SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRECACHING INFORMATION ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110040718A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc Eliot, Tendjoukian, Meher, Higgins, Christopher William
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1024 Latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/6024 History based prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for precaching information on a mobile device. A precaching strategy is built for a mobile device The strategy defines a forecast of data types a user is predicted to request after the occurrence of one or more data refresh conditions. The precaching strategy is built by recognizing data usage patterns in data requested by the user or a group of users over a time period. The data usage pattern comprises data types and events that are correlated to the usage of the data. The events are used to define at least one refresh condition within the precaching strategy. The precaching strategy is executed. When the occurrence of the data refresh condition is detected, data is then retrieved from a data source, wherein the data is retrieved according to the precaching strategy. The retrieved data is transmitted to a user device cache.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

building a precaching strategy, using at least one computing device, for a mobile device, wherein the precaching strategy defines a forecast of at least one data type a user is predicted to request after the occurrence of at least one data refresh condition,

wherein the precaching strategy is built by recognizing, using the at least one computing device, at least one data usage pattern in data requested by the user using the user device over a time period, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type and at least one event that is correlated to the usage of the data, wherein the at least one event is used to define at least one refresh condition within the precaching strategy;

executing the precaching strategy, using the at least one computing device;

detecting, using the at least one computing device, that the at least one data refresh condition has occurred;

retrieving data, over a network, from at least one data source, wherein the retrieved data is retrieved according to the at least one precaching strategy;

transmitting the retrieved data, over the network, to a user device cache accessible to at least one application program running on the user device.

2. A method comprising the steps of:

building a precaching strategy, using at least one computing device, for a mobile device, wherein the precaching strategy defines a forecast of at least one data type a user is predicted to request after the occurrence of at least one data refresh condition, wherein the precaching strategy is built by recognizing, using the at least one computing device, at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a plurality of users over a time period, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type;

executing the precaching strategy, using the at least one computing device;

detecting, using the at least one computing device, that the at least one data refresh condition has occurred;

retrieving data, over a network, from at least one data source, wherein the retrieved data is retrieved according to the at least one precaching strategy;

transmitting the retrieved data, over the network, to a user device cache accessible to at least one application program running on the user device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one data usage pattern additionally comprises at least one event that is correlated to the usage of the data, wherein the at least one event is used to define at least one data refresh condition within the precaching strategy.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of users are selected from the user'"'"'s social network.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one data type in the data usage pattern is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type was determined by recognizing, using the at least one computing device, at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a second plurality of users, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one data type in the data usage pattern is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for a data type which represents a generic data type that encompasses the at least one data type.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one data type is a social data type

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one data type is topical data.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one refresh condition is a social event.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one refresh condition is a topical event.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one refresh condition is a user interface event.

13. A system comprising:

a precaching strategy creation module comprising one or more processors programmed to execute software code retrieved from a computer readable storage medium storing software for building precaching strategies, using at least one computing device, for mobile devices, wherein each precaching strategy defines a forecast of at least one data type a user is predicted to request after the occurrence of at least one data refresh condition, wherein each precaching strategy is built by recognizing at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a plurality of users over a time period, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type;

a precaching strategy execution module comprising one or more processors programmed to execute software code retrieved from a computer readable storage medium storing software for executing precaching strategies built by the precaching strategy creation module;

a refresh condition detection module comprising one or more processors programmed to execute software code retrieved from a computer readable storage medium storing software for detecting that data refresh conditions have occurred relating to precaching strategies executed by the precaching strategy execution module;

a data retrieval module comprising one or more processors programmed to execute software code retrieved from a computer readable storage medium storing software for retrieving data, over a network, from at least one data source, wherein the retrieved data is retrieved according to precaching strategies for where the refresh condition detection module has detected that data refresh conditions have occurred;

a data transmission module comprising one or more processors programmed to execute software code retrieved from a computer readable storage medium storing software for transmitting data retrieved by the data retrieval module the retrieved data, over the network, to user device caches accessible to application programs running on user devices.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least some data usage patterns each additionally comprise at least one event that is correlated to the usage of the data, wherein the at least one event is used to define at least one refresh condition within the respective precaching strategy.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of users are selected from the user'"'"'s social network.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one data type in at least some data usage patterns is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type was determined by the precaching strategy creation module by recognizing at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a second plurality of users, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one data type in the data usage pattern is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for a data type which represents a generic data type that encompasses the at least one data type.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method comprising the steps of:

building a precaching strategy, using at least one computing device, for a mobile device, wherein the precaching strategy defines a forecast of at least one data type a user is predicted to request after the occurrence of at least one data refresh condition, wherein the precaching strategy is built by recognizing, using the at least one computing device, at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a plurality of users over a time period, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type;

executing the precaching strategy, using the at least one computing device;

detecting, using the at least one computing device, that the at least one data refresh condition has occurred;

retrieving data, over a network, from at least one data source, wherein the retrieved data is retrieved according to the at least one precaching strategy;

transmitting the retrieved data, over the network, to a user device cache accessible to at least one application program running on the user device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the at least one data usage pattern additionally comprises at least one event that is correlated to the usage of the data, wherein the at least one event is used to define at least one refresh condition within the precaching strategy.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the plurality of users are selected from the user'"'"'s social network.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the at least one data type in the data usage pattern is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the predefined precaching strategy for the at least one data type was determined by recognizing, using the at least one computing device, at least one data usage pattern in data requested by a second plurality of users, wherein the data usage pattern comprises the at least one data type.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the at least one data type in the data usage pattern is used to select a predefined precaching strategy for a data type which represents a generic data type that encompasses the at least one data type.