Usage consciousness in HTTP/HTML for reducing unused data flow across a network

• US 20060136421A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tesauro, James Stanley, Muthukrishnan, Sankara Subbiah, Ramanathan, Sriram M., Srinivasan, Ananha S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

HTTP/HTML is enhanced to provide information to a server about the current usage level of the continuous data that is being sent to the client. With this information, the server is able to tailor the data being sent to the client based on the current usage level. If the usage level changes in the client system, the server receives information about the changed level and the amount of data being sent is adjusted (up or down) accordingly. The client (browser) is enhanced to determine and send the current usage status and the server is enhanced with the intelligence to tailor the data it sends based on the current usage status received from the client.

Claims

1. A method for controlling data flow across a computer network having a data transmission device and a data receiving device, said method comprising:

determining a current usage level for data received at the data receiving device; and

throttling the flow of data across said network to said data receiving device based on the current usage level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically issuing a query across the network to the data receiving device for a response indicating the current usage level;

receiving the response from the data receiving device;

performing said throttling of the flow of data based on a determination that the current usage level falls below a pre-established threshold for sustaining a current transmission level.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising responding to the current usage level being below a pre-established threshold in one or more of multiple ways, including:

suspending the flow of data to the data receiving device, wherein;

when the data flow is a video stream, suspending the transmission of the video stream to the data receiving device; and

when the data flow is an audio stream, suspending the transmission of the audio stream to the data receiving device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a time period during which said current usage level is below the pre-established threshold; and

stopping said flow of data when the time period is greater than a pre-established maximum period during which the flow of data may continue while the usage level is below the pre-established threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when a flow of data has been throttle/suspended/stopped, restoring the level of flow of data to the data receiving device when a subsequent usage level is above the pre-established threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receipt of a request for usage level data, initiating said determining of the usage level at the data receiving device; and

transmitting a usage level packet to the data transmission device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending out an internal query for usage level information within the data receiving device, wherein said internal request includes a status check for current status information from the operating system; and

compiling the current status information received in response to the status check into a usage level packet.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

independently initiating said determining of the usage level; and

selecting a level of data flow to request from the data transmission device; and

forwarding the level of data flow request to the data transmission device to affect possible changes in the received data flow, wherein the data receiving device controls the level of data flow received at the data receiving device based on the determined current usage level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the initiating, selecting and forwarding are performed by a utility within the software receiving the flow of data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the server and transmission protocol includes separate utilities that enable the flow of data to be controlled via the level of data flow request.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program code on said computer readable medium for;

determining a current usage level for data received at the data receiving device; and

throttling the flow of data across said network to said data receiving device based on the current usage level, wherein said throttling of the flow of data is based on a determination that the current usage level falls below a pre-established threshold for sustaining a current transmission level.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising program code for:

periodically issuing a query across the network to the data receiving device for a response indicating the current usage level;

responding to the current usage level being below a pre-established threshold in one or more of multiple ways, including;

suspending the flow of data to the data receiving device, wherein;

when the data flow is a video stream, suspending the transmission of the video stream to the data receiving device;

when the data flow is an audio stream, suspending the transmission of the audio stream to the data receiving device; and

stopping said flow of data when the elapsed time period during which said current usage level is below the pre-established threshold is greater than a pre-established maximum period during which the flow of data may continue while the usage level is below the pre-established threshold; and

when a flow of data has been throttle/suspended/stopped, restoring the level of flow of data to the data receiving device when a subsequent usage level is above the pre-established threshold.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising program code for:

responsive to receipt of a request for usage level data, initiating said determining of the usage level at the data receiving device;

sending out an internal query for usage level information within the data receiving device, wherein said internal request includes a status check for current status information from the operating system;

compiling the current status information received in response to the status check into a usage level packet; and

transmitting a usage level packet to the data transmission device.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising program code for:

independently initiating said determining of the usage level; and

selecting a level of data flow to request from the data transmission device; and

forwarding the level of data flow request to the data transmission device to affect possible changes in the received data flow, wherein the data receiving device controls the level of data flow received at the data receiving device based on the determined current usage level.

15. A network comprising:

a server that provides data that is continuously updated and that includes a usage response utility that responds to receipt of usage level information for clients receiving the data by throttling the flow of data when the usage level information indicates that a client is not currently using the data being provided; and

a client that receives said data via a network connection and that includes a usage tracking utility executing therein, which enables the client to track the current usage level for the data being received from the server and inform the server of the current usage level.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein said usage response utility of said server comprises means for:

periodically issuing a query across the network to the data receiving device for a response indicating the current usage level;

receiving the response from the data receiving device;

performing said throttling of the flow of data based on a determination that the current usage level falls below a pre-established threshold for sustaining a current transmission level;

responding to the current usage level being below a pre-established threshold in one or more of multiple ways, including;

suspending the flow of data to the data receiving device, wherein;

when the data flow is a video stream, suspending the transmission of the video stream to the data receiving device;

when the data flow is an audio stream, suspending the transmission of the audio stream to the data receiving device; and

stopping said flow of data when an elapsed time period during which said current usage level is below the pre-established threshold is greater than a pre-established maximum period during which the flow of data may continue while the usage level is below the pre-established threshold; and

when a flow of data has been throttle/suspended/stopped, restoring the level of flow of data to the data receiving device when a subsequent usage level is above the pre-established threshold.

17. The network of claim 15, wherein said usage tracking utility of said client comprises:

means, responsive to receipt of a request for usage level data, for initiating said determining of the usage level at the client; and

sending out an internal query for usage level information within the client, wherein said internal request includes a status check for current status information from the operating system; and

compiling the current status information received in response to the status check into a usage level packet; and

transmitting the usage level packet to the server.

18. The network of claim 15, wherein said usage tracking utility of said client comprises means for:

independently initiating said determining of the usage level; and

selecting a level of data flow to request from the data transmission device; and

forwarding the level of data flow request to the data transmission device to affect possible changes in the received data flow, wherein the data receiving device controls the level of data flow received at the data receiving device based on the determined current usage level.

19. A network server comprising:

a web page for displaying continuously updated content;

means for transmitting the continuously updated content to a client via the web page; and

a software utility that enables a current usage level of the content at the client to be determined and responds to the current usage level by controlling the amount of content being transmitted to the client.

20. The network server of claim 19, said software utility further comprising:

means for generating and transmitting to the client a query requesting the current usage level, wherein said query is transmitted within the web page, which has meta tags associated therewith for triggering a check at the client of the current usage level for the content being transmitted to the client.

21. The network server of claim 19, wherein said software utility controls the amount of content by:

allowing transmission of full content when the current usage level is above a pre-established threshold;

throttling the amount of content provided when the usage level falls below a first threshold; and

stopping the transmission of all content when the usage level falls below the first threshold for greater than a pre-set amount of time.

22. The network server of claim 19, wherein said throttling the amount of content includes:

when the data flow is a video stream, suspending the transmission of the video stream to the data receiving device; and

when the data flow is an audio stream, suspending the transmission of the audio stream to the data receiving device.

23. The network server of claim 19, said software utility further comprising:

when a transmission of data has been throttle/suspended/stopped, restoring the level of transmission of data to the client when a subsequent usage level is above the pre-established threshold.