Method, system and apparatus for delivering web content

• US 8,326,947 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Martin, Dary Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHANG, SHIRLEY X
• Application Number:
  US12/704,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a method, system and apparatus for delivering web content are provided. The method comprises maintaining a web page in a memory of a web server identifiable by a network address, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a second network address; identifying the at least one reference; transmitting a request from an interface of the web server for obtaining the second network address; receiving the second network address of the second web server and storing the second network address in the memory in association with an identifier of the web page.

Claims

1. A method of delivering web content, comprising:

maintaining a web page in a memory of a web server identifiable by a network address, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a second network address, the at least one reference comprising a name of the second web server;

identifying the at least one reference;

transmitting an address request from an interface of the web server for obtaining the second network address;

receiving an address response including the second network address of the second web server;

storing the second network address in the memory in association with an identifier of the web page; and

responsive to receiving a request for the web page, transmitting the address response, including the name of the second web server and the second network address, and the web page including the reference comprising the name of the second web server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the web page is received at the web server from a mobile electronic device;

and

wherein the web page and the address response are transmitted to the mobile electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a request for the web page precedes identifying the at least one reference, and wherein transmitting the web page and the address response follows receiving the address response.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, prior to transmitting the web page, whether the request for the web page includes an indication that the mobile electronic device can receive the address response; and

,

when the determination is negative, transmitting the web page without the address response.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the second network address of the second web server is valid; and

,

when the determination is negative, transmitting a further request for the second network address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining if the second network address of the second web server is valid comprises comparing a current time to a timestamp associated with the second network address.

7. A web server, comprising:

an interface for receiving and transmitting requests;

a memory for maintaining a web page identifiable by a network address, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a second network address, the at least one reference comprising a name of the second web server;

a processor interconnected with the interface and the memory, the processor configured to identify the at least one reference;

the processor further configured to transmit an address request via the interface for obtaining the second network address;

the processor further configured to receive an address response including the second network address of the second web server for storage in the memory in association with an identifier of the web page;

the processor further configured, responsive to receiving a request for the web page, to transmit the address response, including the name of the second web server and the second network address, and the web page including the reference comprising the name of the second web server.

8. The web server of claim 7, the processor being further configured to receive the request for the web page from a mobile electronic device;

and to transmit the web page and the address response to the mobile electronic device.

9. The web server of claim 8, wherein receiving a request for the web page precedes identifying the at least one reference, and wherein transmitting the web page and the second network address response follows receiving the second network address.

10. The web server of claim 7, the processor further configured to determine, prior to transmitting the web page, whether the request for the web page includes an indication that the mobile electronic device can receive the address response;

and, when the determination is negative, to transmit the web page without the address response.

11. The web server of claim 7, the processor further configured to determine if the second network address of the second web server is valid;

and, when the determination is negative, to transmit a further request for the second network address.

12. The web server of claim 11, the processor further configured to compare a current time to a timestamp associated with the second network address as part of the determination.

13. A method of delivering web content, comprising:

transmitting a request for a web page from an interface of a mobile electronic device to a web server, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a name and a corresponding network address, the at least one reference comprising the name of the second web server;

receiving the web page, including the reference comprising the name of the second web server, and an address response including a first network address and the name of the second web server, from the web server at the interface;

transmitting a first request for the foreign element using the first network address;

transmitting a second request to a Domain Name System (“

DNS”

) server for a second network address corresponding to the name of the second web server from the interface;

responsive to receiving the second network address, determining whether the first and second network addresses match; and

,

when the first and second network addresses do not match, discarding the first network address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second requests are substantially simultaneous.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing in a memory of the mobile electronic device an indication that future network addresses received from the web server are to be ignored for at least a configurable period of time.

16. A mobile electronic device comprising:

an interface for receiving and transmitting requests;

a memory; and

,

a processor interconnected with the interface and the memory, the processor configured to transmit a request for a web page via the interface to a web server, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a name and a corresponding network address, the at least one reference comprising the name of the second web server;

the processor further configured to receive the web page including the reference comprising the name of the second web server, and an address response including a first network address and the name of the second web server, for storage in the memory;

the processor further configured to transmit a first request for the foreign element using the first network address;

the processor further configured to transmit a second request to a Domain Name System (“

DNS”

) server for a second network address corresponding to the name of the second web server from the interface;

the processor further configured, responsive to receiving the second network address, to determine whether the first and second network addresses match; and

, when the first and second network addresses do not match, to discard the first network address.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 16, the processor configured to transmit the first and second requests substantially simultaneously.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, the processor further configured to store in the memory an indication that future network addresses received from the web server are to be ignored for at least a configurable period of time.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions for execution by a processor, the computer readable instructions implementing a method comprising:

maintaining a web page in a memory of a web server identifiable by a network address, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a second network address, the at least one reference comprising a name of the second web server;

identifying the at least one reference;

transmitting an address request from an interface of the web server for obtaining the second network address;

receiving an address response including the second network address of the second web server;

storing the second network address in the memory in association with an identifier of the web page; and

responsive to receiving a request for the web page, transmitting the address response, including the name of the second web server and the second network address, and the web page including the reference comprising the name of the second web server.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions for execution by a processor, the computer readable instructions implementing a method comprising:

transmitting a request for a web page from an interface of a mobile electronic device to a web server, the web page including at least one reference to a foreign element maintained at a second web server identifiable by a name and a corresponding network address, the at least one reference comprising the name of the second web server;

receiving the web page including the reference comprising name of the second web server, and an address response including a first network address and the name of the second web server, from the web server at the interface;

transmitting a first request for the foreign element using the first network address;

transmitting a second request to a Domain Name System (“

DNS”

) server for a second network address corresponding to the name of the second web server from the interface;

responsive to receiving the second network address, determining whether the first and second network addresses match; and

,

when the first and second network addresses do not match, discarding the first network address.