the user computer a user applet representative of the functionality the user computer needs at that time. As such, the server ascertains what the user computer needs and generates an applet representative of that functionality and downloads that applet to the user computer. If later on during the visual communication the user computer requires greater functionality, the server will then download a second user applet containing the necessary functionality. In this way, the server decreases the resource collection of the user computer in both time and space while enabling the functions of the resource that the user wishes to enable. 
     The user applet is further enhanced by the use of a script. The script is displayed on the user interface of the second computer, preferably adjacent to the representation of the user view. The display can be a list of scripts from which the second computer can choose or the script that the user of the second computer has selected. The script is in communication with the service applet. The script has simplified commands which it transmits to the service applet to enable the service applet to implement any changes in shared view and transmit the changes to the user applet as previously described. In the preferred embodiment the script is written in hyper-text markup language (“HTML”). 
     The visual communication can be between more than one user computer and more than one second computer. This enables many-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many communication between at least one user computer and at least one second computer. Each of the more than one second computer can be identical or each of the more than one second computer can have differing service applets which are adapted to perform differing functions, such as administrative, sales, or technical support. 
     If the embodiment has more than one second computer, the server also has more than one queue to which it routes call requests from the user computers. A queue contains one or more call requests from the user computers. The queue is further displayed selectively on one or more second computers. The server routes call requests using various methods, such as a first-come, first-serve basis, according to attributes of the user computers, sales specialty of the second computers, or logic formulas, which may comprise formulas relate to time of call, number of call requests presently in queue, among other items. The attributes can be collected by prompting to the user computer, or the user applet can extract the attributes from the user computer. 
     When the call request of the user computer is placed in a queue, the server notifies the user applet regarding status of the of the queue user computer&#39;s call request. The server will display to the user computer in its user interface the status of the queue, enabling the user computer to know when his call request will likely be answered. 
     In one embodiment, while an entry of the user computer is in the queue, the server through the user applet displays supplemental information which is analogous to MUZAK, a trademark of Muzak, Inc., on the user computer until the user computer&#39;s call request is answered. In one embodiment, the computer supplemental information is selectively transmitted from the server based upon the attributes of the user computer. In another embodiment, the server transmits the computer supplemental information based upon scripts. While the user computer is displaying the computer supplemental information, the user computer also has a control view generated by the user applet that enables the user computer options such as disconnect or call me later, among other options. 
     In still another embodiment, the visual communication across the network is married to audio communication between the user computer and the second computer. In one implementation of this embodiment, both the user computer and the second computer have a voice-over net capability that is enabled during the session between user computer and second computer. In another embodiment, a traditional telephony system is used to implement the audio communication during the session. In this embodiment one audio device will be associated with at least one second computer and at least one user computer. The audio device can either initiate the communication or be used after the initiation of the visual communication between the user computer and the second computer. As such, the users of the user computer and the second computer can view shared content over the network as well as audibly communicate. 
     In the implementation where the audio communication is established first, the second computer directs the user computer to an appropriate address, or URL source location, whereupon the user computer is linked to the server and provides a user applet as previously described. In this embodiment, the user computer can also selectively be provided a password to enter the call session, thus enabling the call session to be private. 
     In still another embodiment, the second computer can be a component of a call center where the call center has an automated call distribution system (“ACD”). In this embodiment, the ACD also has a call queue. The call queue can be communicated to the server via the network if the ACD is also connected to the network, and as such the call queue of the ACD can work in tandem with or complement queue of the server. In this embodiment, the call center can utilize any additional capabilities of the ACD while supplementing the ACD with visual communication enabled by the server, the user applet, and the service applet. 
     In another embodiment, the communication between the server and the user computer can be conducted through a firewall using tunneling. 
     In further aspects, the invention provides methods in accord with the apparatus described above. The aforementioned and other aspects of the invention are evident in the drawings and in the description that follows. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description, when read together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a system diagram of one embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a user interface in accordance with one embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 4A shows a second user interface in accordance with one embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 4B shows a third user interface of another embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a system diagram having more than one second computer in accordance with another embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 6 shows a system diagram of yet another embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 7A shows a flow chart of one implementation of how a user computer enters a call session in accordance with this invention; and 
     FIG. 7B is a flow chart of a second implementation of how a user computer enters a call session in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the present invention retains utility within a variety of networks and may be embodied in several different forms, it is advantageously employed in connection with the Internet. Although this is the form of the preferred embodiment and will be described as such, this embodiment should be considered illustrated and not restricted. 
     FIG. 1 shows a system  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the system  10  includes a user computer  12  in communication with a network  16  and a second computer  24  in communication with the network  16 . The system  10  further comprises a server  20  interposed between the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  also in communication with the network  16 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, network  16  is the Internet. As such, communication there over is via Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“TCP\IP”). It should be obvious to those skilled in the art, however, that network  16  could be an intranet or any network capable of supporting communication protocols. 
     Similarly, the system  10  can be partially distributed, as opposed to the fully distributed depiction of FIG.  1 . For instance, the server  20  and the second computer  24  could be connected to a local area network (“LAN”) or a wide area network (“WAN”) which, in turn, is connected to network  16 . 
     The user computer  24  and the second computer  24  can be a personal computer, workstation, terminal, laptop or any device capable of displaying a user interface and storing an applet. The user computer  12  and the second computer  24 , however, must have a browser  18 ,  28 , respectively, where a browser shall be defined herein as any application software or firmware that can interpret files to create a view thereon, the files include for example, HTML, Javascript. An example of such browser includes, for example, any common Internet browser, inter alia, and a Java workstation, inter alia. As described hereinafter in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  access the server  20  through the browsers  18 ,  28 , respectively. The browsers  18 ,  28  are displayed on the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  via a display  14 ,  26 , which is a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display, for example. 
