Pushing and pulling data in networks

• US 6,119,167 A
• Filed: 07/11/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Phone.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Boyle, Stephen S., King, Peter F., Martin, Jr., Bruce K., Rossmann, Alain S., Schwartz, Bruce V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US08/977,572
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/216, 709/228, 709/229, 709/234, 709/235, 709/245, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Data are pushed from a source to a destination via an intermediate computer system. If the intermediate computer system is unable to forward the pushed data to the destination for a predetermined length of time, the intermediate system deletes the pushed data and never forwards the data to the destination. According to another aspect, the intermediate system receives a command, e.g. from a server originating the data, to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination. According to another aspect, the intermediate system receives data whose identifier (e.g. source URL) matches an identifier of data pushed earlier to the same destination but not yet forwarded. The intermediate system deletes the earlier pushed data and never forwards the earlier pushed data.

Claims

1. A method for processing data pushed over a network from a data source or sources to a data destination or destinations via a computer system intermediate between the source or sources and the destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the method comprising:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed from a data source to a data destination DE1;

if the intermediate computer system is unable to forward the pushed data to the destination DE1 for a predetermined length of time, then the intermediate computer system deleting the pushed data and never forwarding the pushed data to the destination DE1.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the destination DE1 pulling the data that has been pushed to the destination but deleted at the intermediate computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination DE1 is a mobile device.

3. A computer system comprising circuitry and one or more computer instructions for serving as an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a data source or sources to a data destination or destinations wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the circuitry and the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed from a data source to a data destination DE1;

if the intermediate computer system is unable to forward the pushed data to the destination DE1 for a predetermined length of time, then the intermediate computer system deleting the pushed data and never forwarding the pushed data to the destination DE1.

4. A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for being executed by an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a data source or sources to a data destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed from a data source to a data destination DE1;

if the intermediate computer system is unable to forward the pushed data to the destination DE1 for a predetermined length of time, then the intermediate computer system deleting the pushed data and never forwarding the pushed data to the destination DE1.

6. A method for processing data pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations via a computer system intermediate between the source or sources and the destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the method comprising:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed to a destination DE1;

the intermediate computer system receiving a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1;

if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1, then the intermediate computer system deleting the data and never forwarding the data to the destination DE1.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the command is received over the network from a source that was pushing the data.

8. A computer system comprising circuitry and one or more computer instructions for serving as an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the circuitry and the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed to a destination DE1;

the intermediate computer system receiving a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1;

if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1, then the intermediate computer system deleting the data and never forwarding the data to the destination DE1.

9. A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for being executed by an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data being pushed to a destination DE1;

the intermediate computer system receiving a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1;

if the data has not yet been forwarded to the destination DE1 then the intermediate computer system deleting the data and never forwarding the data to the destination DE1.

10. A method for processing data pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations via a computer system intermediate between the source or sources and the destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the method comprising:

the intermediate computer system receiving data DA1 being pushed to a destination or destinations, wherein the pushed data DA1 includes an identifier identifying a source of the pushed data;

if the identifier of the pushed data DA1 matches an identifier of data pushed earlier to the same destination or destinations but not yet forwarded to at least one of its destination or destinations, then the intermediate computer system deleting the earlier pushed data and never forwarding the earlier pushed data to the destination or destinations.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the data DA1 is a more recent version of the earlier pushed data.

12. A computer system comprising circuitry and one or more computer instructions for serving as an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network the circuitry and the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data DA1 being pushed to a destination or destinations, wherein the pushed data DA1 includes an identifier identifying a source of the pushed data;

if the identifier of the pushed data DA1 matches an identifier of data pushed earlier to the same destination or destinations but not yet forwarded to at least one of its destination or destinations, then the intermediate computer system deleting the earlier pushed data and never forwarding the earlier pushed data to the destination or destinations.

13. A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for being executed by an intermediate computer system through which data are pushed over a network from a source or sources to a destination or destinations, wherein the intermediate computer system communicates with the source or sources and destination or destinations over the network, the one or more computer instructions being for:

the intermediate computer system receiving data DA1 being pushed to a destination or destinations, wherein the pushed data DA1 includes an identifier identifying a source of the pushed data;

if the identifier of the pushed data DA1 matches an identifier of data pushed earlier to the same destination or destinations but not yet forwarded to at least one of its destination or destinations, then the intermediate computer system deleting the earlier pushed data and never forwarding the earlier pushed data to the destination or destinations.

14. A method for operating a server to provide data over a network, the method comprising:

the server pushing data to a data destination or destinations by sending the data over the network to an intermediate computer system which is to forward the data over the network to the data destination or destinations; and

the server sending a command to the intermediate computer system to delete data which the server pushed earlier, the command being a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to its destination.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the destinations whose data are to be deleted if not yet forwarded is a mobile device.

16. A server programmed to perform the following operations:

pushing data to a data destination or destinations by sending the data over a network to an intermediate computer system which is to forward the data over the network to the data destination or destinations; and

sending a command to the intermediate computer system to delete data which the server pushed earlier, the command being a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to its destination.

17. A computer readable medium comprising one or more computer instructions for causing a server to perform the following operations:

pushing data to a data destination or destinations by sending the data over a network to an intermediate computer system which is to forward the data over the network to the data destination or destinations; and

sending a command to the intermediate computer system to delete data which the server pushed earlier, the command being a command to delete the data if the data has not yet been forwarded to its destination.