System and method for web page acquisition

• US 20010052003A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yuhichi, Seki, Naishin
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for web page acquisition reduces the waiting time experienced by a user who accesses a network site when the network is busy and reduces the load imposed on the server of a provider.

Claims

1. A web page acquisition service system, said system comprising:

a web page acquisition server and a user terminal, both of which are connected to a communication network, wherein said user terminal transmits to said web page acquisition server a web page acquisition request that includes various acquisition conditions; and

wherein, in accordance with said acquisition conditions included in said web page acquisition request received from said user terminal, said web page acquisition server acquires a web page source from a web server on said communication network and transmits said web page source to said user terminal.

2. The web page acquisition service system according to

claim 1

,

wherein, as one of said acquisition conditions included in said web page acquisition request, said user terminal designates a time condition for the acquisition of a web page source;

and

wherein, in accordance with said time condition designated in said web page acquisition request, said web page acquisition server acquires said web page source and transmits said web page source to said user terminal.

3. The web page acquisition service system according to

claim 2

,

wherein said web page acquisition server performs scheduling for the acquisition of a web page source, while taking into account said time condition that is designated in said web page acquisition request and the volume of the communication traffic carried by said communication network.

4. The web page acquisition service system according to

claim 1

,

wherein, as one of said acquisition conditions included in said web page acquisition request, said user terminal designates a time limited period for the acquisition of a web page source;

and

wherein, during said designated time limited period contained in said web page acquisition request, said web page acquisition server acquires and transmits, to said user terminal, said web page source.

5. The web page acquisition service system according to

claim 1

,

wherein, when said web page acquisition server receives from a plurality of user terminals a plurality of web page acquisition requests for the same page, said web page acquisition server obtains and archives a corresponding web page source for said plurality of requests, and transmits said web page source to said user terminals that issued said web page acquisition requests.

6. A provider for providing a service for the acquisition of an Internet connection, said provider comprising:

a request acceptance unit for accepting from a user a web page acquisition request that includes a web page acquisition condition;

a web page acquisition/archiving unit for obtaining a web page source from a web server and for archiving said web page source in accordance with said web page acquisition condition included in said web page acquisition request; and

a transmission control unit for, in accordance with said web page acquisition condition, transmitting said obtained web page source to the user who issued said web page acquisition request.

7. The provider according to

claim 6

, wherein said transmission control unit forms into a library file said web page source that, in accordance with said web page acquisition request is obtained and held in said web page acquisition/archiving unit, and transmits said library file to said user terminal.

8. The provider according to

claim 7

, wherein when a limitation is placed on the size of a data file that said user terminal, which is a web page source transmission destination, can receive as a single transmission, said transmission control unit divides, into segments having an appropriate size for said user terminal, said web page source that is held in said web page acquisition/archiving unit, and forms said segments into library files.

9. The provider according to

claim 6

, wherein said transmission control unit changes a link for said web page source held by said web page acquisition/archiving unit from an absolute link, based on the URL of a web page source, into a relative link.

10. A web page acquisition method employed by a web page acquisition server provided on a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting, from a user, a web page acquisition request that includes a web page acquisition condition;

employing said web page acquisition condition to prepare a schedule for the acquisition of a web page source;

acquiring, across said communication network in accordance with said schedule, said web page source from said web server, and archiving said web page source; and

transmitting said web page source to said user in accordance with said web page acquisition condition included in said web page acquisition request.

11. The web page acquisition method according to

claim 10

, wherein said step of preparing said schedule includes a step of:

determining in accordance with a time condition that is included in said web page acquisition request, and while taking into account the volume of the communication traffic across said communication network, the time at which to acquire said web page source designated in said web page acquisition request, and to thereby reduce the load imposed on said web page acquisition server.

12. The web page acquisition method according to

claim 10

, wherein said step of preparing said schedule includes a step of:

comparing time conditions included in a plurality of web page acquisition requests, submitted by multiple users, when, at said step of receiving said plurality of said web page acquisition requests, it is determined that all of said web page acquisition requests were submitted for the acquisition of the same web page source, and of preparing a schedule so that the minimum number of repetitions is required for the acquisition, from a web server, of said web page source.

13. A web page acquisition method, employed by an information terminal device connected to the Internet, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to a provider, a web page acquisition request in which web page acquisition conditions are designated;

issuing a web page transmission request to said provider based on a time condition that is included in said web page acquisition conditions; and

receiving a web page source that, in accordance with said web page transmission request, is transmitted by said provider and that was acquired under conditions corresponding to those included in said web page acquisition conditions.

14. The web page acquisition method according to

claim 13

, wherein said step for issuing said web page transmission request includes a step of:

issuing, upon the receipt of a notification indicating that a web page has been acquired by said provider, said web page transmission request to said provider, regardless of the time condition that is included in said web page acquisition conditions.

15. The web page acquisition method according to

claim 13

, wherein at said step of receiving said web page source, said web page source is received in the form of a library file.

16. A storage medium on which computer input means can store a computer-readable program that permits said computer to perform:

a process for accepting, from a user, a web page acquisition request that includes a web page acquisition condition;

a process for employing said web page acquisition request to prepare a schedule for the acquisition of a web page source;

a process for acquiring, across said communication network in accordance with said schedule, said web page source from said web server, and archiving said web page source; and

a process for transmitting said web page source to said user in accordance with said web page acquisition condition included in said web page acquisition request.

17. A program transmission apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a computer-readable program that permits a computer to perform

a process for accepting, from a user, a web page acquisition request that includes a web page acquisition condition,

a process for employing said web page acquisition request to prepare a schedule for the acquisition of a web page source,

a process for acquiring, across said communication network in accordance with said schedule, said web page source from said web server, and archiving said web page source, and

a process for transmitting said web page source to said user in accordance with said web page acquisition condition included in said web page acquisition request; and

transmission means for reading said program from said storage means and for transmitting said program.

18. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for web page acquisition, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting, from a user, a web page acquisition request that includes a web page acquisition condition;

employing said web page acquisition condition to prepare a schedule for the acquisition of a web page source;

acquiring, across said communication network in accordance with said schedule, said web page source from said web server, and archiving said web page source; and

transmitting said web page source to said user in accordance with said web page acquisition condition included in said web page acquisition request.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for web page acquisition, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to a provider, a web page acquisition request in which web page acquisition conditions are designated;

issuing a web page transmission request to said provider based on a time condition that is included in said web page acquisition conditions; and

receiving a web page source that, in accordance with said web page transmission request, is transmitted by said provider and that was acquired under conditions corresponding to those included in said web page acquisition conditions.