     Once the user computer  12  accesses the server  20  utilizing the browser  18 , the server  20  transmits to the user computer  12  a user applet  22 . The user applet  22  is adapted to enable the user computer  12  to communicate through the network  16  with the server  20 . A service applet  30  is disposed on the second computer  24  to enable the second computer  24  to communicate with the server  20 . The service applet  30  can either be transmitted to the second computer  24  by the server  20  or be disposed thereon. After the user computer  12  receives the user applet  22 , the second computer  24  is notified that a link is established, and that a session can be established between the user computer  12  and the second computer  24 . When the session is established, users of the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  can visually communicate. 
     The users of the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  visually communicate by sharing content on their respective displays  14 ,  26 . More particularly, the browser  18  displays a user interface containing a user view on the user computer  12 , while the browser  28  displays a user interface on the second computer  24 . When a session is enabled, the user interface of the second computer  24  contains a representation of the user view that is displayed on the user computer  12 . Thus during a session, the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  are viewing a copy of the same user view on their respective browsers  18 ,  28 . The user computer  12  and the second computer  24  are then viewing shared content. 
     During the session, either party can manipulate the shared content displayed on the party&#39;s computer. When the shared content is manipulated, the applet disposed on that party&#39;s computer will communicate to the server  20  through the network  16  that there has been a change to the shared content. In the preferred embodiment, the applets  22 ,  30  selectively poll the server  20  during a session to ascertain whether an event has occurred, such as a change in the shared content. This is facilitated by designating each session and each applet in the session with a unique identifier, as further described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. When an applet polls the server  20  having the proper session identifier, the server  20  communicates to the applet that an event has occurred. That applet then communicates with the browser of its respective computer and causes the browser to display any changes in the shared content. Once the browser of the unchanged computer displays what was communicated to it by the server  20 , both parties will again be looking at the same shared content on their respective browsers. This process continues back and forth such that either party may lead the other to view, for instance, another web page or a software demonstration, among other items hereinafter discussed. 
     In another implementation, the server  20 , instead of the applet, can retrieve the changes to the shared content and then transmit the changes to the applets in the session. In this implementation, the server  20  acts as a proxy server, the function of a proxy server is well known in the art. 
     In the preferred embodiment, after a user of the second computer  24  elects to alter the shared content, the service applet  30  waits for a response from the server  20  before updating the shared content on the second computer. It waits for a response from the server  20  that it has communicated the user applet  22  and has changed the shared content on the user computer  12 . Once the server  20  receives communication back from the user applet  22  that it has changed the shared content on the browser of the user computer  12 , the server notifies the service applet  30  of the second computer  24 . At this time, service applet  22  of the second computer  24  updates the representation of the shared content  52  of the second computer&#39;s interface. In this manner, the user interface of the second computer  24  will not get ahead of the user computer  12 . It should also be noted that each computer  12 ,  24  are retrieving the shared content  52  independently and, in this instance, not sending the shared content  52  from one computer to another. 
     It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the server  20  can inform the applets  22 ,  30  in each session of any changes without requiring the applets  22 ,  30  to poll the server  20  without departing from the scope of this invention. Further, the applets  22 ,  30  can work in conjunction with the server  30  such that any combination of polls or pushes results in the applets  22 ,  30  being notified that an event has occurred. Moreover, polling can be replaced with event driven technology, or similar notification technologies, as the event driven technology becomes more acceptable on the Internet. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the server  20  is a JAVA server utilizing JAVA objects. JAVA is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. The user applet  22  and the service applet  30  communicate with the objects disposed upon the server  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the applets  34  are also JAVA applets. This enables the system  10  to be a cross-platform system and as such does not need any executable files previously disposed on the user computer  12  or any of the computers involved in the session. The JAVA server can run on a UNIX computer, a MACINTOSH computer, MS Windows computer, a Silicon Graphics computer, or any other well-known computers in the art. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&amp;T Corp. MACINTOSH is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. 
     The user applet  22  performs event monitoring and communication as was described in part above. The user applet  22  also has a model controller view. The model controller view of the user applet  22  is the user view which is further described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. The user applet  22  also shares much of the object model of the system  10 , unlike a typical client. The user applet  22  having a portion of the object model allows the system  10  to function when it is fully distributed. This implementation makes it easy to replace the polling mechanism with distributed object communication technologies including, for example, Remote Method Invocation (“RMI”) © Javascript, Sun, Common Object Request Broker Architecture (“CORBA”), Internet Inter-Orb Protocol (“IIOP”) and Distributed Component Object Model (“DCOM”), © Microsoft. For example, the system  10  can manipulate an object on the user computer  12  and have the user computer  12  transmit through the user applet  22  to the server  20  a response, both while the user computer  12  is unaware that the communication or manipulation of the object has occurred. This implementation, among other things, enables the server  20  to extract from the user computer  12  attributes of the user computer  12  where the attributes can include items such as the user computer&#39;s e-mail address, the user computer&#39;s history of links on the network  16 , and the user computer&#39;s specifications, among other items. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the user applet  22  is a persistent applet. The user applet  22  is loaded into a cache (not shown) of the user computer  12 , preferably a local cache. It is persistent because once the user applet  22  is downloaded from the server  20 , the user applet  22  remains on the user computer  12  as long as the user computer  12  remains in the session with the server  20 , unless it gets removed from the local cache by the user computer  12  as is well known in the art. However, if it is not removed, the persistent applet will remain disposed on the user computer  12  such that it will not have to be downloaded again from the server  20 . The user applet  22  will remain in the cache regardless of any changes to the user interface of the user computer  12 . 
