System and method for requesting a resource over at least one network with reduced overhead

• US 20050080870A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lewontin, Stephen, Levine, Oren, Marks, Bennett
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for requesting a resource over at least one network. The system includes a network entity, such as a gateway or an origin server, capable of receiving a resource request for the resource. The resource request includes a group header identifier such that the network entity is capable of identifying at least one header field associated with the group header. By identifying the header fields associated with the group header, the resource request can be processed in accordance with the associated header fields. Before receiving the resource request, the network entity can be capable of receiving a earlier request from a terminal, where the earlier request includes at least one header field and a call for associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier. The network entity can then be capable of associating the header fields with a group header identifier.

Claims

1. A method of requesting a resource over at least one network, the method comprising:

receiving a resource request for the resource at a network entity, the resource request including a group header identifier;

identifying at least one header field associated with the group header identifier at the network entity; and

processing the resource request in accordance with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

associating the at least one header field with the group header identifier before receiving the resource request for the resource.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein associating the at least one header field with the group header identifier comprises:

receiving an earlier request at the network entity from a terminal, the earlier request including at least one header field and a call for associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier;

associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier; and

sending the group header identifier to the terminal.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a subsequent request at the network entity from the terminal after sending the group header identifier to the terminal, the subsequent request including the group header identifier and an alternative at least one header field; and

associating the alternative at least one header field with the group header identifier.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises an origin server, and wherein processing the resource request comprises processing the resource request at the origin server.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises a gateway, wherein the method further comprises:

substituting the group header identifier in the resource request with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier after identifying the at least one header field; and

sending the resource request including the substituted at least one header field to an origin server,

and wherein processing the resource request comprises processing the resource request at the origin server.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

sending the resource request for the resource to the network entity from a terminal before receiving the resource request, wherein sending the resource request comprises sending the resource request to the network entity at least partially over a wireless link.

8. A system for requesting a resource over at least one network, the system comprising:

a network entity capable of receiving a resource request for the resource, the resource request including a group header identifier, wherein the network entity is capable of identifying at least one header field associated with the group header identifier such that the resource request can be processed in accordance with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the network entity is capable of associating the at least one header field with the group header identifier before receiving the resource request for the resource.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the network entity is capable of receiving an earlier request from a terminal, the earlier request including at least one header field and a call for associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier, wherein the network entity is capable of associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier, and thereafter sending the group header identifier to the terminal.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the network entity is capable of receiving a subsequent request from the terminal after sending the group header identifier to the terminal, the subsequent request including the group header identifier and an alternative at least one header field, and wherein the network entity is capable of associating the alternative at least one header field with the group header identifier.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the network entity comprises an origin server.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the network entity comprises a gateway, wherein the gateway is capable of substituting the group header identifier in the resource request with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier after identifying the at least one header field, and wherein the system further comprises:

an origin server capable of receiving the resource request including the substituted at least one header field from the gateway, and thereafter processing the resource request.

14. A system according to claim 8 further comprising:

a terminal capable of sending the resource request for the resource to the network entity, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the resource request at least partially over a wireless link.

15. A system of requesting a resource over at least one network, the system comprising:

a terminal capable of sending a resource request for the resource to a network entity, the resource request including a group header identifier, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the resource request such that the network entity can identify at least one header field associated with the group header identifier, and such that the resource request can be processed in accordance with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is capable of calling for the network entity to associate the at least one header field with the group header identifier before sending the resource request for the resource.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the terminal is capable of sending an earlier request to the network entity, the earlier request including at least one header field and a call for associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the earlier request such that the network entity associates the at least one header field with a group header identifier, and thereafter sends the group header identifier to the terminal.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the terminal is capable of sending a subsequent request to the network entity after the network entity sends the group header identifier to the terminal, the subsequent request including the group header identifier and an alternative at least one header field, and wherein the terminal is capable of sending the subsequent request such that the network entity associates the alternative at least one header field with the group header identifier.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the resource request to a network entity comprising an origin server such that the origin server can process the resource request.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the resource request to a network entity comprising a gateway such that the gateway can substitute the group header identifier in the request with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier after identifying the at least one header field, and such that the gateway can send the request including the substituted at least one header field to an origin server that can process the request.

21. A system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is capable of sending the resource request for the resource to the network entity at least partially over a wireless link.

22. A computer program product for requesting a resource over at least one network, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving a resource request for the resource at a network entity, the resource request including a group header identifier;

a second executable portion for identifying at least one header field associated with the group header identifier at the network entity; and

a third executable portion for processing the resource request in accordance with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22 further comprising:

a fourth executable portion for associating the at least one header field with the group header identifier before the first executable portion receives the resource request for the resource.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the fourth executable portion is adapted to associate the at least one header field with the group header identifier by:

receiving an earlier request at the network entity from a terminal, the earlier request including at least one header field and a call for associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier;

associating the at least one header field with a group header identifier; and

sending the group header identifier to the terminal.

25. A computer program product according to claim 24 further comprising:

a fifth executable portion for receiving a subsequent request at the network entity from the terminal after sending the group header identifier to the terminal, the subsequent request including the group header identifier and an alternative at least one header field; and

a sixth executable portion for associating the alternative at least one header field with the group header identifier.

26. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the third executable portion is adapted to process the resource request at an origin server.

27. A computer program product according to claim 22 further comprising:

a fourth executable portion for substituting the group header identifier in the resource request with the at least one header field associated with the group header identifier after identifying the at least one header field; and

a fifth executable portion for sending the resource request including the substituted at least one header field to an origin server,

wherein the third executable portion is adapted to process the resource request at the origin server.

28. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the first executable portion is adapted to receive the resource request from a terminal at least partially over a wireless link.