REDUCING NETWORK CONNECTION LATENCY

• US 20100191856A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Apurv, Jain, Arvind
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for decreasing latency perceived by a user in retrieving data from a data server. A user-initiated interaction with a user interface can be detected and a user-generated request to retrieve data automatically predicted, based at least in part on the user-initiated interaction. Resolution of a domain name into a network address can be initiated, based on the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data. In certain instances, a network communication synchronization sequence with a data server associated with the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data can be initiated prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a user-initiated interaction with a user interface;

automatically predicting, based at least in part on the user-initiated interaction, a user-generated request to retrieve data;

initiating resolution of a domain name, based on the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, into a network address prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein resolving the domain name comprises:

sending at least one domain resolution request to a remote server capable of resolving domain names into their respective IP addresses; and

receiving a response to the at least one domain resolution request identifying an IP address for the domain name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated interaction is a partial text entry in a field of a web browser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the partial text entry is entered into an address field of the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated interaction is a user command to display a first webpage comprising at least one hyperlink and the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data is related to the at least one hyperlink.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user command is a query directed to a search engine and the first webpage displays search results generated by the search engine in response to the query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated interaction is at least one of a text entry in a field of a search engine toolbar or an activation of a search engine toolbar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatic prediction of a user-generated request to retrieve data is based at least in part on at least one of a stored user browsing history, stored user preference, stored cookie, or user profile data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a network communication synchronization sequence with a data server associated with the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the initiation of the network communication synchronization sequence follows resolution of the domain name and the network address is associated with the data server.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a user-initiated interaction with a user interface;

automatically predicting, based at least in part on the user-initiated interaction, a user-generated request to retrieve data;

initiating a network communication synchronization sequence with a data server associated with the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-initiated interaction is at least one of a text entry in a field of a search engine toolbar or an activation of a search engine toolbar.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the network communication synchronization sequence is a three-way handshake.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of user-generated requests to retrieve data are automatically predicted and network communication synchronization sequences are initiated with a plurality of data servers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatic prediction of a user-generated request to retrieve data is made by a first computer and transmitted to a second computer responsible for initiating the network communication synchronization sequence.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatic prediction is based in part on historical data compiled from a plurality of users having accessed the first computer.

17. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing computer processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

detecting a user-initiated interaction with a user interface;

automatically predicting, based at least in part on the user-initiated interaction, a user-generated request to retrieve data;

resolving a domain name, based on the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, into a network address prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein automatically predicting a user-generated request to retrieve data comprises:

calculating a probability that a particular user-generated request will be submitted by a user; and

determining whether the probability meets or exceeds a threshold probability value.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions for causing computer processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

initiating a network communication synchronization sequence with a data server associated with the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein automatically predicting a user-generated request to retrieve data comprises:

calculating a first probability that a particular user-generated request will be submitted by a user;

determining that the first probability meets or exceeds a first threshold probability value before initiating resolution of a domain name;

calculating an updated probability that the particular user-generated request will be submitted by the user; and

determining that the updated probability meets or exceeds a second threshold probability value before initiating the network communication synchronization sequence.

21. A system comprising:

a plurality of remote data servers capable of being accessed by client computing devices over a network;

a first client computing device comprising a user interface and adapted to;

detect a user-initiated interaction with the user interface;

receive user-initiated submissions of requests to retrieve data from at least one of the plurality of remote data servers;

automatically predict, based at least in part on the user-initiated interaction, a user-generated request to retrieve data; and

initiate resolution of a domain name, based on the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, into a network address prior to receiving a user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data; and

at least one remote domain name server capable of receiving requests from the client computing device related to resolutions of domain names.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first client computing device is further adapted to initiate a network communication synchronization sequence with at least one of the plurality of remote data servers associated with the predicted user-generated request to retrieve data, prior to receiving the user-initiated submission of the user-generated request to retrieve data.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first client computing device is further adapted to store user profile data and automatically predict a user-generated request to retrieve data based at least in part on the stored user profile data.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising at least one other client computing device;

wherein a particular one of the plurality of remote data servers is adapted to;

record a history of client computing device requests for data;

automatically predict subsequent client computing device requests for data based at least in part on the history; and

transmit recommendations to client computing devices relating to the automatically-predicted subsequent requests for data;

wherein the first client computing device is further adapted to automatically predict a user-generated request to retrieve data based at least in part on a received recommendation from the particular remote data server.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the particular remote data server is a search engine server.