     The user applet  22  is selectively generated by the server  20  to enhance a resource collection function of the user computer  12  while enabling the user computer  12  to participate in the visual communication. To enhance the resource collection function of the user computer  12 , the server  20  evaluates the functions of a resource, such as a spreadsheet application for example, that the user computer  12  requires at any given point in time. After the server  20  evaluates these functions, it then generates the user applet  22  representative of the functions. Once the server  20  generates the user applet  22  representative of these functions, it transmits the user applet  22  to the user computer  12 , as previously described. 
     Typically, the functions represented in the user applet  22  are only a subset of the functionality of the resource. This is analogous to using EXCEL, a trademark of Microsoft Corp., spreadsheet and only getting the graphing feature when one tries to use it, for example. By only including a subset of the functionality as required by the user computer  12 , the time for downloading between the server  20  and the user computer  12  is decreased. Further, the amount of storage space required in the user computer  12  is also decreased. Thus, the server  20  by selectively generating the user applet  22  enhances the resource collection function of the user computer  12 . It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the server  20  can, in real-time or pursuant to a timer, continually download to the user computer  12  any necessary functionality in an applet  22 . The user computer  12  can also trigger the server  20  to inform it that it needs to be given an additional applet. In the system  10 , the user computer  12  receives what it needs as it needs it. Thus, the user computer  12  is optimized as a very thin client in the thin client fat server model. 
     For example, if a user computer  12  enters a session to share a web page as further described hereinafter, the server  20  only downloads functionality to the user computer  12  necessary for the browser  18  to be notified about, and to display the web page. If, for example, the user computer  12  is sharing a software application, then the server  20  will download to the user computer  12  another applet in real time of the next piece of functionality the user computer  12  needs to implement the software application. 
     It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the selective generation of an applet and subsequent downloading of that applet can be used for applications outside of the system  10  without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Turning now to the service applet  30 , the service applet  30  can comprise one or more applets each adapted to provide the second computer  24  with different functionality. The service applet  30  at minimum must provide the second computer  24  with the ability to communicate with the server  20 . Again, the server  20  can download the service applet  30  in real time to the second computer  24  during the session. The service applet  30  shares much of the object model with the user applet  22 , as previously described, to enable implementation of the system  10  in a distributed environment. One implementation uses a proprietary interface definition language to communicate session information between applets  22 ,  30  and the server  20  based on a polling model, while another is based on event notification. Thus, the service applet  30  and the user applet  22  enable the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  to bi-directionally communicate over the network  16 . 
     The visual communication of system  10  is further enhanced by audio communication between the users of the user computer  12  and the second computer  24 . In one implementation, the user computer  12  connects to the server  20 , receives the user applet  22 , and the service applet  30  is notified of a call request from the user computer  12 . Upon notification of the request, the second computer  24  implements audio communication either through voice over network (“VON”) applications or a traditional telephony system (not shown). At this point, the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  are in communication both audibly and visually. 
     The visual communication can be further described with reference to FIG. 2, which shows a block diagram of the system of FIG.  1 . As was previously described, the server  20  transmits through the network  16  applets  34 . The applets include the user applet  22 , the service applet  30 , any other applet necessary to give the user computer  12  or the second computer  24  functionality. 
     The server  20  is capable of ascertaining, as hereinafter described, what type of computer is requesting a download of one of the applets  34 . This is achieved by having participants, such as the user computer and the second computer, in a session use different sign-on pages and/or by analyzing an information payload sent by the browsers in an HTTP sign-on request. As such, if the server  20  identifies that the requester is the user computer  12  then it downloads the user applet  22  capable of generating a user view  90  and the functionality the user computer  12  requires as previously described. If, on the other hand, the server  20  ascertains that the requester is a sales representative, then it downloads a service applet  30  capable of generating a sales view  50 . Similarly, if the server  20  ascertains that the requester is a system administrator, the server  20  downloads an applet capable of generating an administrator view  36 . 
     The server  20  ascertains and validates which type of user is requesting one of the applets  34  by various methods. One such method allows the server  20  to validate each of the computers using a password system. In this implementation, any requester can get any view  36 ,  50 ,  90  as long as it has the appropriate validation codes such as a name and a password. Additionally, with the appropriate validation codes a requester can log-on from anywhere in the world that is connected to the network  16 . Thus, others can join in a current session simply by knowing the validation codes. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the sales representative and the administrator have predetermined passwords stored in a database (not shown) communicating with the server  20 . The database can be disposed on the server  20  or remotely therefrom. The server  20  communicates with the database through a database interface that uses Java Database Connectivity (“JDBC”) or other Object Database Connectivity (“ODBC”) equivalent database languages, for example. In the preferred embodiment the database is a relational database, although it can be an object database or other forms of data storage well known in the art. 
     As such, when a requester logs-on to the server  20 , the server  20  checks the database to see whether the requester has a valid log-on and the associated applets  34  required by the requester. Once the server  20  validates the log-on, then as described, the server  20  will download one of the applets  34 . In this way, the administrator can function as a sales representative having at one time a service applet  30  downloaded to it via the server  20  and at another time have an administrator applet downloaded to it via the server  20 . 
     The user computer  12  communicates with the server  20  through a web page. The user computer  12  either requests a call through the web page or enters a password on the web page that was provided to the user computer by the sales representative, as described further with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. Thus, the server  20  can uniquely identify that a user computer  12  is requesting a user applet to generate the user view  90  by the method of communication with the server  20 . 
