Methods, systems, and products for updating web content

• US 20070078810A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hackworth, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for dynamically updating web content using W3C standards. One such method sends a request to a web server for a web page. A web browser receives and renders a static HTML web page. The web browser periodically sends a query to the web server and, in response, receives a latest date and time stamp indicating the latest update to the web page. The web browser compares the latest date and time stamp to a previously stored date and time stamp representing a previous update. If the latest date and time stamp matches the previously stored date and time stamp, then no update has occurred and no update is required. If, however, the date and time stamps do not match, then the web page has changed since the previous update and the web browser retrieves the latest update to the web page.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically updating content at a web browser using W3C standards, comprising:

sending a request to a web server for a web page;

rendering by the web browser a static HTML web page;

periodically sending a query to the web server for an update to the web page;

receiving a latest date and time stamp, the latest date and time stamp indicating a date and a time of a latest update to the web page; and

comparing by the web browser the latest date and time stamp to a previously stored date and time stamp, the previously stored date and time stamp representing a previous update received by the web browser.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the latest date and time stamp matches the previously stored date and time stamp, then no update has occurred and the web page is not updated.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then the web page has changed since the previous update and the web browser retrieves the latest update to the web page.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of periodically sending the query comprises periodically sending the query according to a configurable time.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a tag in the static HTML web page with updated content.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein when the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then requesting from a data source an XML document comprising updated content.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising refreshing the web browser with the latest update to the web page.

8. A system, comprising:

a web browser stored in memory; and

a processor communicating with the memory,

the processor sending a request to a web server for a web page;

the web browser rendering a static HTML web page;

the processor periodically sending a query to the web server for an update to the web page using W3C standards;

the processor receiving a latest date and time stamp, the latest date and time stamp indicating a date and a time of a latest update to the web page; and

the web browser comparing the latest date and time stamp to a previously stored date and time stamp, the previously stored date and time stamp representing a previous update received by the web browser.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein if the latest date and time stamp matches the previously stored date and time stamp, then no update has occurred and the web browser does not update the web page.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein if the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then the web page has changed since the previous update and the web browser retrieves the latest update to the web page.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor periodically sends the query according to a configurable time.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the web browser associates a tag in the static HTML web page with updated content.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein when the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then the web browser requests from a data source an XML document comprising updated content.

14. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor refreshes the web browser with the latest update to the web page.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a web browser stored on the computer-readable medium, the web browser comprising computer code for

sending a request to a web server for a web page;

rendering by the web browser a static HTML web page;

periodically sending a query to the web server for an update to the web page;

receiving a latest date and time stamp, the latest date and time stamp indicating a date and a time of a latest update to the web page; and

comparing by the web browser the latest date and time stamp to a previously stored date and time stamp using W3C standards, the previously stored date and time stamp representing a previous update received by the web browser.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for wherein if the latest date and time stamp matches the previously stored date and time stamp, then no update has occurred and the web browser does not update the web page.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for wherein if the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then the web page has changed since the previous update and the web browser retrieves the latest update to the web page.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for periodically sending the query according to a configurable time.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for associating a tag in the static HTML web page with updated content.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for wherein when the latest date and time stamp does not match the previously stored date and time stamp, then requesting from a data source an XML document comprising updated content.