Prioritized preloading of documents to client

• US 8,825,754 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fredricksen, Eric Russell, Feng, Hanping, Kataru, Naga Sridhar, Harik, Georges
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/550,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a client-server network system implementing a multi-tier caching strategy for a user to access a document efficiently. When serving a document to client, the document is examined for embedded references to other documents. The embedded references are extracted and then assigned a priority. The referenced documents are preloaded to the client prior to receiving a request for them. The referenced documents are obtained locally from the server cache or obtained from their respective web hosts and transmitted according to the assigned priority.

Claims

1. A method of providing a document to a client, comprising:

at a server that is distinct from the client and having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving a request to provide a document to the client;

providing the document to the client;

identifying a plurality of referenced documents referenced by the document; and

after receiving a request to provide the document to the client and before receiving a request from the client to provide a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, performing a preload operation including providing the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the providing of the respective referenced document to the client based on a communication received from the client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a document generated in response to a search request and the referenced documents are one or more results of the search request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning respective priorities to at least some of the plurality of referenced documents; and

preloading to the client a subset of the plurality of referenced documents in accordance with their respective priorities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the document is a document generated in response to a search request and the referenced documents are one or more results of the search request;

and wherein assigning the respective priorities to at least some of the plurality of referenced documents comprises assigning each respective priority according to a ranking associated with a respective result.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising modifying a respective priority of one of the referenced documents based on satisfying a predetermined condition.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising satisfying the predetermined condition based on a communication received from the client to increase the respective priority.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising satisfying the predetermined condition based on a communication received from the client including a request for the respective referenced document.

9. The method of claim 4, including providing the respective referenced document to the client according to its respective priority.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the document comprises content, the method further comprising assigning the priority of the referenced document according to a location of the respective referenced document in the content of the document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the respective referenced document comprises:

obtaining a fresh version of the respective referenced document;

generating a content difference between a fresh version of the respective referenced document and an earlier version of the respective referenced document;

generating a content fingerprint of the fresh version of the respective referenced document; and

serving to the client, the content difference and a content fingerprint of the earlier version of the respective referenced document.

12. A method of requesting documents, comprising:

at a client remote from a server and having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

sending a request for a first document to the server;

receiving a first response including the first document, wherein the first document references a plurality of referenced documents;

after sending the request for the first document to the server and before requesting a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, receiving a second response, corresponding to a preload operation by the server, the second response including the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second response includes a content fingerprint based on document content of the respective referenced document;

the method further comprising;

identifying whether the content fingerprint is resident in the client; and

sending a communication to the server indicating that the second response should be terminated.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending a request for a second respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents; and

in response to the request, receiving the second respective referenced document from the server in accordance with an increased priority for the second respective referenced document.

15. A system for serving a document to a client, comprising:

a document server including;

one or more processing units for executing programs;

memory storing one or more programs be executed by the one or more processing units;

the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

receiving a request to provide a document to the client;

providing the document to the client;

identifying a plurality of referenced documents referenced by the document; and

after receiving a request to provide the document to the client and before receiving a request from the client to provide a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, performing a preload operation including providing the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents to the client.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions to:

assign respective priorities to at least some of the plurality of referenced documents; and

preload to the client a subset of the plurality of referenced documents in accordance with their respective priorities.

17. A client system for requesting documents, comprising:

one or more processing units for executing programs;

memory storing one or more programs be executed by the one or more processing units;

the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

sending a request for a first document to the server;

receiving a first response including the first document, wherein the first document references a plurality of referenced documents;

after sending the request for the first document to the server and before requesting a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, receiving a second response, corresponding to a preload operation by the server, the second response including the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents.

23. The client system of claim 17, wherein the second response includes a content fingerprint based on document content of the respective referenced document, and the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

identifying whether the content fingerprint is resident in the client; and

sending a communication to the server indicating that the second response should be terminated.

24. The client system of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

sending a request for a second respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents; and

in response to the request, receiving the second respective referenced document from the server in accordance with an increased priority for the second respective referenced document.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to provide a document to the client;

providing the document to the client;

identifying a plurality of referenced documents referenced by the document; and

after receiving a request to provide the document to the client and before receiving a request from the client to provide a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, performing a preload operation including providing the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, according to its respective priority, to the client, the preload operation including providing to the client a respective content fingerprint of the respective referenced document that is being provided to the client.

19. The computer readable storage medium of 18, the one or more programs further comprising instructions for:

assigning respective priorities to at least some of the plurality of referenced documents; and

preloading to the client a subset of the plurality of referenced documents in accordance with their respective priorities.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

sending a request for a first document to the server;

receiving a first response including the first document, wherein the first document references a plurality of referenced documents;

after sending the request for the first document to the server and before requesting a respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents, receiving a second response, corresponding to a preload operation by the server, the second response including the respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the second response includes a content fingerprint based on document content of the respective referenced document, and the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

identifying whether the content fingerprint is resident in the client; and

sending a communication to the server indicating that the second response should be terminated.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

sending a request for a second respective referenced document of the plurality of referenced documents; and

in response to the request, receiving the second respective referenced document from the server in accordance with an increased priority for the second respective referenced document.