     Each of the applets  34  allows the browser of the respective computer to generate the associated views  36 ,  50 ,  90 . In a session, the shared content is displayed in the user view  90  of the user computer  12  by the browser  18 , while the shared content is displayed on the second computer  24  within the sales view  50 . The user interface of the second computer  24  or the sales view  50  contains a representation of the user view  90 . 
     When the shared content in the user view  90  or the representation of the user view is manipulated by one party, through communication among the applets  34  and the server  20  the shared content of the other party&#39;s view will be updated. For example, suppose the sales view  50  contains an HTML file located at the URL source location www.webline.com. The user view  90  will also contain a copy of the HTML file with the URL source location www.webline.com. If the second computer  24  wishes to direct the user computer  12  to the service&#39;s page of the Webline Corporation located at www.webline_services.com, then the second computer  24  can change its sales view  90  such that the URL source location of the shared view is www.webline_services.com. Once the second computer  24  changes the sales view  50  by methods such as the script as described hereinafter, or just by typing in the URL source location, the URL source location of that page is then transmitted by the service applet  30  to the server  20 . The server  20  then tells every other applet that is part of the session that there is a new URL source location. In this example, the server  20  will tell the user applet  22  that there is a new URL source location. After the user applet  22  receives information, it then causes the browser  18  of the user computer  12  to pull down a new page from the network  16  and display on the user view  90  a copy of the HTML file at www.webline_services.com. The shared content can include web pages, files, application images, advertisements, interactive forms data, or application data among any other form of data that can be captured and displayed on the browser. 
     In addition to the sales view  50  and user view  90 , other views can also be implemented by the applet such as an administrative view  36 , for example. The administrative view  36  displays information such as the structure of the sales force, reports, real-time monitoring of the communications, queue structure and status, which will be further described hereinafter, for example. It should obvious to one skilled in the art that the administration view  36 , the sales view  50 , and the customer view  90  can be disposed on one computer or more than one computer. 
     Further any computer displaying the views  50 ,  90 ,  36  require a particular operating system  38  to accept the applet and share content in the preferred embodiment. As such, they can be Windows-based, Macintosh-based, or UNIX-based, among others. Further, the browsers  40  can be any number of types, such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft IE, Sun Hot Java, for example. Further, the browsers  18 ,  28  do not have to be the same on the user computer  12  and the second computer  24 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, which shows at least one user interface that in the preferred embodiment is the sales view  50 . In addition to a representation of the user view  52  that contains the shared content, the user interface also contains a script screen  54 . 
     The script screen  54  can display a plurality of scripts  58  or just one of the plurality scripts that is activated in the user interface. The second computer  24  can have predetermined scripts  58  illustrated on script screen  54  from which to choose, where each of the scripts  58  may be tailored to assist a particular type of user computer  12  or second computer  24 . For example the scripts  58  could include: information regarding a company, a state of the market script, features of products, benefits, architecture or any set of information limited only by the imagination of the user. In the preferred embodiment, the scripts  58  are written in HTML so that the scripts  58  are displayed in the browser. 
     The scripts  58  dictate the shared content contained in the representation of the user view  52 . The scripts  58  perform this function by having links that push the shared content into the representation of the user view  52 , which, as previously described, is also pushed into the user view of the user computer  12 . The scripts  58  perform this function by communicating with the service applet  30 . As the service applet in the preferred embodiment is a Java applet, the script communicates with the service applet  30  using Javascript-to-Java communication in which a Javascript command can invoke a public method in a Java applet. It should be obvious to one skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible. Similarly, in another implementation the scripts  58  can communicate directly with the server  20 , instead of the service applet  30 . 
     The scripts  58  control what is displayed in a section of the browser adjacent to the scripts. As such, the scripts  58  update the browsers in a manner different than that is currently done for HTML files. 
     An example of a script in the preferred embodiment is as follows: 
     &lt;html&gt; 
     &lt;head&gt; 
     &lt;title&gt;Web.Dialog Sales Screen&lt;/title&gt; 
     &lt;head&gt; 
     &lt;body&gt; 
     &lt;font size=5 color=brown&gt;&lt;b&gt; Web.Dialog Sales Screen &lt;/b&gt; &lt;/font&gt; 
     &lt;br&gt; 
     &lt;font size=2&gt; &lt;b&gt; Web.Dialog version 1.0 Beta 1 &lt;/b&gt; &lt;/font&gt; 
     &lt;hr&gt; 
     &lt;font size=4&gt; 
     &lt;ul&gt; 
     &lt;li&gt;&lt;a 
     href=“javascript:top.salesrepFrame.document.SalesRepApplet.setAddress (‘http://www.webline.com’) “&gt;Share www.webline.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
     &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; 
     &lt;li&gt;&lt;a 
     href=“javascript:top.salesrepFrame.document.SalesRepApplet.setAddress (‘http://www.microsoft.com’) “&gt;Share www.microsoft.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li. 
     &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; 
     &lt;li&gt;&lt;a 
     href=“javascript:top.salesrepFrame.document.SalesRepApplet.setAddress (‘http://www.netscape.com’) “&gt;Share www.netscape.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; 
     &lt;/ul&gt; 
     &lt;/font&gt; 
     &lt;/body&gt; 
     &lt;/html&gt; 
     In this example, the script is an HTML Java script, which contains Javascript to communicate with the Java applet. The script is displayed in the top sales representative frame of the user interface, where the top sales representative frame is the script frame  54 . In the code href=Javascript:top.salesrepFrame.document.SalesRepApplet.setAddress, setAddress is a public method in the Java applet, which takes as an argument a URL source location, that instructs the applet to share the URL source location between all the participants in the session, being the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  in one embodiment. This particular script, if enabled by the second computer  24 , will allow the second computer  24  push into the shared content the HTML file having a URL source location http://www.webline.com, http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.netscape.com. 
