System and method for information retrieval employing a preloading procedure

• US 6,604,103 B1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mark A. Wolfe
• Inventors: Wolfe, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/974,242
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/201, 709/202, 709/218, 709/203, 715/501, 715/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A document retrieval system having improved response time. During the time the user spends viewing the displayed information, other information that the user is likely to read or study later is preloaded into memory. If the user later requests the preloaded information, it can be written to the display very quickly. As a result, the user'"'"'s request to view new information can be serviced quickly.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving information from a remotely-located collection of documents for a user of a multi-tasking computer system, wherein the remotely-located collection of documents can be accessed simultaneously by many remote users, the method comprising the acts of:

retrieving a first document over a low-bandwidth connection when the user requests the first document, wherein the first document contains both text and graphics, and wherein the user requests the first document using an input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on a display screen;

displaying the first document on the display screen;

retrieving a second document over the low-bandwidth connection to the collection of documents when the user requests the second document, wherein the second document contains both text and graphics, wherein the user requests the second document using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen, and wherein the second document contains a link to the first document and a link to a third document;

displaying the second document on the display screen by replacing a document previously displayed on the display screen with the second document;

preloading into local storage over the low-bandwidth connection at least a portion of the first document before the user makes another request for the first document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen;

preloading into local storage over the low bandwidth connection at least a portion of the third document before the user makes a request for the third document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen;

displaying the third document on the display screen when the user requests the third document, wherein the third document is displayed quickly by retrieving from local storage at least a portion of the third document that was preloaded into local storage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

displaying the first document on the display screen when the user requests the first document, wherein the first document is displayed quickly by retrieving from local storage a version of the first document that was preloaded into local storage.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the acts of:

determining if the version of the first document stored in local storage is out-of-date; and

displaying the version of the first document that is stored in local storage.

4. A method of retrieving documents from a remotely-located collection of documents for a user of a multi-tasking computer system, wherein the remotely-located collection of documents can be accessed simultaneously by many remote users, the method comprising the acts of:

retrieving a first document over a low-bandwidth connection when the user requests the first document, wherein the first document contains both text and graphics, and wherein the user requests the first document using an input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on a display screen;

displaying the first document on the display screen;

retrieving a second document over the low-bandwidth connection when the user requests the second document, wherein the second document contains both text and graphics, and wherein the user requests the second document using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen;

displaying the second document on the display screen by replacing the first document previously displayed on the display screen with the second document;

retrieving a third document over the low-bandwidth connection to the collection of documents when the user requests the third document, wherein the third document contains both text and graphics, wherein the user requests the third document using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen, and wherein the third document contains a link to the first document and a link to a fourth document;

displaying the third document on the display screen by replacing the second document previously displayed on the display screen with the third document;

preloading into local storage over the low-bandwidth connection at least a portion of the first document before the user makes another request for the first document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen;

preloading into local storage over the low bandwidth connection at least a portion of a fifth document before the user makes a request for the fifth document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen, wherein the first document and the fifth document are preloaded simultaneously;

displaying the first document again on the display screen when the user requests the first document, wherein the first document is displayed quickly by retrieving from local storage at least a portion of the first document that was preloaded into local storage;

preloading into local storage over the low bandwidth connection at least a portion of a sixth document before the user makes a request for the sixth document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen; and

preloading into local storage over the low bandwidth connection at least a portion of a seventh document before the user makes a request for the seventh document by using the input device that allows the user to navigate through documents on the display screen, wherein the sixth document and the seventh document are preloaded simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of displaying the first document again when the user requests the first document includes the acts of:

retrieving a version of the first document that is stored in local storage;

determining if the version of the first document stored in local storage is out-of-date; and

displaying the version of the first document that is stored in local storage.