Computer networking system and method with Javascript execution for pre-fetching content from dynamically-generated URL

• US 8,880,594 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Dillon, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/306,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/229, 709/225, 709/213, 709/228, 709/227, 709201-203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code which when executed by an apparatus causes the apparatus to effect the method, for pre-fetching web content. Preferably, a proxy server performs the pre-fetching. Techniques such, for example, as executing Javascript in pre-fetched pages, modifying pre-fetched pages to address URL generation involving random numbers or dates, using cookie information or browser specifics when performing pre-fetching of pages, and injecting Javascript to measure response time may be performed, by way of example.

Claims

1. A proxy server apparatus comprising:

a proxy server module adapted to, in a case where a client device has generated a first HTTP GET request for a first URL, receive, from a web server associated with the first URL, a first HTTP response corresponding to the first URL;

means for obtaining Javascript in accordance with Javascript in the first HTTP response; and

means for executing the obtained Javascript,

wherein said proxy server module transmits data to the client device such that the client device receives the obtained Javascript and also executes the obtained Javascript, wherein in a case where the obtained Javascript when executed produces a request for a URL, (a) the executing means, by executing the obtained Javascript, effects an HTTP request for the URL, and (b) the client device, by also executing the obtained Javascript, also generates an HTTP request for the URL,

wherein a memory and processor are included in the proxy server apparatus.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy server module transmits to a client proxy device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript, and

wherein the client proxy device comprises means for receiving the obtained Javascript and means for sending the obtained Javascript to the client device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for pre-fetching web content from a URL determined in accordance with execution of the obtained Javascript.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy server module transmits to a client proxy device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript,

wherein the client proxy device comprises (a) means for generating a second HTTP response to the first HTTP GET request in accordance with the obtained Javascript, and (b) means for sending the second HTTP response to the client device, and

wherein the client device comprises means for receiving the second HTTP response, means for obtaining the obtained Javascript from the HTTP response, and means for executing the obtained Javascript.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy server module transmits to the client device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript, and

wherein the client device comprises means for receiving the obtained Javascript and means for executing the obtained Javascript.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy server module transmits to the client device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript, and

wherein the client device comprises (a) a HTTP web browser that generated the first HTTP GET request and (b) a proxy software program that receives the obtained Javascript from the proxy server apparatus, generates a HTTP response to the first HTTP GET request in accordance with the obtained Javascript, and sends the HTTP response to the web browser, which executes the obtained Javascript.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the executing means comprises a web browser that executes the obtained Javascript.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy server module is adapted to, in the case where a client device has generated the first HTTP GET request for the first URL, generate a second HTTP GET request for the first URL,

wherein the first HTTP response is a response to the second HTTP GET request.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first HTTP response is a response to the first HTTP GET request.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for, in response to execution by the executing means of the obtained Javascript producing a request for a second URL, generating a second HTTP GET request for the second URL; and

means for receiving a second HTTP response to the second HTTP GET request.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for sending data in accordance with the second HTTP response to a client proxy device,

wherein the client proxy device comprises means for receiving the data in accordance with the second HTTP response, means for generating a HTTP response in accordance with the data in accordance with the second HTTP response, and means for sending the generated HTTP response to the client device.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for sending data in accordance with the second HTTP response to the client device,

wherein the client device comprises (a) a HTTP web browser and (b) means for receiving the data in accordance with the second HTTP response, for generating a HTTP response in accordance with the data in accordance with the second HTTP response, and for sending the generated HTTP response to the web browser.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending data in accordance with the second HTTP response to the client device; and

means for sending a notification to the client device that the proxy server apparatus is generating the second HTTP GET request, wherein the notification is sent prior to sending the data in accordance with the second HTTP response to the client device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for sending to the client device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript,

wherein the client device comprises (a) means for receiving the notification from the proxy server apparatus and (b) means for awaiting receipt from the proxy server apparatus of the data in accordance with the second HTTP response without the client device generating a request for the second URL.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining means comprises means for modifying Javascript in the first HTTP response to obtain Javascript which is different from Javascript in the first HTTP response.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for, in response to HTML in the first HTTP response including a reference to a URL, generating a second HTTP GET request for that URL; and