     For example, if the user of the second computer  24  wants to push http://www.webline.com into the shared content. In this example, the service applet  30  will receive from the script that the second computer  24  wants the shared content to display the file having the URL source location http://www.webline.com. The service applet  30  will then waits for a response from the server  20  that the server has verified that the user applet  22  has instructed the browser of the user computer  12  to download from the network  16  the file having the URL source location http://www.webline.com. Once the service applet  30  is notified that the server  20  has received the address of the shared content, the service applet  30  of the second computer  24  updates the representation of the shared content  52  of the second computer&#39;s interface, and the user applet  22  would receive the address of the shared content and update the shared content. The process would be repeated if the second computer  24  then selected to push the www.microsoft.com file into the shared content. 
     It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that scripts  58  can be used to push all the forms of shared content herein discussed to the user computer, including, scripts  58  that initiate a file transfer to download information to the user view from a remote location, for example. 
     As the scripts  58  are in HTML, users can easily write them. Scripts  58  can even be written interactively by allowing the user of the second computer  24  to insert the arguments from the script by simply going from one page to the next while having the script translate URL of that web page and insert it as an argument in its script. The scripts  58  can also be dynamically defined to push shared content according to attributes of the user computer  12  and/or attributes of the second computer  24 . As such, the scripts  58  can be dynamically defined by the server  20  that access the attributes. 
     In addition, the second computer  24  can dynamically generate scripts during the session to meet any requirements of the session. For example, the second computer  24  can create a script to push the product comparison into the shared content in response to a request of the user computer  12  to see a product comparison. For instance, the second computer  24  can search for information regarding products, by keywords, URL source locations, for example. After selecting the information the second computer  24  wants to push into the shared content and thus the content of the script, the second computer  24  can activate the script so generated. This selection can be implemented by default or by allowing the second computer to click a generate script button or an accept button displayed in a session box  62 , for example. Again, this would allow the user computer  12  to view the product comparison. Any comparison information can be displayed to the user computer  12  in this manner. Similarly, presentations regarding other information can be conducted by dynamically generating scripts and then pushing the shared content to the user computer  12 . 
     Adjacent to the script screen  54  and disposed below it is a user information screen  56 . The user information screen  56  contains queue information  60  and a session box  62 . The session box  62  contains information about the session in which the second computer  24  is engaged in currently. The session information can include items, for example, duration of the session, address currently being displayed in the representation of the shared content  52 , any password associated with the session, status of the session, ACD interaction information, customer information and control functions such as connect  64 , hang-up  66 , pause, new view, log-off, help, among others. 
     The session box  62  augments the scripts  58  by also providing a URL box  67 . Instead of using a script link, the second computer  24  can insert any URL into the URL box  67 , enable the connect  66  button, and push the shared content to the user computer as previously described. 
     The second computer  24  is also part of a queue of the server  20 , and as such status of the queue information  60  is displayed on the user interface  50 . The system  10  has at least one queue, where each queue contains one or more call requests from user computers. In the simplest implementation, when a user computer  12  links to the server  20 , the server  20  places a call request from the user computer  12  in the queue in the order the server  20  received the request. 
     The call request can also be routed by the server  20  into queues based upon attributes of the user computer  12 , where attributes of the user computer  12  can be an e-mail address, HTML pages that the user computer  12  was viewing when it made the call request or interests, or database entries for a user, for example. The server  20  selectively places a call request of the user computer  12  by parsing the attributes into one or more of the queues. For example, if the user attribute is that the last page the user computer  12  viewed advertised laptops, the server could route the call request to a queue for laptop computers. The service applet  30  would then poll the server  20 , collect the queue information and thereafter display it on the user interface  50  if the second computer  24  was assigned to the laptop queue. 
     The assignments of the second computers are stored on the database disposed on the server  20 , as well as information regarding the system, such as how long does it usually take for each call to be answered, for example. The database also contains information collected by the server  20  such as how many second computers are currently logged-on, how many second computers are in each queue, how many call requests are already in each queue, whether any second computers  24  are on breaks and how long or short breaks, and whether more than one second computer  24  should be signed off. 
     In one embodiment, the server  20  utilizes the database information and logic rules in association with the attributes of the user computer to route the calls to the queues. For instance, the server  20  could route a user computer to a secondary laptop queue, perhaps one with less experienced sales representatives, when the primary laptop queue had a predetermined number of call requests. In this example the server  20  could also download an administrative applet to the administrative view to update the queues information  60  displayed on that view, or the server could cause a beeper to ring, for example. The server  20  can also compare the attributes, such as name, against a database of customers, to enable priority customers to be routed accordingly. 
     The attributes could be collected from the user computer  12  using various methods. First, the user computer  12  could be prompted to enter the information directly, or by choosing from a drop down list of predefined attributes, such as novice user, experienced user, for example. In still another embodiment, the attributes can be extracted from the user computer  12   
     The service applet  30  retrieves the queue information to display using an interface language that includes commands, for example, such as, for example, tell me how many call requests are in the queue. It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that service applet  30  can implement polling or distributed object communication technologies without departing from the scope of this invention. The service applet  30  generates the queue information box  60 , unlike the user applet  22 . 
