Pre-Caching Resources Based on A Cache Manifest

• US 20120311020A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: BROWN, Michael Stephen, LITTLE, Herbert Anthony, DENT, Terrill Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method executed on a first electronic device for accessing an application server on a second electronic device includes receiving a cache manifest for an application, the cache manifest identifying a resource item that can be pre-cached on the first electronic device, pre-caching the resource item as a cached resource item in a cache memory of the first electronic device prior to launching an application client on the first electronic device. The method further includes, upon launching the application client on the first electronic device, retrieving data from the application server, wherein the data includes content and a reference to the resource item, obtaining, from the cache memory, the cached resource item that corresponds to the resource item, and displaying an output based upon the content and the cached resource item.

Claims

1. A method executed on a first electronic device for accessing an application server on a second electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a cache manifest for an application, the cache manifest identifying a resource item that can be pre-cached on the first electronic device;

pre-caching the resource item as a cached resource item in a cache memory of the first electronic device prior to launching an application client on the first electronic device;

upon launching the application client on the first electronic device, obtaining, from the cache memory, the cached resource item that corresponds to the resource item; and

displaying an output based upon data from the application server and the cached resource item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-caching includes pre-fetching and storing the resource item in the cache memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cache manifest includes a plurality of resource items, the method further comprising identifying a first subset of the data items as being associated with non-secured application resources and a second subset of the data items as being associated with secured application resources and wherein pre-fetching comprises:

pre-caching the first subset prior to user authentication; and

refraining from pre-caching the second subset until after the user authentication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-caching comprises:

requesting the resource item from the second electronic device;

receiving the resource item and an entity tag associated with the resource item; and

storing the resource item and the entity tag associated with the first resource item in the cache memory of the first electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cache manifest includes an entity tag associated with a first resource item, the method further comprising:

checking the cache memory for the entity tag to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is not already in the cache memory, pre-fetching the first resource item from the second electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cache manifest identifies a first resource item but does not include an entity tag associated with the first resource item, the method further comprising:

checking the cache memory for the first resource item to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is already is the cache memory,

retrieving from the cache memory a first entity tag associated with the first resource item,

sending the first entity tag to the second electronic device; and

receiving from the second electronic device either an updated version of the first resource item or an acknowledgement that the first resource item in the memory cache is valid.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communications connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and

wherein the receiving of the cache manifest is responsive to the establishing of the communications connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communications connection comprises a short-range wireless connection.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the communications connection is a short-range wireless connection between a tablet as the first electronic device and a wireless communications device as the second electronic device, the wireless communications device serving web application resources to the tablet for rendering on the tablet.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving from the wireless communications device a list of applications to provide on the tablet;

receiving one cache manifest for each of the applications;

identifying from each cache manifest which one or more application resources require revalidation; and

if revalidation is required, revalidating the one or more application resources.

11. A computer-readable medium storing instructions in code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of an electronic device cause the device to:

receive a cache manifest for an application, the cache manifest identifying a resource item that can be pre-cached on the first electronic device;

pre-cache the resource item as a cached resource item in a cache memory of the first electronic device prior to launching an application client on the first electronic device;

upon launching the application client on the first electronic device, obtain, from the cache memory, the cached resource item that corresponds to the resource item; and

display an output based upon data from the application server and the cached resource item.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the code causing the device to pre-cache includes code causing the device to pre-fetch and store the resource item in the cache memory

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the cache manifest includes a plurality of resource items, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for identifying a first subset of the data items as being associated with non-secured application resources and a second subset of the data items as being associated with secured application resources and wherein the code for pre-fetching comprises code for:

pre-caching the first subset prior to user authentication; and

refraining from pre-caching the second subset until after the user authentication.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the code for pre-caching comprises code for:

requesting the resource item from the second electronic device;

receiving the resource item and an entity tag associated with the resource item; and

storing the resource item and the entity tag associated with the first resource item in the cache memory of the first electronic device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the cache manifest includes an entity tag associated with a first resource item, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for:

checking the cache memory for the entity tag to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is not already in the cache memory, pre-fetching the first resource item from the second electronic device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the cache manifest identifies a first resource item but does not include an entity tag associated with the first resource item, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for:

checking the cache memory for the first resource item to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is already is the cache memory,

retrieving from the cache memory a first entity tag associated with the first resource item,

sending the first entity tag to the second electronic device; and

receiving from the second electronic device either an updated version of the first resource item or an acknowledgement that the first resource item in the memory cache is valid.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a cache memory; and

a processor operatively coupled to memory for executing an application client, the processor being configured to;

receive a cache manifest for an application, the cache manifest identifying a resource item that can be pre-cached on the electronic device;

pre-cache the resource item as a cached resource item in a cache memory of the electronic device prior to launching an application client on the electronic device;

upon launching the application client on the electronic device, obtain, from the cache memory, the cached resource item that corresponds to the resource item; and

display an output based upon data from the application server and the cached resource item.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify a first subset of resource items in the cache manifest as being associated with non-secured application resources and a second subset of the resource items as being associated with secured application resources;

pre-cache only the first subset prior to user authentication; and

pre-cache the second subset only after the user authentication.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to cause the electronic device to:

request the resource item from the second electronic device;

receive the resource item and an entity tag associated with the resource item; and

store the resource item and the entity tag associated with the first resource item in the cache memory of the first electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the cache manifest includes an entity tag associated with a first resource item, the processor being further configured to cause the electronic device to:

check the cache memory for the entity tag to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is not already in the cache memory, pre-fetch the first resource item from the second electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the cache manifest identifies a first resource item but does not include an entity tag associated with the first resource item, the processor being further configured to cause the electronic device to:

check the cache memory for the first resource item to determine if the first resource item is already stored in the cache memory; and

if the first resource item is already is the cache memory,

retrieve from the cache memory a first entity tag associated with the first resource item,

send the first entity tag to the second electronic device; and

receive from the second electronic device either an updated version of the first resource item or an acknowledgement that the first resource item in the memory cache is valid.

22. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a short-range wireless transceiver for connecting to the application server.