Access to network content

• US 9,946,792 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Arvind, Ramachandran, Sreeram
• Primary Examiner(s): Kerzhner, Aleksandr
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US13/472,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A method and system for improving access to search results are provided in the disclosure herein. Aspects of this disclosure minimize the delay in accessing network content by priming certain regularly viewed content (e.g., a web search home page or a search results page) in an invisible browser instance. As the user accesses the content prerendered in the invisible browser instance, a new instance of the prerendered content is created to facilitate future accesses to the network content (e.g., future search queries).

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for improving access to network content, the method comprising:

prerendering, using a processor, a set of network content in a hidden browser instance, the hidden browser instance being a browser instance that is hidden from a user, wherein the set of network content is search engine web page content that is non-search-result content, wherein the prerendering begins when a character is entered into a field that accepts search queries, and wherein the set of network content is preloaded into the hidden browser instance prior to the user providing a selection operation associated with the set of network content;

monitoring user input in a browser for the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance;

detecting the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance, wherein the selection operation is at least one of entry of a search query in a text entry field or selection of a suggested search query;

in response to a detection of the selection operation, merging, with the processor, the set of network content with search results in an active browser instance; and

creating a new instance of the set of network content in a new hidden browser instance for use in another selection operation associated with the set of network content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of network content is a web search home page and the web search home page executes the selection operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

prerendering the set of network content comprises requesting the set of network content from a remote server, and

the new instance of the set of network content is created by copying the set of network content received from the remote server without contacting the remote server a second time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created at a particular time interval after the selection operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created based on a parameter received from a remote server that provided the network content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created immediately after the set of network content is merged with the active browser instance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance of the selection operation using an application programming interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of network content is determined by at least one of a user preference, a user navigation history, or a default search engine.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the hidden browser instance includes a hidden browser tab window within which the set of network content can be preloaded.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hidden browser tab window is arranged without selection controls associated with the browser.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

prerendering, using a processor, a set of network content in a hidden browser instance, the hidden browser instance being a browser instance that is hidden from a user, wherein the set of network content is search engine web page content that is non-search-result content, wherein the prerendering begins when a character is entered into a field that accepts search queries, and wherein the set of network content is preloaded into the hidden browser instance prior to the user providing a selection operation associated with the set of network content;

monitoring user input in a browser for the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance;

detecting the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance, wherein the selection operation is at least one of entry of a search query in a text entry field or selection of a suggested search query;

in response to a detection of the selection operation, merging the set of network content with search results in an active browser instance; and

creating a new instance of the set of network content in a new hidden browser instance for use in another selection operation associated with the set of network content.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of network content is a web search home page and the web search home page executes the selection operation.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

prerendering the set of network content comprises requesting the set of network content from a remote server, and

the new instance of the set of network content is created by copying the set of network content received from the remote server without contacting the remote server a second time.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created at a particular time interval after the selection operation.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created based on a parameter received from a remote server that provided the network content.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the new instance of the set of network content is created immediately after the set of network content is merged with the active browser instance.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising notifying the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance of the selection operation using an application programming interface.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of network content is determined by at least one of a user preference, a user navigation history, or a default search engine.

17. A processing system for improving access to search results, the processing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

execute a browser application;

prerender a set of network content in a hidden instance of the browser application, the hidden browser instance being a browser instance that is hidden from a user, wherein the set of network content is search engine web page content that is non-search-result content, wherein the prerendering begins when a character is entered into a field that accepts search queries, and wherein the set of network content is preloaded into the hidden browser instance prior to the user providing a selection operation associated with the set of network content;

monitor user input in the browser for the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance;

detect the selection operation associated with the set of network content preloaded in the hidden browser instance, wherein the selection operation is at least one of entry of a search query in a text entry field or selection of a suggested search query;

in response to a detection of the selection operation, merge the set of network content with search results in an active browser instance; and

create a new instance of the set of network content in a new hidden browser instance for use in another selection operation associated with the set of network content.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of network content is a web search home page and the web search home page executes the selection operation.