     A user computer  12  receives status regarding its position in the queue through the server  20 , as well as receiving supplemental information, where the supplemental information can be analogized to MUSAK, a trademark of Musak, Inc. The supplemental information can be general information or specialized information displayed for the user computer  12 . The server  20  ascertains which specialized information to display to the user computer  12  using the attribute information of the user computer  12 . For example, if the attribute of the user computer  12  is laptops, the supplemental information displayed to the user computer  12  while in the queue can be advertisements, accessories or specifications laptops, for example, among other information that may be of interest to a user who wants to purchase a laptop. The server  20  implements displaying the supplemental information by communicating with the user applet  22 . 
     After the session is established and the user is out of the queue, the user view  90  will display the shared content  52 . In addition to the sharing a file as previously described, the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  can share a demonstration. To share a demonstration, either the user computer  12  or the second computer  24  must have the application capable of running the demonstration on the computer, in the preferred embodiment the second computer  24  has the application while the user computer  12  only has a browser. As the software demonstration runs, the second computer  24  captures an image of the demonstration, like a print screen, and transmits the captured image to the user applet  22 . The captured image is saved as a jpeg, gif, bmp file or other graphical utility, transmitted to the server  20  or the user computer  12  and displayed on the user computer  12 . 
     The user computer  12  and the second computer  24  can also share a form. The form has a URL source location  70  and a place to enter user information  74  and some text  78 . In the preferred embodiment, the form can be any HTML page. The service applet  30  parses the form and stores each of the entries in the form as objects, such that the URL source location  70  will be an object, the text  78  would be an object and user information  74  would be an object, for example. In one implementation, the service applet  30  stores the objects as an array. In this example, it would be a two dimensional array of three objects. Either the objects that have been changed can be transmitted by service applet  30  to the server  20 , or the array containing all the objects can be transmitted by the service applet  30  to the server  20 , whereupon the user applet  22  would parse the array to ascertain which objects had changed. 
     If the sales representative had the user enter the text string  586 SX into the user information  74  when the user was purchasing software for example, when the user hit enter, the user applet  30  would be informed that one of the objects of the form in its array had been changed, particularly that the array displaying the user information would now contain a text string. The user applet  30  would communicate this to the server  20  which would then let all the applets in the session, in this case the service applet  22 . The service applet  22  would then evaluate each object in the array and ascertain which object had changed. After identifying that the user input  74  had changed to now include a text string  586 SX it would update the shared content. 
     FIG. 4A shows the user view used in the previous example, where the user view  90  having the shared view  92 . The shared view  92  is essentially a child browser spawned by the user applet  22  to display HTML files. The shared view  92  in this example has the URL  96 , the text  98 , the user information  100  and the text string  586 SX  102 . In this manner, either the user computer  12  or the second computer  24  can interactively enter information into the form that will be displayed to the other party in a real time as previously described. Thus, instead of having the second computer  24  merely push the appropriate form to the user computer  12 , the user could complete the form while in the session and the sales representative could audibly communicate to the user whether the user was properly or improperly completing the form. 
     In the previous example, the applet was informed that there was an update of the object by either the user computer  12  or the second computer  24  hitting enter. This is not necessary for other entries on the form such as a check the box entry. For such entries, the user applet  22  could simply have two values, true and false represented by zeros and ones. Each time a check was formed in the box, the user applet  22  could inform the server  20  of the change in the object. The server  20  would then inform all of the applets in the session that there has been a change and appropriately update the representation of the shared content to include the check. As such, any of the forms on the Internet are capable of being completed in this manner. 
     In another embodiment, the form could also be a two dimensional array where in each frame of a form is the first argument, and the second argument is the objects on each form. In this embodiment, the first frame would be designated frame one, the second would be designated as frame two and the third designated as frame three. 
     In still another embodiment, the form could contain minor modifications that allow it to notify the service applet  30  or the user applet  22  when a change occurs in a field, similar to event monitoring. In still a further embodiment, applets can be generated to represent the objects of the form. In this embodiment the applets representative of the objects would notify the user applet  22  or the service applet  30 , as the case may be of changes to the form. In the preferred implementation, the applets would be Java applets. 
     If the user computer  12  is attached to a server that disallows an outside server  20  to read information from a form, the user computer  12  can enable services such as data tainting in Netscape Navigator or other well known methods to enable the server to see the changes in the form. In data tainting, the user computer  12  explicitly gives permission to read the information from the document that the computer is viewing. 
     In addition to the shared view  92 , the user interface  90  also has a control view  94 , which is framed adjacent to the shared view  92 . The control view  94  allows the user computer  12  to manipulate the session and can include features such as, for example, send  104 , a box to type an URL location, as well as disconnect. The send  104  on the control view  94  can be selectively disabled by the second computer  24 , to allow the second computer  24  to control the interactive visual session when a user computer  12  is manipulating the shared content improperly. 
     Turning now to FIG. 4B, where like numerals denote previously described elements, there is also shown a second embodiment of the user interface  90 ′. The user interface  90 ′ that contains a control view  94 ′ and a shared view  92 ′, however, in this embodiment, the shared view overlies the control view and is not framed within the browser  18  of the user computer  12 . This is the preferred embodiment as web pages are more commonly displayed as one page in a browser and not as frames so that each page can be individually book marked and printed as users are accustomed to. Further, as the user computer  12  does not have to see the control view it is not necessary to frame the web pages shown in FIG.  4 A. In particular, as there is no queue information in user view regarding its queue once a session has established, the user computer does not need to have a framed page as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     The shared view  92 ′ of FIG. 4B, displays shared content of an application wherein the application displayed is a spread-sheet  120  having menu controls  122 . To share an application, one of the computers in the session must have the application running on its computer. In the preferred embodiment the application is running on the second computer  24 . If the user computer  12  is the one who wanted to share the page, they could select sharing the excel page by activating a button or press a hard key, for example, that states “Send to Webline”. When either party hits the send button, an implementation grabs the screen as an image and then does an File Transfer Protocol (“FTP”) or Hyper-text Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) to put it on a drive of the server  20 . It should be obvious that there are other ways to implement application sharing that may be incorporated into the invention without deviating from the scope of the invention. In another embodiment, the shared application could be running on the server  20  or any server connected to the network  16 , with the second computer  24  and the user computer  12  both sharing the same view of the application. 
