System and method for patch enabled data transmissions

• US 6,912,591 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leidos, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.), SAIC Limited (Wipro Limited)
• Original Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Inventors: Lash, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/846,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 709/215, 709/247, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 709/229, 709/246, 707/204, 713/201, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method relating to techniques to efficiently update data transmissions, and more particularly to a system and method for using patch enabling Web traffic or Web Internet transmissions, using existing infrastructure so that “difference” information can be sent to an application rather than a complete updated data set, therefore increasing the effective bandwidth along the transmission medium/channel. A proxy server tracks previous versions of content being sent to various clients. In the case where this is new data to the requesting client, then the proxy server sends back the most recent version of this data to the client. If the requested data is an updated version of something already stored in cache on the client side (i.e., data already known to be sent to the client), then the proxy server runs a differencing algorithm and generates a binary patch file identifying steps to perform to update the information. If there is no version of the requested information already on server side and client side, then the entire information packet is sent to the client. Both the server and client must be “patch-enabled”.

Claims

1. A method for updating information on a client using differences between old information residing on the client and new information retrieved by a server, said method comprising:

requesting, by a client, information from a network;

determining whether the requested information is in storage on the client;

upon the determining that the requested information is in storage on the client, designating the requested information in storage on the client as a first version of the requested information;

retrieving the requested information by a server connected to the network;

designating the retrieved information as a second version of the requested information;

identifying differences between the first version of the requested information residing on the client and the second version of the requested information retrieved by the server;

generating a difference file on the server using the identified differences;

transmitting the difference file to the client;

updating the first version of the requested information using the difference file resulting in updated information on the client; and

retaining the second version of the requested information in storage at the server.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, the determining comprises:

determining whether the first version of the requested information resides in storage at the server.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the identifying differences further comprises:

comparing the second version of the requested information retrieved in the retrieving step with the first version of the requested information residing in storage on the server; and

determining automatically, by the server, whether the second version of the requested information is more current than the first version of the requested information in storage on the client and server.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, the the second version of the requested information resides on a content server, the second version of the requested information is retrieved by a proxy server from the content server via a network, and the comparing is performed by the proxy server.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, the client and the proxy server resides on the same computer processor.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, upon the determining that the requested information is not in storage on the client, transmitting the second version of the requested information to the client in response to the requesting by the client.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising saving information, by the server, the information corresponding to versions of information sent by the server to clients, wherein each of the versions of information is correlated with each of the clients to which it was sent.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, the requesting, by a client, of information from a network, is performed by a user employing a patch-enabled Web browser.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, the requesting of information by a user is from a public, global network of computers, employing a patch-enabled Web browser.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, the requesting of information by a user is from a private or proprietary intranet, employing a patch-enabled Web browser.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, the client connects to the network via a wireless communication method.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, a user on the client executes an application related to geo-positioning system (GPS) technology and the information requested is map data to be transferred to the user'"'"'s wireless device.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, a user on the client executes an application related to financial markets and the information requested is financial data to be transferred to the user'"'"'s wireless device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, the user requests data related to financial markets at unpredictable intervals and wherein the client receives updated current information using the difference file customized to the precise intervals of the requests.

15. A method for effecting secure transmission of data to a client using differences between old information residing on the client and new information residing on a server, said method comprising:

requesting, by a client, information from a network, wherein a user on the client desires secure transmission of the information;

retrieving the requested information, by a server connected to the network, via a secure connection, the server also connected to the client;

saving transactional information, by the server, the transactional information corresponding to versions of the requested information sent by the server to clients, each of the versions of the requested information sent to the clients is correlated with each of the clients to which it was sent, and the versions of the requested information are differentiated from one another by a time at which each of the versions is placed in storage on the client and the server;

determining by the server whether a previous one of the versions of the requested information resides in storage on the client and the server, and if not, then sending the requested information as one of the versions of the requested information to the client via a secure means; and

otherwise

identifying differences between the previous version of the requested information and one version of the requested information as retrieved in the retrieving;

generating a difference file on the server using the identified differences;

transmitting the difference file to the client; and

updating the previous version of the requested information using the difference file resulting in updated information on the client.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the requested information is sent by the server to the client in encrypted form and the difference file generated is transmitted in unencrypted form.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the sender resides on the submersible vehicle and is connected to the server and the client does not reside on the submersible vehicle.

