Apparatus and method for transmitting documents between a server computer and a client computer

• US 6,615,233 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vantage Point Technology, Inc. (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intergraph Hardware Technologies Company (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Davis, Christopher, Vinante, Marcelo
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/249,403
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/232, 709/245, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/217-219, 709/247, 707/10, 707/1, 707/6, 707/103, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer utilizes a document list of document identifiers for automatically and repetitively transmitting selected documents from the server computer to the client computer. To that end, the apparatus first receives a first download request from the client computer. Once the request is received, then the document list is accessed to identify the identifier of a first document in the document list. Once identified, the first document and a controller are transmitted to the client computer. The controller controls the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition may be the passing of a predetermined amount of time and the controller is a tag with in the first document.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, the apparatus comprising:

an input that receives download request messages from the client computer;

a selector that, in response to receipt of a download request message, selects one of the set of documents based upon information not in the download request, the download request message including no address information identifying the selected one of the set of documents; and

an output that forwards both a controller and the selected one of the set of documents to the client computer,

when executing on the client computer, the controller commanding the client computer to generate and transmit a download request message to the server computer.

2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 further comprising:

a document modifier that adds the controller to documents in the set of documents.

3. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the download request-messages request to download the selector.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the set of documents includes no more than one document, the selector selecting the one document a preselected number of times.

5. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein in response to receipt of a download request message, the selector determines if additional documents in the set are to be selected, the document selector not selecting any additional documents in the set if determined that additional documents are not to be selected.

6. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the controller is a tag incorporated into each document in the set of documents.

7. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the controller commands the client computer to generate and transmit a download request message to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

8. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein each document is identified by a document identifier, the apparatus further comprising:

memory that stores a list of the set of documents, the list having the document identifier of each document in the set of documents, the selector accessing the list to select the selected document.

9. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the controller is incorporated into at least one document in the set of documents.

10. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the server computer includes a retriever that retrieves the selected document for forwarding to the client computer.

11. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the retriever is server software.

12. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the selector is a control script.

13. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the selector executes on the server computer.

14. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the one of the set of documents is selected based upon a pointer that points to the one of the set of documents.

15. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the download request message is forwarded to the selector by the server computer.

16. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the selected one of the set of documents is a web page that, after being forwarded to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

17. A computer program product for use on a computer system for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for receiving download request messages from the client computer;

program code that, in response to receipt of a download request message, selects one of the set of documents based upon information not in the download request, the download request message including no address information identifying the selected one of the set of documents; and

program code for forwarding both a controller and the selected one of the set of documents to the client computer,

when executing on the client computer, the controller commanding the client computer to generate and transmit a download request message to the server computer.

18. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 further comprising:

program code for adding the controller to documents in the set of documents.

19. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the download request messages request to download the selector.

20. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the controller is incorporated into at least one document in the set of documents.

21. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the server computer includes program code for retrieving the selected document for forwarding to the client computer.

22. The computer program product as defined by claim 21 wherein the program code for retrieving is server software.

23. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the program code for selecting is a control script.

24. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the program code for selecting executes on the server computer.

25. The computer program product as defined by claim 17 wherein the one of the set of documents is selected based upon a pointer that points to the one of the set of documents.

26. The computer program defined by claim 17 wherein the selected one of the set of documents is a web page that, after being forwarded to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

27. An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, each document having a controller that commands the client computer to generate and transmit a download request message, the server having server software for retrieving documents on the server computer, the apparatus comprising:

an input that receives download request messages from the client computer;

a selector that, in response to receipt of a download request message, selects one of the set of documents and commands the server software to retrieve the selected one of the set of documents, the download request message including no address information identifying the selected one of the set of documents; and

an output that forwards the selected one of the set of documents to the client computer.

28. The apparatus as defined by claim 27 further comprising:

a document modifier that adds the controller to documents in the set of documents.

29. The apparatus as defined by claim 27 wherein each download message is a request to download the selector.

30. The apparatus as defined by claim 27 wherein the selected one of the set of documents is a web page that, after being forwarded to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

31. A method of transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, each document in the set of documents being identified by an identifier in a document list, the method comprising:

receiving a first download request from the client computer;

accessing, in response to receiving the first download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a first document in the document list, the first download request including no address information identifying the first document; and

transmitting the first document and a controller to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the controller commanding the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

32. The method as defined by claim 31 further including:

receiving the second download request from the client computer;

accessing, in response to receiving the second download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a second document in the document list;

transmitting the second document to the client computer after the identifier of the second document is identified.