means for, in response to Javascript in the first HTTP response that when executed produces a request for a URL, generating a third HTTP GET request for that URL.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving a response to the second HTTP GET request and for transmitting data in accordance with the response such that the client device receives the transmitted data; and

means for receiving a response to the third HTTP GET request and for transmitting data in accordance with the response such that the client device receives the transmitted data.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the data in accordance with the response to the second HTTP GET request and the data in accordance with the response to the third HTTP GET request are transmitted to a client proxy device, and

wherein the client proxy device comprises (a) means for generating a HTTP response that includes the data in accordance with the response to the second HTTP GET request and for sending the generated HTTP response to the client device, and (b) means for generating a HTTP response that includes the data in accordance with the response to the third HTTP GET request and for sending that HTTP response to the client device.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client device comprises means for executing the obtained Javascript, and

wherein, in the event that execution of the obtained Javascript produces a request for a second URL, the proxy server apparatus generates a HTTP GET request for the second URL and the client device also generates a HTTP GET request for the second URL, and the proxy server apparatus sends data via a network connection to cause the client device to receive a HTTP response to the client device'"'"'s HTTP GET request for the second URL.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client device comprises (a) a web browser, which generates the first HTTP GET request and which has proxy settings, and (b) a program selected by the web browser'"'"'s proxy settings,

wherein the program receives the first HTTP GET request, obtains the first URL from the first HTTP GET request, and in accordance with the first URL sends to the proxy server apparatus data that includes the first URL,

wherein the proxy server apparatus further comprises means for sending, to the program, data comprising the obtained Javascript,

wherein the program receives the data comprising the obtained Javascript and, in accordance with the data comprising the obtained Javascript, provides to the web browser a HTTP response to the first HTTP GET request, the HTTP response including the obtained Javascript,

wherein the web browser executes the obtained Javascript,

wherein the proxy server apparatus further comprises (a) means for, in the event that the execution by the executing means of the obtained Javascript produces a request for a second URL, generating a second HTTP GET request for the second URL, (b) means for receiving a second HTTP response to the second HTTP GET request, and (c) means for sending, to the program, data in accordance with the second HTTP response, and

wherein after the program receives the transmitted data in accordance with the second HTTP response and when the web browser, upon executing the obtained Javascript, generates a HTTP GET request for the second URL, the program generates in accordance with the data in accordance with the second HTTP response and provides to the web browser a HTTP response to the web browser'"'"'s HTTP GET request for the second URL, so that it is unnecessary for the program to send the HTTP GET request for the second URL to a web server corresponding to the second URL.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client device and a proxy device are connected via a network, and the proxy device is connected to the proxy server apparatus via a high-latency network,

wherein the client device comprises a web browser, which generates the first HTTP GET request,

wherein the proxy device receives the first HTTP GET request from the client device, obtains the first URL from the first HTTP GET request, and in accordance with the first URL sends to the proxy server apparatus data that includes the first URL,

wherein the proxy server apparatus further comprises means for sending, to the proxy device, data comprising the obtained Javascript,

wherein the proxy device receives the data comprising the obtained Javascript and in accordance with the data, generates and sends to the web browser of the client device a HTTP response to the first HTTP GET request, the HTTP response including the obtained Javascript,

wherein the web browser executes the obtained Javascript,

wherein the proxy server apparatus further comprises (a) means for, in the event that the execution by the executing means produces a request for a second URL, generating a second HTTP GET request for the second URL, (b) means for receiving a second HTTP response to the second HTTP GET request, and (c) means for sending, to the proxy device, data in accordance with the second HTTP response, and

wherein when execution by the web browser of the obtained Javascript results in generation of a HTTP GET request for the second URL, the proxy device generates a HTTP response thereto in accordance with the data in accordance with the second HTTP response, so that it is unnecessary for the proxy device to send the client device'"'"'s HTTP GET request for the second URL to a web server corresponding to the second URL.

28. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for sending data in accordance with the second HTTP response to a client proxy device; and

means for sending a notification to the client proxy device that the proxy server apparatus is generating the second HTTP GET request, wherein the notification is sent prior to sending the data in accordance with the second HTTP response to the client proxy device.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising means for sending to the client proxy device, via a network connection, the obtained Javascript,

wherein the client proxy device comprises (a) means for receiving the notification from the proxy server apparatus and (b) means for awaiting receipt from the proxy server apparatus of the data in accordance with the second HTTP response without the client proxy device generating a request for the second URL.

22. A device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing a control program to be executed by the processor; and

a hardware network interface,

wherein the control program comprises code that, when executed by the processor, causes the device to at least perform the following;

(a) receiving, via the hardware network interface, data corresponding to a first HTTP GET request for a first URL generated by a web browser of a client device;

(b) receiving data corresponding to a first HTTP response, the first HTTP response having been generated by a web server associated with the first URL;

(c) if the data corresponding to the first HTTP response includes Javascript, obtaining Javascript for execution by the control program, based on Javascript included in the data corresponding to the first HTTP response;

(d) executing the obtained Javascript; and

(e) transmitting data to the client device such that the client device receives the obtained Javascript and also executes the obtained Javascript, wherein in a case where the obtained Javascript when executed produces a request for a URL, (i) the executing step, by executing the obtained Javascript, effects an HTTP request for the URL, and (ii) the client device, by also executing the obtained Javascript, also generates an HTTP request for the URL,

wherein in response to the obtained Javascript dynamically generating a URL when executed, the control program generates a second HTTP GET request for the dynamically-generated URL.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein the client device further comprises a proxy program selected by proxy settings in the client device'"'"'s web browser,

wherein the proxy program sends to the control program the data corresponding to the first HTTP GET request,

wherein the control program is further configured to transmit data in accordance with the obtained Javascript to the proxy program, and

wherein with the data in accordance with the obtained Javascript, the proxy program generates and provides to the client device'"'"'s web browser a HTTP response to the first HTTP GET request.

24. An apparatus-implemented method comprising:

receiving from a network, by a proxy server apparatus including a memory, a processor, and a hardware network interface, in a case where a web browser of a client device generates a first HTTP GET request for a first URL, data corresponding to the first HTTP GET request;

receiving by the proxy server apparatus, data corresponding to a HTTP response, the HTTP response having been generated by a web server associated with the first URL;

obtaining Javascript in accordance with Javascript in the data corresponding to the HTTP response;

executing, by the proxy server apparatus, of the obtained Javascript; and

transmitting data to the client device such that the client device receives the obtained Javascript and also executes the obtained Javascript, wherein in a case where the obtained Javascript when executed produces a request for a URL, (a) the executing step, by executing the obtained Javascript, effects an HTTP request for the URL, and (b) the client device, by also executing the obtained Javascript, also generates an HTTP request for the URL.

25. A method comprising:

determining, by a proxy server apparatus including a memory, that a client device has made a request for a first URL, wherein the first URL corresponds to a web server; and

when a web page corresponding to the first URL comprises code that when executed generates a dynamic, non-static second URL;

(1) prefetching, by the proxy server apparatus, of content in accordance with the second URL by generating a request for the second URL, and (2) transmitting data to the client device such that the client device receives the code and also generates a request for the second URL.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising generating, by the proxy server apparatus, of a pre-fetch notification that is sent to a proxy for the client device, the pre-fetch notification informing the proxy that content for the second URL is to be prefetched by the proxy server apparatus.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the proxy is selected from the group consisting of a proxy program executed by the client device and a proxy device separate from the client device, and

wherein in response to the proxy having received the pre-fetch notification, the proxy prevents a HTTP request for the second URL generated by a web browser of the client device from being sent to a web server corresponding to the second URL.