     In the preferred embodiment a plug in for Netscape Navigator or an active X-control adapted for a Microsoft IE browser is used. In this embodiment, when the user hits the send button the Active X control grabs the screen image using Windows API functions or similar functions well known in the art. However, once the Java server receives the image, it notifies the applets in the session that it has received the image. The current image to be shared is given a random and unique URL location which is then sent to the other computer&#39;s applet across the network  16  just as if they were sharing a URL of a web page. The process is repeated for each image of the application that the parties want to share. 
     Image sharing can also be implemented by just transmitted the changes between one image and the next, and thus reserve resources on the server. Either way, the user computer  12  and the second computer  24  can share an application without requiring the user computer to be actively running the application. 
     In a further embodiment, any activity (e.g. key clicks, mouse clicks etc.) on the shared view of the application can be transmitted to the computer running the application and any resulting new changes can be shared. 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, where like numerals denote previously described elements, which shows one embodiment of the present invention wherein more than one second computer  24 ,  150  is connected to a LAN  152  which is then connected to the server  20 . Computer  150  can be identical to the second computer  24  having an identical service applet  30  or it can be different. It can contain an administrative applet, for example. 
     This system allows the second computer  24  to have computer  150  join a session upon request by placing in a queue display  158  of computer  150  a request to join the session. When computer  150  activates the connect  160  feature in the queue display  158 , the server  20  through the LAN  152  would download to the computer  150  the relevant session information as well as an applet, if necessary. It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the second computer  24  can also transfer the session to computer  150  and not just add computer  150  to the session. 
     The server  20  is again connected to the network  16  for communication thereon, and the user computer  12  is connected to the network  16 . 
     A phone  164  of the user is explicitly show connected to a public switched telephone network (“PSTN”)  167 . As such, the user  162  constitutes both the phone  64  and user computer  12 . The second computer  24  also has a direct connection to the PSTN  167  either through a local exchange or a long distance service. As such, when the second computer  24  is informed by the server  20  that a call request from user  162  is in its queue, the second computer can connect through the public telephone network to the local PSTN  167  of the user  162  and to user&#39;s phone  164 . 
     In this embodiment, the server has a database  154  disposed thereon. As previously described, the database stores information regarding the queue, assignments, attributes, and password validations among other items. 
     Turning now to FIG. 6, where like numerals denote previously described elements, which shows another embodiment of the present invention wherein more than one user  162 ,  164  is shown. User  162  has the user computer  12  and the phone  164  as was previously described. User  164  can also have a user computer  166  and a phone  168 . Wherein both user computers  12 ,  166  are in communication with network  16  and both user phones  164 ,  168  are in communication with a PSTN  167 . The second computer  24  can enter a call session with user computer  166  as well as enable the user computer  12  to enter the same call session. 
     In this embodiment, a sales center  188  is shown comprising the salesperson  190  having the second computer  24  and a phone  180 . The phone  180 , however, is connected to an automated call distribution system (“ACD”)  182 . ACDs are well known in the art, and they have, among other features, more than one queue  188  disposed thereon within which to route calls from the publicly switched network or data networks. In this embodiment, when user  162  enters a call request through the phone  164 , the call is transmitted to the PSTN  166  and then to the ACD  184  which places it in a queue  188 . The ACD could thereafter place the telephone call for the sales representative  190 . 
     However, the ACD is also connected via  186  to the network  16 . This enables either the queue information  188  of the ACD to be communicated to the server  20  and displayed by the server  20  to the more than one second computers in the sales center  188  and the user computer  12 ,  166 . Alternatively, the call requests from the network  16  that go to the server  20  be communicated to the ACD. Having the ACD connected to the Internet in this manner, allows the system to use the sophisticated aspects of an automated ACDs, such as queue service, to supplement or substitute for the computer queue functions or other similar functions in the server  20 . 
     In this embodiment, a firewall  192  is also disposed between the user computer  12  and the server  20 . The firewall  192  can be configured so as to stop all incoming traffic from the network  16 , stop all outgoing traffic from the user computer  12  or any variation there between. Typically, the firewall  192  will allow certain information to pass, but restrict the use of that information. For example, the firewall will allow applications in from the network  16 , but once disposed the user computer  12  the application downloaded from the network  16  will not be allowed to function upon documents disposed on the user computer  12  that are not generated from the same server as was the application. Such a restriction disables the user applet  22  from modifying interactive forms within user computer  12 . 
     The user computer  12  can expressly permit the function of the user applet  22  and the server  20  in each individual instance. In the preferred embodiment, however, the user applet  22  functions are achieved by talking through the firewall at port  80  using HTTP protocol. As it should be obvious to those skilled in the art, this port is usually left open by a firewall for communication over the worldwide web. It should be also obvious to those skilled in the art that other ports can be used with other modifications or any intermediary solution can be found wherein the user computer  12  grants permissions to the user applet  22  to perform functions. 