17. A method of efficient transmission to and from a submersible vehicle, using differences between old information residing on a recipient and new information residing on a sender, said method comprising:

requesting, by a recipient, information from the sender, wherein one of the recipient and sender resides on a submersible vehicle with limited bandwidth or limited accessibility to transmission;

retrieving the requested information, by a server connected to the sender, the server also connected to the recipient via a wireless transmission means;

saving transactional information, by the server, the transactional information corresponding to versions of the requested information sent by the sender to the recipients, each of the version of the requested information sent to the recipients is correlated with each of the recipients to which it was sent;

determining by the server, whether a previous one of the versions of the requested information resides in storage on the recipient and the server, and if not, then sending the requested information as one of the versions of the requested information to the recipient as a whole, and otherwise

identifying differences between the previous version of the requested information and the one version as retrieved in the retrieving;

generating a difference file on the server using the identified differences;

transmitting the difference file to the recipient; and

updating the previous version of the requested information using the difference file resulting in updated information on the recipient.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the recipient is a client residing on the submersible vehicle and the server does not reside on the submersible vehicle and is directly connected to the sender.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the sender and recipient are interchangeable depending on the direction of the data flow to/from the submersible vehicle and for a specific transmission, thereby effecting bi-directional patching of data.

21. A system for updating information on a client using patches or differences between old information residing on the client and new information residing on the server, comprising:

at least one patch enabled server connectable to a network;

at least one client connectable to a network through the patch enabled server, the patch enabled server connected to the client and enabled to send requests to the network, when connected thereto, for information based on requests for information received by the server from a patch enabled browser on the client,

the patch enabled server comprising;

a data store and enabling routine for storing information, the information correlating requested information retrieved from the network with at least one client recipient of the requested information retrieved from the network; and

a patch generator for automatically identifying differences in versions of requested information and generating difference files if it is determined by analyzing the information that a previous version of the client requested information resides in storage on the server and the client, and transmitting the difference file to the client, the versions of the requested information are differentiated from one another by a time at which each of the versions is placed in storage on the server.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the patch enabled browser on the client further comprises:

a patch identifier for identifying whether received information is a binary difference file (patch); and

a patch executer which executes the binary patch received from the server and updates the current information on the client using the binary difference file resulting in updated information on the client.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the client is connected to the server via a wireless transmission path.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the client is on a submersible vehicle.

25. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the patch executer is a plug-in module of a patch enabled Web browser.

26. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the requested information is related to financial markets.

27. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the information stored in the data store is transactional information to correlate requested information sent by the patch enabled server and received by a client with temporal and recipient identification information.

28. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the patch enabled server distinguishes temporal and recipient identifying information associated with requested information sent by the patch enabled server and received by at least one of a plurality of client recipients.

29. A system for effecting secure transmissions of data to a client using differences between old information residing on the client and new information residing on the server, comprising:

at least one patch enabled server connectable to a network;

at least one client connectable to a network through the patch enabled server, the patch enabled server connected to the client and enabled to send requests to the network for information based on requests for information received by the server from a patch enabled browser on the client,

wherein a patch enabled server comprises;

a data store and enabling routine for storing transactional information, the transactional information correlating requested information retrieved from the network with one or more client recipients of the requested information retrieved from the network; and

a patch generator for automatically identifying differences in versions of requested information and generating difference files if it is determined by analyzing the transactional information that a previous version of the client requested information resides in storage on the server and the client, and transmitting the difference file to the client, but if a previous version of the client requested information does not reside on both the server and client, then securing the non-patch information to be sent to the client, the versions of the requested information are differentiated from one another by a time at which each of the versions is placed in storage on the server.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein the non-patch information is secured by using encryption.

31. A system for updating information on a client using differences between old information residing on the client and new information residing on the server, comprising:

a network of computers supporting client/server technology;

a content source connected to the network, the content source having a unique identifier allowing content to be accessed across the network;

a server connected to the network providing a conduit for users, the server processing requests by users for retrieving data from a content source;

a client connected to the network through the server for providing requested content to a user,

wherein the server sends requests to the network for information based on requests for information received by the server from the client, and

wherein the server comprises;

a data store and enabling routine for storing transactional information, the transactional information correlating requested content retrieved from the network with at least one client recipients of the requested content retrieved from the network; and

a patch generator for automatically identifying differences in versions of requested content and generating difference files if it is determined by analyzing the transactional information that a previous version of the client requested content resides in storage on the server and the client, and transmitting the difference file to the client, the versions of the requested information are differentiated from one another by a time at which each of the versions is placed in storage on the server.

32. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the client further comprises;

a patch identifier for identifying whether received information is a binary difference file (patch); and

a patch executer for executing the binary patch received from the server and for updating the current content on the client using the binary difference file resulting in updated content on the client.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein the client is connected to the network via a wireless transmission path.