SELECTIVE PARTIAL UPDATES OF WEB CONTENT

• US 20100250706A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shook, Aaron K., Burckart, Erik J., Kaplinger, Todd E., Ivory, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2876 Pairs of inter-processing entities at each side of the network, e.g. split proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

A request for a partial update of web content is received that identifies at least one web content element associated with the web content. An update is requested for the identified at least one web content element from a content server. The partial update of the web content is performed in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for a partial update of web content that identifies at least one web content element associated with the web content;

requesting an update for the identified at least one web content element from a content server; and

performing the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server.

2. The method of claim 1, where requesting the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server further comprises sending a markup language (ML) formatted request identifying a portion of a document object model (DOM) associated with the identified at least one web content element to the content server, where the ML formatted request comprises at least one of a path identifier that references a path to the at least one web content element within the DOM and a content identifier that identifies the at least one web content element within the DOM.

3. The method of claim 1, where performing the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server further comprises at least one of:

storing the update for the identified at least one web content element to a cache associated with the web content;

sending the update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received; and

updating a display region associated with the identified at least one web content element with the update for the identified at least one web content element.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable based upon a markup language specification and where storing the update for the identified at least one web content element to the cache associated with the web content is performed in response to determining that the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the identified at least one web content element is available within a local web content storage device; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is not available within the local web content storage device, requesting the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server is performed; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device;

requesting the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server further comprises retrieving the update for the identified at least one web content element from the local web content storage device; and

performing the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server further comprises sending the retrieved update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.

6. The method of claim 5, where determining whether the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device further comprises searching a stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for a current version of the identified at least one web content element.

7. The method of claim 6, where searching the stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for the current version of the identified at least one web content element further comprises searching the DOM to identify a parent web element relative to the identified at least one web content element within the DOM and further comprising:

determining whether the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element; and

where, in response to determining that the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element;

retrieving the update for the identified at least one web content element from the local web content storage device further comprises extracting the identified at least one web content element from the parent web element; and

sending the retrieved update for the identified at least one web content element to the device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received further comprises sending the at least one web content element extracted from the parent web element to the device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.

8. The method of claim 1 where requesting the update for the identified at least one web content element further comprises requesting a periodic update for the identified at least one web content element identifying a user-specified period for the periodic update.

9. The method of claim 1, where the content server comprises a module selected from a group consisting of a local web content storage device, a forward proxy server, a reverse proxy server, an application server, and a content application associated with the application server.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to;

receive a request for a partial update of web content that identifies at least one web content element associated with the web content;

request an update for the identified at least one web content element from a content server; and

perform the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server.

11. The system of claim 10, where, in being programmed to request the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server, the processor is further programmed to send a markup language (ML) formatted request identifying a portion of a document object model (DOM) associated with the identified at least one web content element to the content server, where the ML formatted request comprises at least one of a path identifier that references a path to the at least one web content element within the DOM and a content identifier that identifies the at least one web content element within the DOM.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a cache memory;

a display; and

where, in be programmed to perform the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server, the processor is further programmed to at least one of;

store the update for the identified at least one web content element to the cache memory associated with the web content;

send the update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received; and

update a display region of the display associated with the identified at least one web content element with the update for the identified at least one web content element.

13. The system of claim 12, where the processor is further programmed to determine whether the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable based upon a markup language specification, and where in being programmed to store the update for the identified at least one web content element to the cache memory associated with the web content, the processor is further programmed to determine that the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a local web content storage device and where the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is not available within the local web content storage device, the processor is further programmed to request the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device, the processor is further programmed to;

retrieve the update for the identified at least one web content element from the local web content storage device; and

send the retrieved update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.

15. The system of claim 14, where, in being programmed to determine whether the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device, the processor is further programmed to search a stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for a current version of the identified at least one web content element.

16. The system of claim 15, where, in being programmed to search the stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for the current version of the identified at least one web content element, the processor is further programmed to:

search the DOM to identify a parent web element relative to the identified at least one web content element within the DOM;

determine whether the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element; and

where, in response to determining that the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element, the processor is further programmed to;

extract the identified at least one web content element from the parent web element; and

send the at least one web content element extracted from the parent web element to the device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.

17. The system of claim 10, where, in being programmed to request the update for the identified at least one web content element, the processor is further programmed to request a periodic update for the identified at least one web content element identifying a user-specified period for the periodic update.

18. A system, comprising:

a cache memory;

a display; and

a processor programmed to;

receive a request for a partial update of web content that identifies at least one web content element associated with the web content;

request an update for the identified at least one web content element from a content server, where the request further comprises;

a markup language (ML) formatted request identifying a portion of a document object model (DOM) associated with the identified at least one web content element to the content server comprising at least one of a path identifier that references a path to the at least one web content element within the DOM and a content identifier that identifies the at least one web content element within the DOM; and

a request for a periodic update for the identified at least one web content element identifying a user-specified period for the periodic update; and

perform the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server, where the processor is further programmed to at least one of;

store the update for the identified at least one web content element to the cache memory associated with the web content;

send the update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received; and

update a display region of the display associated with the identified at least one web content element with the update for the identified at least one web content element.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a request for a partial update of web content that identifies at least one web content element associated with the web content;

request an update for the identified at least one web content element from a content server; and

perform the partial update of the web content in response to receipt of the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, where:

in causing the computer to request the update for the identified at least one web content element, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to request a periodic update for the identified at least one web content element identifying a user-specified period for the periodic update; and

in causing the computer to request the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to send a markup language (ML) formatted request identifying a portion of a document object model (DOM) associated with the identified at least one web content element to the content server, where the ML formatted request comprises at least one of a path identifier that references a path to the at least one web content element within the DOM and a content identifier that identifies the at least one web content element within the DOM.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to at least one of:

store the update for the identified at least one web content element to a cache memory associated with the web content;

send the update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received; and

update a display region of a display associated with the identified at least one web content element with the update for the identified at least one web content element.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to determine whether the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable based upon a markup language specification, and where in causing the computer to store the update for the identified at least one web content element to the cache memory associated with the web content, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to determine that the update for the identified at least one web content element is cacheable.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

determine whether the identified at least one web content element is available within a local web content storage device; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is not available within the local web content storage device, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to request the update for the identified at least one web content element from the content server; and

where, in response to determining that the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to;

retrieve the update for the identified at least one web content element from the local web content storage device; and

send the retrieved update for the identified at least one web content element to a device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, where, in causing the computer to determine whether the identified at least one web content element is available within the local web content storage device, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to search a stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for a current version of the identified at least one web content element.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, where, in causing the computer to search the stored document object model (DOM) associated with the web content for the current version of the identified at least one web content element, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

search the DOM to identify a parent web element relative to the identified at least one web content element within the DOM;

determine whether the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element; and

where, in response to determining that the parent web element comprises the current version of the identified at least one web content element, the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to;

extract the identified at least one web content element from the parent web element; and

send the at least one web content element extracted from the parent web element to the device from which the request for the partial update of the web content was received.