Computer Network and Method of Operating Same to Preload Content of Selected Web Pages

• US 20100011089A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, Julian Michael, Rivers, Scott Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for operating a computer network for example a school to preload the content of web addresses on the local memory, i.e. the web cache memory for use in for example a subsequent lesson. The network comprises at least one device, a web cache memory, and internet access apparatus to connect a device on the network to internet using a web browser, relevant devices on the network being accessible to a network administrator and defined network users (teachers and pupils), a method whereby one of said defined network users (teachers) uses a modified web browser to define a set of web addresses (web pages) to be accessed, said set of web addresses being stored in the network, and operates the network to cause the content of the set of web addresses to be stored on said web cache memory, whereby the content may be accessed by the pupils during said lesson via the network without further access to internet. Limits or quotas may be set up for the amount of memory space usable by each user so as to prevent overload of the memory and users may be limited to access web pages defined by one or more preload tasks on the memory at a particular time. Software to allow the method of the invention may be loaded on the web cache.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An internet access apparatus to connect at least one device on a local area network to an internet, said internet access apparatus comprising:

a connection to the internet,

a connection to the local area network,

a local network memory,

said local network memory storing a set of web addresses in the network, wherein the internet access apparatus uses said web addresses to access the internet and download content from the set of web addresses and store the content in said local network memory,

whereby the content may be accessed by the at least one device via the local area network without further access to the internet,

where the set of web addresses were entered by a user or a network administrator.

22. The internet access apparatus of claim 21 wherein the local memory further includes a time to download the relevant content on to the local network memory.

23. The internet access apparatus of claim 22 wherein the user or the network administrator defines the time to download the relevant content on to the local network memory.

24. The internet access apparatus of claim 21 wherein the internet access apparatus downloads a content of web pages linked from the set of web addresses together with the content of the set of web addresses.

25. The internet access apparatus of claim 21 wherein the local network memory further includes a recursion level for each web address.

26. The internet access apparatus of claim 25 wherein the user or the network administrator defines a recursion level for each web address.

27. A method of caching web pages on a local network memory, said local network memory connecting at least one device on a local area network to an internet, said method comprising:

accepting a set of web addresses from a user or a network administrator,

storing said set of web addresses on the local network memory,

accessing the internet to locate said set of web addresses,

downloading a content from set of web addresses into the local network memory,

uploading said content from the local network memory to the local area network when one of the set of web addresses is requested from the at least one device on the local area network without further access to the internet.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the set of web addresses further includes a time to download the relevant content on to the local network memory.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein downloading a content from set of web addresses into the local network memory is performed at the time specified in the local network memory.

30. The internet access apparatus of claim 27 wherein downloading a content from set of web addresses into the local network memory includes a content of web pages linked from the set of web addresses together with the content of the set of web addresses.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the local network memory further includes a recursion level for each web address.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein downloading a content from set of web addresses into the local network memory is performed recursively if recursion is specified in the local network memory.