System and method for reducing the time to deliver information from a communications network to a user

• US 20030078964A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Artera Group, Inc. (NCT Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NCT Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Parrella, Michael J. Jr., Lash, John, Bray, Cheryl, Parrella, Michael J. Sr., Lau, Ed, Metcoff, Jerry M.
• Application Number:
  US10/164,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/30 Compression speech analysis-synthesis for redundancy reduction G10L19/00; for image communication H04N; Expansion; Suppression of unnecessary data, e.g. redundancy reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method is provided for reducing the time a user needs to wait for information requested from a remote server on a communications network, for example, a Web server on the Internet. In an exemplary embodiment the system is user centric and the goal is to keep all data the user needs as the close to the user as practical. The user'"'"'s characteristics and usage patterns are used to determine what to cache and for how long, what to pre-fetch, what to refresh, and what to retrieve. In addition, by segmenting information and utilizing parallel communication channels, data transfer across the last mile can be significantly increased.

Claims

1. A method for caching data for use by a browser or application program on a computer, comprising:

storing an item of data in a cache retrieved from a server by said browser or application program;

absent any action by said browser or application program, automatically updating said item in said cache;

displaying said updated item from said cache on said browser or application program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically updating occurs when said item is modified by said server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically updating occurs when said item'"'"'s cache life is exceeded.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically updating said item comprises retrieving said updated item from another cache located at the Point-of-Presence (PoP).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically updating is performed when said computer is not requesting or retrieving data or a combination thereof.

6. A method for refreshing first data in a cache of a first computer system from second data in a second computer system, said first computer system connected to said second computer system by a communications network, said method comprising:

when said first computer system is not busy, sending a refresh request for said first data to said second computer system;

using said refresh request, locating said second data;

when said second data is a newer version of said first data, sending said second data to said first computer system; and

replacing said first data by said second data in said cache.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein when said locating said second data fails, forwarding said refresh request to a third computer, said third computer connected to said second computer system by said communications network.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising when said second data is a newer version of said first data, associating said first computer system'"'"'s communications network address with said second data.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said communications network address in an IP address.

10. A system for distributing selected data from a host server across a plurality of caches on a communications network, said communications network, comprising:

a first cache of said plurality of caches connected to said host server and having a first replica of said selected data;

a second cache of said plurality of caches connected to said first cache via a Point of Presence access device and connected to a user PC, wherein said second cache has a second replica of said selected data and wherein said second and first replicas are linked together; and

a browser executing on said user PC for retrieving said selected data by first using said second replica.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said second replica is refreshed from said first replica during idle times of said second cache or during a predetermined period

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said selected data is determined from a user usage profile.

13. A method for a first computer system responding to a user request for data from a second computer system having a cache, comprising:

receiving said user'"'"'s request for data from said second computer system;

retrieving response data corresponding to said user'"'"'s request;

storing a network address for said second computer system with said response data in said cache; and

sending said response data to said second computer system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein when said network address is a dynamically assigned IP address further storing a name for said second computer system.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said response data is multicast to a third computer system, when said network address for said third computer system is associated with said response data in said cache.

16. A method for pre-fetching data for a user at a first computer system from a second computer system via a communications network, comprising:

determining a frequency in user requests sent by said first computer for selected data from said second computer system; and

requesting said selected data by said first computer at a value higher than said frequency, such that one item of said selected data is available at said first computer system before a corresponding user request is sent.

17. A method for providing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) between a first computer and a second computer via a public communications network, comprising:

establishing a VPN between said first computer and said second computer by using a centralized permission table comprising said first computer'"'"'s address and said second computer'"'"'s address; and

when said first computer has a plurality of parallel communication links to said second computer, teaming said plurality of parallel communication links to increase data flow between said first and second computers.

18. A method for adjusting data traffic from a first computer to a second computer, said data traffic needed to support graphics on a computer monitor of said second computer, said method comprising:

sending said computer monitor'"'"'s display characteristics including a first number of pixels per inch, to said first computer;

evaluating a second number of pixels per inch for a graphic item;

when said second number is greater than said first number, creating a modified graphic item from said graphic item with a reduced number of pixels per inch; and

sending said modified graphic item to said second computer.

19. A method for selecting a proxy server from a plurality of proxy servers in a proxy stack for a computer, comprising:

setting an order for said plurality of proxy servers in said proxy stack by a central proxy stack manager; and

each time a request for a proxy server of said plurality of proxy servers is made by said computer, selecting a proxy server of said plurality next in order in said proxy stack;

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, when a first proxy server selected from said plurality of proxy servers times out, selecting a second proxy server of said plurality of proxy servers next in order in said proxy stack;

21. A system for providing web content, comprising dynamic data and static graphics, to a browser executing on a computer, comprising:

a cache for providing a substantial portion of said static graphics to said browser, wherein said cache is connected to said computer by a Local Area Network; and

a virtual circuit connection to a Web server for providing said browser with a substantial portion of said dynamic data.

22. A method for load balancing data transferred from a first computer to a second computer via a plurality of communication links between said first and second computers, said method comprising:

establishing a TCP/IP connection for each communication link of said plurality of communication links; and

dividing said data between said plurality of communication links based on factors to significantly reduce transfer time of said data.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said factors include relative speeds of said plurality of communication links , current load on each communication link, quality of service of each communication link, and the last communication link used, or any combination thereof.

24. A method for reducing time to transfer a file or data block between a first computer and a second computer via a plurality of communication links, comprising:

sending said file or data block by said first computer using a first link of said plurality of communication links;

sending a portion of said file or data block by said first computer using a second link of said plurality of communication links; and

said second computer, after receiving all of said portion of said file or data block, but not all of said file or data block, reconstructing said file or data block.