Dynamically updating rendered content

• US 7,299,409 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McMahan, Paul F., Leah, Robert C., Joshi, Niraj P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faber; David
• Application Number:
  US10/383,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/513, 715/716
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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

Techniques are disclosed for efficiently updating rendered content (such as content of a Web page) using a “slow-loading” content element, such as a slow-loading image. A reference is embedded within the markup language notation for the content to be rendered, where this reference identifies the source of the slow-loading content element. Delivery of the slow-loading content therefore begins automatically, when the content is rendered. Event handling attributes are specified with the reference, where values of these attributes identify client-side logic to be invoked when the associated event occurs. If the server determines that the rendered content, or some portion thereof, should be asynchronously updated, it abruptly terminates delivery of the slow-loading content. This termination triggers an event handler, which operates to automatically request reloading of the content. Attributes are also preferably specified for handling abort events and successful loading events, causing the client to request reloading of the content in each case (and restarting delivery of the slow-loading content).

Claims

1. A software-implemented method of asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for displayable Web page content in which at least a portion of the displayable Web page content is dynamic, performing steps of;

generating the requested displayable Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;

detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

updating the displayable Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable Web page content; and

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, repeating the performing of the generating and sending steps, wherein the generating step uses the updated Web page content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the markup language notation is Hypertext Markup Language (“

HTML”

).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specification that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects the error condition further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an event handler for responding to the error condition.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects that the user has halted the delivery of the stored image.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the specification that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects the halting further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an abort handler for responding to the halting.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects completion of the delivery of the stored image.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the specification that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects the completion further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of a load completion handler.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detecting further comprises detecting that the user pressed, at the client, one of an escape key or a stop button.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the event handler is specified as an attribute of the reference.

10. A method of asynchronously reloading dynamically-updateable content, comprising steps of:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for displayable content that is to be rendered at the client, wherein at least a portion of the displayable content to be rendered is dynamically-updateable, performing steps of;

generating the requested displayable content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated content over the first network connection;

detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

updating the displayable content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable content; and

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, repeating the performing of the generating and sending steps, wherein the generating step uses the updated content.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the sent displayable content and the embedded reference, at the client from the server over the first network connection; and

rendering the displayable content and the stored image on the client, according to the generated markup language notation, wherein the height of zero and the width of zero causes the stored image to be rendered as invisible.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the client is a kiosk having a dynamically-updateable display.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the client provides a Web console having a dynamically-updateable display.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the specification that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects the error condition further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an event handler for responding to the error condition.

15. A computer-implemented system for asynchronously reloading Web page content from a server to a client in a computer networking environment, comprising:

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a first network connection, a request for displayable Web page content to display on a display device coupled to the client, at least a portion of the displayable Web page content comprising dynamic content, for;

generating the requested displayable Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image which is stored in a network-accessible storage medium, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, for starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;

means operable in the server for detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

means operable in the server for updating the displayable Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable Web page content; and

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, for repeating operation of the means for generating and the means for sending, wherein the means for generating uses the updated Web page content.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein:

the specification that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects the error condition further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an event handler for responding to the error condition.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects that the user has halted the delivery of the stored image.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects completion of the delivery of the stored image.

19. A computer-implemented system for asynchronously reloading dynamically-updateable content from a server to a client in a computer networking environment, comprising:

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a first network connection, a request for displayable content that is to be rendered on a display device coupled to the client, wherein at least a portion of the displayable content to be rendered is dynamically-updateable, for;

generating the requested displayable content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image which is stored in a network-accessible medium, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, for starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated content over the first network connection;

means operable in the server for detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

means operable in the server for updating the displayable content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable content; and

means operable in the server, responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, for repeating operation of the means for generating and the means for sending, wherein the means for generating uses the updated content.

20. A computer program product for asynchronously reloading Web page content, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable storage media and comprising:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for displayable Web page content in which at least a portion of the displayable Web page content is dynamic, computer-readable program code for;

generating the requested displayable Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image, wherein the reference specifies that the stored is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, computer-readable program code for starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;

computer-readable program code for detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

computer-readable program code for updating the displayable Web page content and closing the second connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable Web page content; and

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, computer-readable program code for repeating execution of the computer-readable program code for generating and the computer-readable program code for sending, wherein the computer-readable program code for generating uses the updated Web page content.

21. A computer program product for asynchronously reloading dynamically-updateable content, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable storage media and comprising:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for displayable content that is to be rendered on a display device coupled to the client, wherein at least a portion of the displayable content to be rendered is dynamically-updateable, computer-readable program code for;

generating the requested displayable content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and

sending the generated content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image, computer-readable program code for starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated content over the first network connection;

computer-readable program code for detecting, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

computer-readable program code for updating the displayable content and closing the second connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable content; and

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request, computer-readable program code for repeating execution of the computer-readable program code for generating and the computer-readable program code for sending, wherein the computer-readable program code for generating uses the updated content.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically re-issue the request for the stored image if the client detects that the user has halted the delivery of the stored image.