Rule-based caching for packet-based data transfer
First Claim
1. In an environment involving registered users that provide data for transfer over a packet-based network to a remote packet-communicating device, a server-hosted method for facilitating remote-user access to registered-user data over a packet-based network, the method comprising:
- sending data from a registered user data source to a network cache in accordance with caching rules specified via the registered user;
at the registered user data source, initiating a communications link between the data source and the server; and
in response to a content request from a remote user, at the server, authenticating the request as a function of authentication information provided by the registered user and information in the request, in response to the request being authenticated, ascertaining availability of the requested data at the cache in accordance with the caching rules, in response to the requested data being available at the cache and in accordance with the caching rules, selectively directing the transfer of the requested data from the cache to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device, and responsive to the availability of the requested data at the cache and to the caching rules, selectively directing, via the established communications link, the transfer of the requested data from the data source to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Data transfer to a remote packet-communicating device over a network is effected using a network-based cache to selectively store data. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a network-based server facilitates selective, rule-based storage of a registered user'"'"'s data in a network-based cache. The registered user'"'"'s data is available via the user'"'"'s data source coupled to a packet-based network (e.g., via a user'"'"'s home or business computer coupled to the Internet). The server controls remote access to data stored in the cache as well as data accessible via the registered user'"'"'s data source. For instance, when a request for data transfer is received from a remote packet-communicating device, the network-based server authenticates the request and, for authenticated requests, facilitates a transfer of the requested data from one or both of a registered user'"'"'s data source and the cache.
112 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In an environment involving registered users that provide data for transfer over a packet-based network to a remote packet-communicating device, a server-hosted method for facilitating remote-user access to registered-user data over a packet-based network, the method comprising:
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sending data from a registered user data source to a network cache in accordance with caching rules specified via the registered user;
at the registered user data source, initiating a communications link between the data source and the server; and
in response to a content request from a remote user, at the server, authenticating the request as a function of authentication information provided by the registered user and information in the request, in response to the request being authenticated, ascertaining availability of the requested data at the cache in accordance with the caching rules, in response to the requested data being available at the cache and in accordance with the caching rules, selectively directing the transfer of the requested data from the cache to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device, and responsive to the availability of the requested data at the cache and to the caching rules, selectively directing, via the established communications link, the transfer of the requested data from the data source to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A server-hosted method for caching data for transfer on a packet-communicating network, the method comprising;
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at the server, registering a user for sharing data from the registered user'"'"'s packet-communicating device;
programming the packet-communicating device with cache engine functions for storing shared data at a network-based cache;
receiving, from the registered user, caching policies by which to store shared data at the network-based cache;
implementing the cache engine to send data to the network-based cache, over the packet-communicating network, as a function of the caching policies and of a current status of shared data that is stored at the network-based cache for the user; and
at the server, responding to a remote request for shared data by directing the transfer of shared data in the network-based cache over the packet-communicating network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. In an environment involving registered users that provide data for transfer over a packet-based network to a remote packet-communicating device, a server-hosted system for facilitating remote-user access to registered-user data over a packet-based network, the system comprising:
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a network server;
a network cache adapted to receive and store data for caching from registered user data sources;
a registered user data source adapted to send data to the network cache in accordance with the caching rules specified via the registered user, and to initiate a communications link between the data source and the network server; and
wherein the network server responds to a content request from a remote user by authenticating the request as a function of authentication information provided by the registered user and information in the request, in response to the request being authenticated, ascertaining availability of the requested data at the cache in accordance with the caching rules, in response to the requested data being available at the cache and in accordance with the caching rules, selectively directing the transfer of the requested data from the cache to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device, and responsive to the availability of the requested data at the cache and to the caching rules, selectively directing, via the established communications link, the transfer of the requested data from the data source to the remote user at a remote packet-communicating device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In an environment involving a registered-user that provides data for authenticated remote access via a packet-based network, a method for facilitating remote cache-based access to data over the packet-based network, the method comprising:
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sending data from the registered-user data source to a network cache, over the packet-based network and in accordance with caching rules specified by the registered user of the registered-user data source;
at the network cache, maintaining data received from the registered-user data source in accordance with the caching rules; and
in response to a content request from a remote user, authenticating the request, and in response to the request being authenticated, directing the transfer of the requested data from the cache to a remote user at a remote packet-communicating device, over the packet-based network.
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Specification