33. The method as defined by claim 31 wherein the controller is a tag within the first document.

34. The method as defined by claim 31 wherein the predetermined condition is the passing of a predetermined amount of time.

35. The method as defined by claim 31 wherein the document list includes a plurality of sublists, each sublist being directed to documents having at least one preselected common attribute.

36. The method as defined by claim 31 further comprising:

transmitting an information displayer to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the information displayer controlling the client computer to display information relating to each of the set of documents received by the client computer.

37. The method as defined by claim 31 wherein the document is a World Wide Web page and the server computer includes a World Wide Web server.

38. The method as defined by claim 31 further comprising:

accessing a pointer that points to the identifier of the first document; and

moving the pointer to point to another document in the list.

39. The method as defined by claim 31 further comprising:

adding a new document identifier identifying a new document to the document list, the new document being in the set of documents after the new document identifier is added to the document list.

40. The method as defined by claim 31 wherein the first document is a web page that, after being transmitted to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

41. An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, each document in the set of documents being identified by an identifier in a document list, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a first download request from the client computer;

means for accessing, in response to receiving the first download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a first document in the document list, the first download request including no address information identifying the first document; and

means for causing the server computer to transmit the first document and a controller to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the controller controlling the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

42. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 further including:

means for receiving the second download request from the client computer;

means for accessing, in response to receiving the second download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a second document in the document list; and

means for causing the server computer to transmit the second document to the client computer after the identifier of the second document is identified.

43. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 wherein the controller is a tag within the first document.

44. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 wherein the document list includes a plurality of sublists, each sublist being directed to documents having at least one preselected common attribute.

45. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 further comprising:

means for causing the server computer to transmit an information displayer to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the information displayer controlling the client computer to display information relating to each of the set of documents received by the client computer.

46. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 further including:

a pointer that points to the identifier of the first document; and

an incrementer that moves the pointer to point to another document in the list.

47. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 further including:

means for adding a new document identifier identifying a new document to the document list, the new document being in the set of documents after the new document identifier is added to the document list.

48. The apparatus as defined by claim 41 wherein the first document is a web page that, after being transmitted to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

49. A computer program product for use on a computer system for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, each document in the set of documents being identified by an identifier in a document list, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code for receiving a first download request from the client computer;

program code for accessing, in response to receiving the first download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a first document in the document list, the first download request including no address information identifying the first document; and

program code for causing the server computer to transmit the first document and a controller to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the controller controlling the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

50. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 further including:

program code for receiving the second download request from the client computer;

program code for accessing, in response to receiving the second download request, the document list to identify the identifier of a second document in the document list; and

program code for causing the server computer to transmit the second document to the client computer after the identifier of the second document is identified.

51. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 wherein the controller is a tag within the first document.

52. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 wherein the predetermined condition is the passing of a predetermined amount of time.

53. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 wherein the document list includes a plurality of sublists, each sublist being directed to documents having at least one preselected common attribute.

54. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 further comprising:

program code, for causing the server computer to transmit an information displayer to the client computer after the identifier of the first document is identified, the information displayer controlling the client computer to display information relating to each of the set of documents received by the client computer.

55. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 wherein the document is a World Wide Web page and the server computer includes a World Wide Web server.

56. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 further including:

program code for accessing a pointer to the list that points to the identifier of the first document; and

program code for moving the pointer to point to another document in the list.

57. The computer program product as defined by claim 49 further including:

program code for adding a new document identifier identifying a new document to the document list, the new document being in the set of documents after the new document identifier is added to the document list.

58. The computer program as defined by claim 49 wherein the first document is a web page that, after being transmitted to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.

59. An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer, the apparatus comprising:

a document list having at least one identifier, each identifier in the list identifying one of the set of documents; and

a list manager to receive a download request originating from the client computer and responsively access the list to identify a first identifier, the list manager controlling the server computer to transmit a copy of the document identified by the first identifier to the client computer, the download request message including no address information identifying the document,

the list manager transmitting a controller to the client computer in response to receipt of the download request, the controller controlling the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

60. The apparatus as defined by claim 59 wherein the document is a web page that, after being forwarded to the client computer, is interpreted and graphically displayed upon a client-side display device.