Dynamically updating rendered content

• US 7,849,403 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• 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 S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faber; David
• Application Number:
  US11/832,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-204, 715234-242, 715/255
• 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 Web page content in which at least a portion of the Web page content is dynamic, performing steps of;

generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream; 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 for the requestable content stream 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 requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized 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, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content; and

responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the request for reloading the Web page content, 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 reference to the requestable content stream is an image element encoded in the markup language notation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the requestable content stream is an image.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference that specifies that the client is to automatically issue the request for reloading the Web page content further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an event handler for responding to the detected error condition.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to automatically issue the request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects one of:

an interruption in the delivery of the requestable content stream;

completion of delivery of the requestable content stream; and

a network error.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requestable content stream is one of:

an audio file or a video file.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using application properties and/or network properties to adjust a property of the requestable content stream, wherein the property comprises at least one of;

a size of the requestable content stream;

a chunk size of the requestable content stream;

a transmission rate of the requestable content stream; and

a format of the requestable content stream; and

using the adjusted property when the starting the delivery of the requestable content stream.

8. A method for asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

transmitting Web page content from a server to a client, over a first network connection, for rendering in a graphical display window at the client, wherein;

a specification for the rendering of the transmitted Web page content embeds therein a reference to a requestable content stream that is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the Web page content, and that is to be automatically requested by the client upon rendering of the Web page content and detecting the reference embedded therein; and

the reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading contents rendered in the graphical display window;

responding to a request for the requestable content stream by beginning transmission, over a second network connection, of the requestable content stream from the server to the client;

responsive to updating the Web page content at the server, closing the second network connection, by the server, while the requestable content stream is still being transmitted, thereby triggering one of the at least one error conditions at the client and thereby causing the client to automatically send the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window; and

responsive to receiving the automatically-sent request for reloading, transmitting the updated Web page content from the server to the client over the first network connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the requestable content stream is an image.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the specification that the client is to send the request for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window further comprises a specification, in syntax of the reference, of an event handler for responding to the detected error condition.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reference further specifies that the client is to send the request for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window if the client detects one of:

an interruption in the delivery of the requestable content stream;

completion of delivery of the requestable content stream; and

a network error.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the requestable content stream is one of:

an audio file or a video file.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

using application properties and/or network properties to adjust a property of the requestable content stream, wherein the property comprises at least one of;

a size of the requestable content stream;

a chunk size of the requestable content stream;

a transmission rate of the requestable content stream; and

a format of the requestable content stream; and

using the adjusted property when beginning the delivery of the requestable content stream.

14. A method for asynchronously reloading dynamically-updateable content, comprising:

requesting, by a client from a server, transmission of content for rendering in a graphical display window at the client;

responsive to receiving the requested content at the client over a first network connection, rendering the received content in the graphical display window, and upon detecting an embedded reference therein to a requestable content stream during the rendering, automatically requesting, by the client, transmission of the requestable content stream, wherein;

the requestable content stream is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the content; and

the embedded reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window;

beginning receipt of the requestable content stream, over a second network connection, by the client from the server;

upon detecting, by the client, that the server triggered one of the at least one error conditions by closing the second network connection while the requestable content stream is still being received at the client, automatically sending the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window; and

receiving a dynamically-updated version of the content, by the client from the server over the first network connection, sent by the server responsive to the automatically-sent request for reloading.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the requestable content stream is an image.

16. A system for asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform;

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

generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream; 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 for the requestable content stream 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 requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized 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, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content; and

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

17. A system for asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform;

transmitting Web page content from a server to a client, over a first network connection, for rendering in a graphical display window at the client, wherein;

a specification for the rendering of the transmitted Web page content embeds therein a reference to a requestable content stream that is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the Web page content, and that is to be automatically requested by the client upon rendering of the Web page content and detecting the reference embedded therein; and

the reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading contents rendered in the graphical display window;

responding to a request for the requestable content stream by beginning transmission, over a second network connection, of the requestable content stream from the server to the client;

responsive to updating the Web page content at the server, closing the second network connection, by the server, while the requestable content stream is still being transmitted, thereby triggering one of the at least one error conditions at the client and thereby causing the client to automatically send the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window; and

responsive to receiving the automatically-sent request for reloading, transmitting the updated Web page content from the server to the client over the first network connection.

18. A system for asynchronously reloading dynamically-updateable content, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform;

requesting, by a client from a server, transmission of content for rendering in a graphical display window at the client;

responsive to receiving the requested content at the client over a first network connection, rendering the received content in the graphical display window, and upon detecting an embedded reference therein to a requestable content stream during the rendering, automatically requesting, by the client, transmission of the requestable content stream, wherein;

the requestable content stream is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the content; and

the embedded reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window;

beginning receipt of the requestable content stream, over a second network connection, by the client from the server;

upon detecting, by the client, that the server triggered one of the at least one error conditions by closing the second network connection while the requestable content stream is still being received at the client, automatically sending the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window; and

receiving a dynamically-updated version of the content, by the client from the server over the first network connection, sent by the server responsive to the automatically-sent request for reloading.

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

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

generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream; 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 for the requestable content stream 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 requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized 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, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;

updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content; and

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

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

transmitting Web page content from a server to a client, over a first network connection, for rendering in a graphical display window at the client, wherein;

a specification for the rendering of the transmitted Web page content embeds therein a reference to a requestable content stream that is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the Web page content, and that is to be automatically requested by the client upon rendering of the Web page content and detecting the reference embedded therein; and

the reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading contents rendered in the graphical display window;

responding to a request for the requestable content stream by beginning transmission, over a second network connection, of the requestable content stream from the server to the client;

responsive to updating the Web page content at the server, closing the second network connection, by the server, while the requestable content stream is still being transmitted, thereby triggering one of the at least one error conditions at the client and thereby causing the client to automatically send the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window; and

responsive to receiving the automatically-sent request for reloading, transmitting the updated Web page content from the server to the client over the first network connection.

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

requesting, by a client from a server, transmission of content for rendering in a graphical display window at the client;

responsive to receiving the requested content at the client over a first network connection, rendering the received content in the graphical display window, and upon detecting an embedded reference therein to a requestable content stream during the rendering, automatically requesting, by the client, transmission of the requestable content stream, wherein;

the requestable content stream is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the content; and

the embedded reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window;

beginning receipt of the requestable content stream, over a second network connection, by the client from the server;

upon detecting, by the client, that the server triggered one of the at least one error conditions by closing the second network connection while the requestable content stream is still being received at the client, automatically sending the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the content rendered in the graphical display window; and

receiving a dynamically-updated version of the content, by the client from the server over the first network connection, sent by the server responsive to the automatically-sent request for reloading.