     In the preferred embodiment, however, the user computer  12  is typical allowed to connect to an external port of a random server as long as it is using HTTP protocol and as long as they are connecting to port  80  of another server. Using these specifications, the system performs HTTP tunneling. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment the user applet  22  is sent from port  80  communicating in HTTP protocol to look very similar to a Common Gateway Interface (“CGI”) request, and is allowed in by the firewall. Thereafter, communication from the user applet  22  still has to be in a protocol capable of going through the firewall. As such, any request from the user applet  22  in this embodiment looks like a standard HTTP request from a web page and as such looks like a CGI request. The firewall will let the request through from the user applet  22  onto the network  16 . The request is in the form of a function caller request, which is transmitted as a message to a CGI handler. The CGI handler translates it, passes it to the CGI programmer which translates the CGI request to the server  20 , which in the preferred embodiment is a Java server. Any transmission back from the Java server  20  to the user applet  22  is done through the same mechanism. Essentially, the communication between the server  20  and the user applet  22  is cloaked to look as is it is a request from a web site on the Internet and is such is allowed to go through the firewall  192 . 
     It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that using either a different server or different handlers or other known methods to go through the firewall, including any port or other configuration. is possible without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Turning now to FIG. 7A, which shows one method by which the user computer  12  can enter a call session with the second computer  24  and thereby providing audio communication across the network  16  or the telephone network in conjunction with visual communication across the network  16 . As is previously described, the user computer  12  can enter into a call session with the second computer  24  by numerous methods. 
     In FIG. 7A the request to enter a call session starts  200  when a user of the user computer  12  is instructed by the sales representative of the second computer  24  via telephone to go to a specific web page  202 . Displayed on that web page will be a sign-on page wherein the user is prompted to enter attributes, such as the users name or any other attributes previously described. 
     In this embodiment, as the user and the sales party are already in audio communication, the user will already have been provided by the sales representative a password that uniquely identifies to the server  20  the session the user computer  12  is supposed to enter. As such, the user computer  12  is also prompted to insert a password  206 . After the user enters the password, the server  20  places the call request in computer queue  208  as was previously described. 
     At this point the server  20  also transmits to the user computer  12  a user applet  22 . The user applet  22  generates a child browser in the user view of the user computer  12  and then begins to poll the server  20  for call request status  212 . If the call request status is not simultaneously activated by the service applet  30 , then the user computer  12  displays the on-hold information  216 . The on-hold information will include, for example, the user computer&#39;s status in the computer queue, any advertisements as previously described, and other additional information as required. 
     The control view can also be selectively displayed by the user computer  218 . However, in the preferred embodiment as the control view is not framed within the user interface. As such, the control view will be sitting under the child browser, and the child browser will display the on-hold information. 
     The user applet  22  will continue to poll the server  20  for the call request status  220 . If the caller request status is that the user computer is still in the computer queue, the user applet  22  will update the computer queue information still in the computer queue  222 , then the user applet  22  will collect the updated computer queue information  224  and redisplay the on-hold information in the child browser  216 . If, however, the second computer  24  has selected the call request of the user computer  12 , the service applet will notify the server  20  that the user computer having that session identifier can now be entered into a call session  224 . After the parties are entered into the call session the communication between them and the manipulation of the shared constant on the user interface of the user computer  12  and the user interface of the second computer  24  will continue as previously described. 
     Turning now to FIG. 7B, which shows a second method by which the user computer  12  can enter a call session and start  200  the visual interaction between the user computer  12  and the second computer  24 . In this method it is assumed that the user and the sales representative are not initially in audio communication. Instead, it is assumed that the user is on the worldwide web and is viewing the web page  228  of the sales organization. 
     If the user of the user computer  12  wishes to enter the session the user can click the call request button  230  on the web page of the sales organization. Upon clicking the call request button  230 , the user computer  12  displays on its browser a form prompting the user to insert attributes  232  such as name, interest, and so on. After the user computer enters the attributes  232  the attributes are communicated through the network  16  to the server  20 , whereupon the server  20  passes the attributes  232  via methods commonly known in the art. The server  20  then goes through skills based routing  234  as is previously described and determines which computer queue is appropriate for the call request. 
     The server  20  then places the call request in the computer queue  236 . The call request in the computer queue can be communicated to the ACD or displayed on the computer queue of the second computer and the user computer. The ACD can also determine which queue is appropriate for the call request in place of the server and transmit the corresponding selection of the computer queue to the server. 
     Regardless, the server then transmits the user applet  238  to the user computer. The user applet spawns the child browser and displays the on-hold information  240  to the user. Again, the browser of the user computer  12  can selectively display the control view  242  in a framed method or behind the child browser. Similarly, the on-hold information can include not only information regarding the call request status in the queue but also the advertisements determined either based on the attributes or just the advertisements for the sales representatives&#39; company in general, as is previously described. In one implementation if the ACD will place the call, the queue of the ACD would be displayed as communicated to the server, while in another implementation, the computer queue of the server would be displayed. It should be obvious that the queue of the ACD and the computer queue of the server can supplant each other or work in conjunction with each other as is necessary. 
     While the browser of the user computer  12  is displaying the on-hold information, the user applet  22  continues to poll the server  20  for the call request status  244 . If the user applet  22  is informed by the server  20  that the call request is still on the queue  246  then the user applet  22  will collect the updated on-hold information  248  and redisplay the on-hold information in the child browser  240 . This process will continue until the user applet  22  polls the server  20  for the call request status  244  and is told that the service applet has enabled the call request of the customer and informed the server  20  of the same. Alternatively, the ACD can place the call and inform the server that the call request has been enabled. At this time, the user applet receives notification that the user can enter the call session  250 . 
     The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.