Method and system to pre-fetch data in a network

• US 20070216674A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Orcutt, Bill, Subramanian, Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A system and method of pre-fetching data in a network includes displaying first data to a user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow. Before receiving a request from the user to view the other data, retrieving at least some of the other data and storing the retrieved other data in a memory device. After a request is received from the user to display the other data, using the stored data for the display to the user.

Claims

1. A method of pre-fetching data in a network, the method including:

processing first data at a user device, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow;

responsive to the processing of the first data at the user device, retrieving at least some of the other data;

storing the retrieved other data at the user device; and

after receiving a request from the user, processing the stored other data at the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data is upstream of a plurality of other data in a data flow.

3. The method of claim 2 further including, determining which of the plurality of other data is most frequently viewed and retrieving and storing some or all of the data from at least one of the most frequently viewed other data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data stored is stored in a local memory device of the user device which the user uses to view the data.

5. The method of claim 1 further including, after a request is received from a user to view the other data, retrieving further data which is used in conjunction with the stored other data for the display to the user.

6. The method of claim I wherein the first data is a first web page displayed to the user, the first web page including a link to another web page.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first web page displayed to the user includes a plurality of links to a plurality of other web pages.

8. A method of pre-fetching data in a network, the method including:

receiving a request from a user to display first data to the user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow;

transmitting the first data to a user device to be viewed by the user; and

transmitting at least some of the other data to the user device to be stored in a memory device before a request is received from the user to view the other data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first data is upstream of a plurality of other data in a data flow.

10. The method of claim 9 further including, determining which of the plurality of other data is most frequently viewed and transmitting for storage some or all of the data from at least one of the most frequently viewed other data.

11. The method of claim 8 further including, after a request is received from a user to view the other data, transmitting further data which is used in conjunction with the stored other data for the display to the user.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the first data is a first web page to be displayed to the user, the first web page including a link to another web page.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first web page to be displayed to the user includes a plurality of links to a plurality of other web pages.

14. A system including:

a display module to display first data to a user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow;

a memory device; and

a communication module to receive at least some of the other data before receiving a request from the user to view the other data and to store the received other data in the memory device, wherein after a request is received from the user to display the other data, the display device uses this stored data for the user display.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the display module displays first data to a user which first data is upstream of a plurality of other data in a data flow.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the communication module determines which of the plurality of other data is most frequently viewed and retrieves and stores some or all of the data from at least one of the most frequently viewed other data.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the memory device is a local memory device of a user device which the user uses to view the data.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the communication module, after a request is received from a user to view the other data, retrieves further data which is used in conjunction with the stored other data for the display to the user.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the first data is a first web page displayed to the user, the first web page including a link to another web page.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first web page displayed to the user includes a plurality of links to a plurality of other web pages.

21. A system including:

a receiving module to receive a request from a user to display first data to the user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow; and

a transmitting module to transmit the first data to a user device to be viewed by the user and to further transmit, before a request is received from the user to view the other data, at least some of the other data to the user device to be stored in a memory device.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the transmitting module transmits first data to a user which first data is upstream of a plurality of other data in a data flow.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the transmitting module determines which of the plurality of other data is most frequently viewed and retrieves and stores some or all of the data from at least one of the most frequently viewed other data.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the memory device is a local memory device of a user device which the user uses to view the data.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the transmitting module further, after a request is received from a user to view the other data, transmits further data which is used in conjunction with the stored other data for the display to the user.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the first data is a first web page displayed to the user, the first web page including a link to another web page.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the first web page displayed to the user includes a plurality of links to a plurality of other web pages.

28. A system including:

display means to display first data to a user, the first being upstream of other data in a data flow;

memory means; and

communication means to receive at least some of the other data before receiving a request from the user to view the other data and to store the other data in the memory device, wherein after a request is received from the user to display the other data, the display device uses this stored data for the user display.

29. A system including:

receiving means to receive a request from a user to display first data to the user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow; and

transmitting means to transmit the first data to a user device to be viewed by the user and to further transmit, before a request is received from the user to view the other data, at least some of the other data to the user device to be stored in a memory device.

30. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method including:

processing first data at a user device, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow;

responsive to the processing of the first data at the user device, retrieving at least some of the other data;

storing the retrieved other data at the user device; and

after receiving a request from the user, processing the stored other data at the user device.

31. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method including:

receiving a request from a user to display first data to the user, the first data being upstream of other data in a data flow;

transmitting the first data to a user device to be viewed by the user; and

transmitting at least some of the other data to the user device to be stored in a memory device before a request is received from the user to view the other data.