Launching a Cached Web Application Based on Authentication Status

• US 20120084835A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Neil Richard, Kennberg, Alex, Lider, Brett R., Soni, Punit
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for receiving a request to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a first network address. The resources are retrieved from a cache. The retrieved resources are responsive to the request, correspond to the first network address, and are configured to activate a first web application. Activation of the first web application requires that the computing device be authenticated. Instructions that are in the retrieved resources and are for activating the first web application are executed. The execution includes determining that the computing device is not authenticated to activate the first web application, and requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a second network address and that are configured to activate a second web application. Activation of the second web application does not require that the computing device be currently authenticated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a request to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a first network address;

retrieving, from a cache that is stored locally at the computing device, resources that (i) are responsive to the received request, (ii) correspond to the first network address, and (iii) are configured to activate a first web application that is for interacting with a user, wherein activation of the first web application requires that the computing device be currently authenticated; and

executing, by the computing device, instructions that are in the retrieved resources and that are for activating the first web application, execution of the instructions including;

determining that the computing device is not currently authenticated to activate the first web application, and

requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a second network address and that are configured to activate a second web application for interacting with the user, wherein activation of the second web application does not require that the computing device be currently authenticated.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network address comprises a first uniform resource locator (URL) for accessing resources over a network of distinct computing devices, and the second network address comprises a second URL for accessing resources over the network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, at the computing device, user input that initiates the request to receive electronic resources that correspond to the first network address, the user input either being user typing of the first URL or user selection of a link that is addressed to the first URL.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructions that are in the retrieved resources are described in a scripting language that can control execution of a web browser application program.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a web browser application program performs the receiving, retrieving, and executing steps.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting, by the computing device and over a network, a first request to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to the first network address;

receiving, at the computing device and from a different computing device communicating over the network, the resources that correspond to the first network address; and

storing, in the cache, the resources that correspond to the first network address, wherein the first request is submitted and the resources are stored in the cache prior to receiving the request to retrieve electronic resources.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to the second network address includes issuing, by the computing device, a redirection request that is directed to the second network address.

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

receiving, by the computing device, the issued redirection request, and in response,

retrieving, by the computing device and from the cache, resources that correspond to the second network address and that are configured to activate the second web application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein during the receiving, retrieving and executing steps, the computing device is not operationally connected to a network, so that the computing device is unable to communicate with remote computing devices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein during the receiving, retrieving and executing steps, the computing device is not operationally connected to a network, so that the computing device is unable to receive from over the network resources that correspond to the first and second network address, respectively.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the computing device is not currently authenticated to activate the first web application includes determining that the computing device does not have a locally-stored cookie that indicates that the computing device is currently authenticated to activate the first web application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein requesting to retrieve electronic resources that are stored for the second network address includes identifying the second network address within the instructions that are in the retrieved resources that correspond to the first network address.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second web application is an unauthenticated version of the first web application that is hosted by a same domain that hosts the first web application.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to the second network address is performed in lieu of activating the first web application for interacting with the user by presenting for display to the user a graphical user interface that is defined by the first web application and that is configured to receive user input.

15. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a request to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a first network address;

retrieving, from a cache that is stored locally at the computing device, resources that (i) are responsive to the received request, (ii) correspond to the first network address, and (iii) are configured to activate a first web application that is for interacting with a user, wherein activation of the first web application requires that the computing device be currently unauthenticated; and

executing, by the computing device, instructions that are in the retrieved resources and that are for activating the first web application, execution of the instructions including;

determining that the computing device is currently authenticated for the first web application, and

requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a second network address and that are configured to activate a second web application for interacting with the user, wherein activation of the second web application requires that the computing device be currently authenticated.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining that the computing device is currently authenticated for the first web application includes determining that the computing device does have a locally-stored cookie that indicates that the computing device is currently authenticated to activate the second web application.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving, by the computing device and from the cache, resources that correspond to the second network address; and

executing, by the computing device, second instructions that are in the resources that correspond to the second network address, execution of the second instructions including;

determining that the computing device is currently authenticated to activate the second web application, and

generating a graphical user interface for the second web application.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising receiving user input from user interaction with the graphical user interface for the second web application.

19. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a cache on a computing device that stores a first set of resources that correspond to a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a second set of resources that correspond to a second URL, the first and second sets of resources obtained from remote computing devices over a network in response to respective requests to access resources that correspond to the first and second URLs;

a web browser application program to;

receive user input that initiates a request for resources that correspond to the first URL;

load from the cache the first set of resources that correspond to the first URL;

execute instructions obtained from within the first set of resources and that influence the operation of the web browser application program; and

means for determining, by executing the instructions obtained from the first set of resources, that the computing device does not presently have a correct authentication status for activating the first set of resources, and for loading from the cache the second set of resources that correspond to both the second URL and a present authentication status.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the correct authentication status for accessing the first set of resources is an unauthenticated status, and wherein the present authentication status is an authenticated status.