Access to network content

• US 9,530,099 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Arvind, Hamon, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US14/250,545
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859

Abstract

A method and system for improving access to network content are described. Aspects of the disclosure minimize the delay between a navigation event and a network response by prerendering the next navigation event. For example, the method and system may predict a likely next uniform resource locator during web browsing to preemptively request content from the network before the user selects the corresponding link on a web page. The methods and systems describe a variety of manners for prerendering content and managing and configuring prerendering operations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, using one or more processors, a probability value for each next navigation event in a plurality of next navigation events based on an indicator, the probability value indicating a likelihood a next navigation destination will be selected;

performing, using the one or more processors, prefetching-related operations in an increasingly aggressive order, wherein the prefetching-related operations comprise;

when the probability value exceeds a first action threshold, retrieving, using the one or more processors, domain name services information;

when the probability value exceeds a second action threshold that is greater than the first action threshold, initiating, using the one or more processors, a transmission control protocol connection;

when the probability value exceeds a third action threshold that is greater than the second action threshold, prefetching, using the one or more processors, a top-level resource for the network content; and

when the probability value exceeds a fourth action threshold that is greater than the third action threshold, prerendering, using the one or more processors, a webpage associated with the next navigation destination in a hidden browser instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a more aggressive prerendering operation requires greater system resources than a less aggressive prerendering operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of:

a navigation history, a text entry, and a mouse cursor movement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the probability value satisfies at least one of the action thresholds of the series of action thresholds; and

based on the determination, performing the prerendering operation associated with the at least one action threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the one or more action thresholds in increasing order of probability value, such that the prerendering operations requiring a higher threshold probability value are performed after network content access actions requiring a lower threshold probability value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability value is received from a web service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a priority for performing the prerendering operations based on the probability value of the next navigation event and an amount of system resources needed to perform the prerendering operations.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

determining, using the one or more processors, a probability value for each next navigation event in a plurality of next navigation events based on an indicator, the probability value indicating a likelihood a next navigation destination will be selected;

performing, using the one or more processors, prefetching-related operations in an increasingly aggressive order, wherein the prefetching-related operations comprise;

when the probability value exceeds a first action threshold, retrieving, using the one or more processors, domain name services information;

when the probability value exceeds a second action threshold that is greater than the first action threshold, initiating, using the one or more processors, a transmission control protocol connection;

when the probability value exceeds a third action threshold that is greater than the second action threshold, prefetching, using the one or more processors, a top-level resource for the network content; and

when the probability value exceeds a fourth action threshold higher than the third action threshold, prerendering, using the one or more processors, a webpage associated with the next navigation destination in a hidden browser instance.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein a more aggressive prerendering operation requires greater system resources than a less aggressive prerendering operation.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of:

a navigation history, a text entry, and a mouse cursor movement.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to;

determine a probability value for each next navigation event in a plurality of next navigation events based on an indicator, the probability value indicating a likelihood a next navigation destination to be selected;

perform prefetching-related operations in an increasingly aggressive order, wherein the prefetching-related operations comprise;

when the probability value exceeds a first action threshold, retrieving domain name services information;

when the probability value exceeds a second action threshold that is greater than the first action threshold, initiating a transmission control protocol connection;

when the probability value exceeds a third action threshold that is greater than the second action threshold, prefetching a top-level resource for the network content; and

when the probability value exceeds a fourth action threshold that is greater than the third action threshold, prerendering a webpage associated with the next navigation destination in a hidden browser instance.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a more aggressive prerendering operation requires greater system resources than a less aggressive prerendering operation.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of:

a navigation history, a text entry, and a mouse cursor movement.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine whether the probability value satisfies at least one of the action thresholds of the series of action thresholds; and

based on the determination, perform the prerendering operation associated with the at least one action threshold.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

order the one or more action thresholds in increasing order of probability value, such that the prerendering operations requiring a higher threshold probability value are performed after network content access actions requiring a lower threshold probability value.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the probability value is received from a web service.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assign a priority for performing the prerendering operations based on the probability value of the next navigation event and an amount of system resources needed to perform the prerendering operations.