Constructing, downloading, and accessing page bundles on a portable client having intermittent network connectivity

• US 6,507,867 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Singhal, Sandeep K., Kaminsky, David L., Lau, Christina, Holland, Ian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/218,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable code for a technique by which multiple Web pages can be dynamically bundled (i.e. packaged) and downloaded for accessing on a user'"'"'s workstation, enabling the user to perform a meaningful interaction even in the absence of an ongoing network connection. The proposed technique uses an on-demand bundling approach, ensuring that a requesting user will receive the most recent versions of any bundled files. The proposed technique often serves to reduce the number and duration of network connections required, enabling a user to work productively while offline. Further, the bundle may optionally contain executable code such as one or more servlets, which will execute on the user'"'"'s workstation to enable dynamic content generation. Messages may be created and queued during processing of the downloaded bundle, for sending to a server when the user subsequently establishes a network connection. Optionally, data mining software may be used advantageously with this technique, to increase the likelihood of constructing a bundle that will meet the user'"'"'s needs throughout the offline interaction. Additionally, transcoding may optionally be performed on a bundle destined for a particular user, that will tailor the bundled software to the user'"'"'s current working environment.

Claims

1. A method of enabling offline Web page processing, comprising steps of:

receiving a request for a selected Web page;

retrieving one or more files which are determined to be related to the selected Web page;

retrieving a file containing the selected Web page;

packaging the retrieved files together as a transmission unit; and

returning the packaged transmission unit as a response to the request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request is received from a client-side proxy and the response is returned to the client-side proxy.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used by a client-side proxy to serve requests for the selected Web page without having a connection to a network.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used to serve at least one of the related pages without having a connection to a network.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used to serve at least one of the related pages, responsive to navigation from the selected Web page, without having a connection to a network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the related files is performed responsive to receiving the request.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the related files is performed in advance of receiving the request.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of updating the advance determination, responsive to receiving the request, to account for any changes in the files which are determined to be currently related to the selected Web page.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined related files are identified in a descriptor stored in a repository, and wherein the retrieving one or more files step consults the stored descriptor to retrieve the identified files.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined manually.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined programmatically.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the programmatic determination is performed by a data mining operation.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the programmatic determination is performed by a web crawler operation.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determination of the related files is performed by recursively locating references to the related files, the references being embedded in the file containing the selected Web page and its related files.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of halting the recursively locating step when a total size of the related files and the file containing the selected Web page exceeds a determined value.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the programmatic determination is performed responsive to receiving the request.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the programmatic determination is performed periodically.

18. The method according to claim 17, 4further comprising the step of revising the programmatic determination upon receiving the request.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a content reducing transformation to one or more of the retrieved files prior to operation of the packaging step.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a content reducing transformation to the packaged transmission unit prior to operation of the returning step.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the related files comprises executable code.

22. A system for enabling offline Web page processing, comprising:

means for receiving, from a client-side proxy, a request for a selected Web page;

means for retrieving one or more files which are determined to be related to the selected Web page;

means for retrieving a file containing the selected Web page;

means for packaging the retrieved files together as a transmission unit; and

means for returning the packaged transmission unit as a response to the request, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used by the client-side proxy to serve requests for the selected Web page without having a connection to a network.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the determination of the related files is performed responsive to receiving the request.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the determination of the related files is performed in advance of receiving the request and is updated, responsive to receiving the request, to account for any changes in the files which are determined to be currently related to the selected Web page.

25. The system according to claim 22, wherein the determined related files are identified in a descriptor stored in a repository, and wherein the means for retrieving one or more files consults the stored descriptor to retrieve the identified files.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined manually.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined programmatically.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the programmatic determination is performed by a data mining operation.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the determination of the related files is performed by recursively locating references to the related files, the references being embedded in the file containing the selected Web page and its related files.

30. The system according to claim 29, further comprising means for halting the recursively locating step when a total size of the related files and the file containing the selected Web page exceeds a determined value.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the programmatic determination is performed responsive to receiving the request.

32. The system according to claim 22, further comprising means for applying a content reducing transformation to one or more of the retrieved files prior to operation of the packaging step.

33. The system according to claim 22, wherein one or more of the related files comprises executable code.

34. The system according to claim 22, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used to serve at least one of the related pages without having a connection to a network.

35. In a computing environment capable of having a connection to a network, computer readable code for enabling offline Web page processing, the computer readable code being readable by a computer system in said environment and comprising:

a subprocess for receiving, from a client-side proxy, a request for a selected Web page;

a subprocess for retrieving one or more files which are determined to be related to the selected Web page;

a subprocess for retrieving a file containing the selected Web page;

a subprocess for packaging the retrieved files together as a transmission unit; and

a subprocess for returning the packaged transmission unit to the client-side proxy as a response to the request, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used by the client-side proxy to serve requests for the selected Web page without having a connection to a network.

36. The computer readable code according to claim 35, wherein the determination of the related files is performed responsive to receiving the request.

37. The computer readable code according to claim 35, wherein the determination of the related files is performed in advance of receiving the request.

38. The computer readable code according to claim 35, wherein the determined related files are identified in a descriptor stored in a repository, and wherein the subprocess for retrieving one or more files consults the stored descriptor to retrieve the identified files.

39. The computer readable code according to claim 38, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined manually.

40. The computer readable code according to claim 38, wherein the related files in the descriptor are determined programmatically.

41. The computer readable code according to claim 40, wherein the programmatic determination is performed by a data mining operation.

42. The computer readable code according to claim 40, wherein the programmatic determination is performed by a web crawler operation.

43. The computer readable code according to claim 40, wherein the determination of the related files is performed by recursively locating references to the related files, the references being embedded in the file containing the selected Web page and its related files.

44. The computer readable code according to claim 40, wherein the programmatic determination is performed periodically.

45. The computer readable code according to claim 35, further comprising a subprocess for applying a content-reducing transformation to the packaged transmission unit prior to operation of the returning step.

46. The computer readable code according to claim 35, wherein one or more of the related files comprises executable code.

47. The computer readable code according to claim 35, wherein the returned packaged transmission unit can be used to serve at least one of the related pages, responsive to navigation from the selected Web page, without having a connection to a network.