Rapid transfer of HTML files
First Claim
1. A method for synchronizing a hypertext markup language (HTML) file cached at a client location with a corresponding changed HTML file stored at a server location to enable the changed HTML file stored at the server location to be used at the client location without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the client location, comprising the steps of:
- (a) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached at the client location, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition;
(b) unless the macro name file is already available at the server location, transmitting the macro name file from the client location to the server location;
(c) generating a macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file at the server location, said macro compressed file indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached at the client location and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached at the client location;
(d) transmitting the macro compressed file to the client location from the server location; and
(e) expanding the macro compressed file at the client location to recover the changes and to identify any portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to the HTML file cached at the client location, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached at the client location to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file at the server location.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A compressed file produced by a server is used for updating a hypertext markup language (HTML) document cached on a client computer with changes so that it is identical to a changed HTML document stored on a server computer. Typically, when a user requests access to the HTML document on a server computer corresponding to the cached HTML document on the client computer, the cached HTML document is opened and processed by a client agent software module to produce a macro name file and a macro definition file. A checksum or macro name is determined for each construct or list in the cached HTML file. Each macro definition in the macro definition file is a concise content of the construct or list comprising a different portion of the HTML file. The client agent transmits the uniform resource locator (URL) for the site from which the cached HTML document was obtained and appends the macro name file (assuming that the server computer hasn'"'"'t already generated the macro name file). A server agent at the server site produces a macro compressed file in which the macro name for each section that is unchanged is included, along with the actual contents of those constructs or lists in the HTML file stored on the server computer that have changed. The macro compressed file is transmitted back to the client agent for expansion and to refresh the HTML file that is cached on the client computer. The updated HTML file can then be displayed using the browser on the client computer.
265 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing a hypertext markup language (HTML) file cached at a client location with a corresponding changed HTML file stored at a server location to enable the changed HTML file stored at the server location to be used at the client location without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the client location, comprising the steps of:
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(a) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached at the client location, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (b) unless the macro name file is already available at the server location, transmitting the macro name file from the client location to the server location; (c) generating a macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file at the server location, said macro compressed file indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached at the client location and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached at the client location; (d) transmitting the macro compressed file to the client location from the server location; and (e) expanding the macro compressed file at the client location to recover the changes and to identify any portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to the HTML file cached at the client location, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached at the client location to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file at the server location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for updating an HTML file disposed at a first location so that it is substantially identical to a changed HTML file disposed at a second location, without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the first location from the second location, comprising:
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(a) a client computer disposed at the first location, said client computer including a display for displaying data, and a memory in which the HTML file is cached and for storing machine instructions that effect a first set of functions; (b) a communication link coupling the first and the second locations in communication with each other; (c) a server computer disposed at the second location, said server computer including a memory in which the changed HTML file is stored and for storing machine instructions that implement a second set of functions; (d) said first set of functions including; (i) causing the client computer to extract a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (ii) unless macro name file is already available at the server computer, transmitting the macro name file from the client computer to the server computer; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file on the client computer, said macro compressed file being received from the server computer, indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached by the client computer, and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached by the client computer, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored in the memory of the server computer, said new cached HTML file being stored in the memory of the client computer; and (e) said second set of functions including; (i) causing the server computer to generate the macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file, said macro compressed file indicating the changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer; and (ii) causing the server computer to transmit the macro compressed file to the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising:
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(a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including; (i) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from a cached HTML file; (ii) as required, transmitting the macro name file to a different location, said different location storing a changed HTML file; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file received from the different location to recover changes in the changed HTML file, said changes being applied to the cached HTML file to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored at the different location. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising:
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(a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including; (i) generating a macro compressed file for a changed HTML file using a macro name file derived from a corresponding HTML file that is cached at a different location, said macro compressed file indicating changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached at the different location; and (ii) transmitting the macro compressed file to the different location to enable the cached HTML file to be updated with the changes. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification