Device, System and Method for Providing Distributed Online Services

• US 20110320614A1
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Makavy, Ran, Berdichevsky, Micha, Naveh, Barak, Artzi, Yoav
• Granted Patent: US 9,237,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 13/16 of transmitters, e.g. code-bars, code-discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A device, system, and method is provided for running mobile applications, including a server for running applications and a client installed in a mobile device. The client may connect to the server via a network. The client may display content, receive user input, and send user input to the server. The server may use the client to receive user input and to display content for running applications for the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for communicating using a hypertext transfer protocol, comprising:

a server configured to communicate with one or more clients using the hypertext transfer protocol, wherein only a client may initiate a connection with the server; and

a client installed in a mobile device configured to connect to the server via a network using a hypertext transfer protocol, wherein the client requests a first connection with the server if no connection is currently open and wherein the client requests additional connections to send data to the server without waiting for a response to the request for the first connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for the first connection is an empty request, and wherein the server is further configured to respond to the request for the first connection only when the server has content to send to the client.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to close idle connections after a timeout interval, and wherein the client is further configured to request an additional connection with the server in response to the server closing an idle connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client or the server may regulate the number of concurrent open connections between the client and the server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client is further configured to start a client timer in response to requesting a second connection to the server, and wherein the client is further configured to check the client timer in response to receiving a response from the server to the request for the first connection.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the client is determined to support only one simultaneous connection in response to a determination that the amount of time elapsed between the client requesting a second connection to the server and receiving a response from the server to the request for the first connection exceeds a pre-determined threshold.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the pre-determined threshold is based on network latency or CPU time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the client is determined not to support the hyptertext transfer protocol HTTP 1.1 in response to being determined to support only one simultaneous connection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to close each connection immediately after using the connection to send a response to the client.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to:

count the total number of open connections and requests received over a predefined period of time or upon reaching a predefined count of requests; and

determine that the client supports the hypertext transfer protocol HTTP 1.1 in response to the number of open connections being equal to the number of requests received and the average time between consecutive requests being below a predetermined threshold.

11. A method for communicating using a hypertext transfer protocol, comprising:

receiving a request at a server for a first connection from a client installed in a mobile device, wherein the connection comprises a communication channel using the hypertext transfer protocol, and wherein only a client may initiate a connection with the server; and

prior to responding to the request for the first connection, receiving a request at the server from the client for additional connections to send data to the server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request for the first connection is an empty request, and further comprising responding to the request for the first connection only when the server has content to send to the client.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

closing an idle connection after a timeout interval; and

receiving a request for an additional connection from the client in response to closing an idle connection.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

regulating, by the client or the server, the number of concurrent open connections between the client and the server.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

starting a timer in response to receiving a request for a second connection from the client; and

checking the timer in response to responding to the request for the first connection.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the amount of time elapsed between receiving the request for the second connection and responding to the request for the first connection exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and

responsive to determining that the pre-determined threshold is exceeded, determining that the client can only support one simultaneous connection.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined threshold is based on network latency or CPU time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the client is determined not to support the hypertext transfer protocol HTTP 1.1 in response to being determined to support only one simultaneous connection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

closing each connection immediately after using the connection to send a response to the client.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

counting the total number of open connections and requests received over a predefined period of time or upon reaching a predefined count of requests; and

in response to the number of open connections being equal to the number of requests received and the average time between consecutive requests being below a predetermined threshold, determining that the client supports the hypertext transfer protocol HTTP 1.1.