Differential patching of content

• US 9,529,586 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacus, Michael Patrick, Nell, Garett, Harpalani, Manoj Suresh, Joshi, Lokesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US14/671,978
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 717169-177, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Devices and techniques to incrementally update content associated with an electronic publication are described. A patch generation module may be configured to generate patch data files comprising incremental changes associated with the electronic publication. A differential patch module located on a client device may be configured to obtain the patch data files. The differential patch module may also be configured to compare the patch data files and the electronic publication and identify the differences between the files. Additionally, the differential patch module may be configured to update the changes in the patch data files with the content of the electronic publication. Accordingly, the electronic publication may be updated to include the changes in the patch data files.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor perform actions comprising:

identifying a first version of content stored on a client device, wherein the content includes an electronic document;

determining one or more content updates associated with the first version of the content;

determining a user identification associated with the client device;

accessing data associated with the user identification;

generating one or more differential patch data files configured to modify the stored content based on at least one of;

the one or more content updates, or

the data associated with the user identification; and

applying the one or more differential patch data files to the first version of content to produce a second version of the content, wherein the applying the one or more differential patch data files includes generating metadata associated with the first version of content; and

wherein a total file size of the one or more differential patch data files is less than a total file size of the first version of the stored content.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the user identification comprises one or more of the following:

a username;

a password;

an access code, wherein the access code is configured to enable access to one or more additional features associated with the content;

a watermark;

or

a message.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more differential patch data files are configured to modify previously stored metadata associated with the content stored on the client device.

4. A computer implemented method comprising:

storing first content in memory;

receiving one or more differential patch data files associated with the first content;

generating metadata associated with the first content;

accessing the first content associated with the one or more differential patch data files;

generating second content based at least in part on the first content and the one or more differential patch data files; and

presenting at least a portion of the second content on a client device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the generating the second content includes modifying a set of metadata associated with the first content.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

the generating the second content further comprising removing information from the first content.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that a portion of the first content is currently being accessed by the client device; and

the generating the second content including modifying portions of the first content that are not currently being accessed using the one or more patch data files.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

the generating the second content comprising modifying, with the one or more differential patch data files, at least a portion of the first content currently being accessed by the client device.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing a plurality of versions of one or more of the first content or the second content; and

wherein the one or more differential patch data files are associated with a particular subset of the plurality of versions.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a network to use to send the one or more differential patch data files based at least in part on one or more of the following;

a set of time-sensitive data associated with the one or more differential patch data files;

a network speed;

a network latency;

or

a network transmission cost.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a position of presentation within the first content associated with a user account;

storing the position; and

maintaining the position in the second content.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining one or more user annotations within the first content; and

maintaining the one or more user annotations in the second content.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the client device is configured to generate and provide the one or more differential patch data files to another client device.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting in a user interface an indication the one or more differential patch data files are available; and

wherein the generating the second content is based at least in part on receipt of user input indicative of acceptance to apply the one or more differential patch data files.

15. A system comprising:

a first computing device comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions configured for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions configured to;

store content in the at least one memory;

generate one or more differential patch data files to modify at least metadata associated with the content;

determine an update threshold associated with the one or more differential patch data files has been reached; and

send the one or more differential patch data files to a plurality of client devices.

16. The system of claim 15, the client device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions configured for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions configured to;

receive the one or more differential patch data files; and

modify at least a portion of metadata associated with the content stored in the at least one memory of the client device.

17. The system of claim 15, the client device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions configured for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions configured to;

receive the one or more differential patch data files; and

modify at least a portion of the content stored in the at least one memory of the client device.

18. The system of claim 15, the client device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions configured for execution on the at least one processor, the instructions configured to;

generate at least a portion of the one or more differential patch data files; and

send the at least a portion of the one or more differential path data files to the first computing device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the content comprises a markup language file and further wherein the one or more differential patch data files are configured to add, remove, or add and remove one or more words from the markup language file stored on the plurality of client devices.

20. The system of claim 15, the first computing device further comprising instructions configured to:

determine an access code associated with the client device, wherein the access code enables access to one or more additional features associated with the content; and

wherein the generated one or more differential path data files are based at least in part on the access code.