Generic download and upload functionality in a client/server web application architecture

• US 20070033588A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landsman, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to client-server architectures for allowing generic upload and download functionality between a web application at a server and a client. One exemplary method includes sending a download/upload request to a web application at the server, where the download/upload request specifies at least one file to download/upload; receiving a transmission from the server; parsing the transmission to identify a download/upload command and an associated download/upload manifest, where the download/upload manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the download/upload of the at least one file.

Claims

1. In a system including at least a client and a server, a method for downloading files to the client from the server, the method comprising:

at the client, sending a request directed to the server, where the request specifies at least one file to download;

receiving a transmission from the server;

parsing the transmission to identify a download command and an associated download manifest, where the download manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the download of the at least one file to the client from the server; and

in response to identifying the download command and the associated download manifest, executing the executable code on the client.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein parsing the transmission to identify a download command and an associated download manifest further comprises authenticating the transmission from the server as being authorized to provide download commands to the client.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the request is sent by a browser application at the client; and

the execuition of the executable code is performned by a background agent at the client.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the execution of the executable code by the background agent is transparent to a user of the client.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the execution of the executable code by the background agent continues at the client even where, prior to the completion of the download, the browser application is directed to a second web application or is terminated.

6. In a system including at least a client and a server, a method for downloading files from the server to the client, the method comprising:

at the server, receiving a request to download at least one file;

generating a download command and an associated download manifest, where the download manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the download of the at least one file from the server to the client; and

sending the download command and the associated download manifest in a transmission to the client.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the request is received from a browser application at the client.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving from a background agent at the client at least one request to send the at least one file;

in response to the at least one request, sending the at least one file to the client.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one request to send the at least one file parsing is received from the background agent after the transmission from server is authenticated as being authorized to provide download commands to the client.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one request is received from the background agent even where, prior to the completion of the download, the browser application at the client is directed to a second web application or is terminated.

11. In a system including at least a client and a server, a method for uploading files from the client to the server, the method comprising:

at the client, sending a request to directed to the server, where the request specifies at least one file to upload;

receiving a transmission from the server;

parsing the transmission to identify an upload command and an associated upload manifest, where the upload manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the upload of the at least one file from the client to the server; and

in response to identifying the upload command and the associated upload manifest, executing the executable code on the client.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein parsing the transmission to identify an upload command and an associated upload manifest further comprises authenticating the transmission from the server as being authorized to provide upload commands to the client.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the request is sent by a browser application at the client; and

the execution of the executable code is performed by a background agent at the client.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the execution of the executable code by the background agent is transparent to a user of the client.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the execution of the executable code by the background agent continues at the client even where, prior to the completion of the upload, the browser application is directed to a second web application or is terminated.

16. In a system including at least a client and a server, a method for uploading files to the server from the client, the method comprising:

at the server, receiving a request to upload at least one file;

generating an upload command and an associated upload manifest, where the upload manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the upload of the at least one file from the client; and

sending the upload command and associated upload manifest in a transmission to the client.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the request is received from a browser application at the client.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising receiving from a background agent at the client the at least one file.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one file is received from the background agent after the transmission from the server is authenticated as being authorized to provide upload commands to the client.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one file is received from the background agent even where, prior to the completion of the upload, the browser application at the client is directed to a second web application or is terminated.