Method of viewing at a client viewing station a multiple media title stored at a server and containing a plurality of topics utilizing anticipatory caching
First Claim
1. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving at said server a first request by the client viewing station for data relating to a selected one of the topics contained in the multiple media title;
determining from multiple media items associated with the selected topic and responsive to the first request which of the multiple media items of the topic are likely to be requested next by the client viewing station;
transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items determined as likely to be requested next; and
caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available without requesting from said server when rendering a presentation of at least a portion of the topic at the client viewing station.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An on-line multiple media viewer system provides a responsive interactive presentation at a client viewing station of multiple media content retrieved over a remote connection from a server at which the content resides using a set of client-initiated and server-driven remote services for anticipatory caching of media content. In response to an initial request for an item of media content from the server, the remote services predict additional items of media content likely to be requested and transmit these items in advance of their request. Transmitted items are cached by services at the client viewing station in a cache storage. The client checks the cache storage before making additional requests for transfer over the remote connection. The items are transmitted in multi-channel asynchronous operations over the remote connection.
494 Citations
37 Claims
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1. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at said server a first request by the client viewing station for data relating to a selected one of the topics contained in the multiple media title; determining from multiple media items associated with the selected topic and responsive to the first request which of the multiple media items of the topic are likely to be requested next by the client viewing station; transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items determined as likely to be requested next; and caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available without requesting from said server when rendering a presentation of at least a portion of the topic at the client viewing station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 26, 27, 29, 33)
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7. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, the client and server having a pre-established protocol for transferring items, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting by the client viewing station of a tip message relating to multiple media items that are to be requested next by the client viewing station; transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items that are to be requested next by the client viewing station without using the pre-established protocol; caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available before required by the client when rendering a presentation of at least a portion of the topic at the client viewing station. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 28)
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12. In a computer network comprising a client viewing station remotely connected via a modem to a server having a database containing at least one multiple media title each having a plurality of topics, a method of viewing a multiple media title at the client viewing station comprising the steps of:
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activating by the user of a hot-spot in the multiple media title to initiate a jump to a selected topic of said title; transmitting by the client viewing station to the server an initial transfer request for transfer of an initial item associated with the selected topic in the database; determining from information in the selected topic and responsive to the initial transfer request which additional multiple media content and layout information associated with said topic is likely to be further requested; transferring the initial item and the additional multiple media content and layout information determined as likely to be further requested by the server to the client viewing station responsive to the initial transfer request; caching said transferred multiple media content and layout information associated with the selected topic at the client viewing station; retrieving by the client viewing station of multiple media content and layout information required for display of a next portion of the selected topic in a pane, the step of retrieving said required multiple media content and layout information comprising the steps of; for each piece of said required multiple media content and layout information, checking for the presence of said piece in said cached multiple media content and layout information at the client viewing station; retrieving said piece from said cached multiple media content and layout information if said piece is present in said cached multiple media content and layout information; and requesting transfer of said piece from the server if said piece is not present in said cached multiple media content and layout information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A multiple media viewing system comprising:
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a server station having storage for a multiple media title containing a plurality of topics, each topic being associated with media content in the database including at least textual items and image items; a client viewing station remotely connected to the server; a multiple media viewer executing on the client viewing station for rendering the title by a user at the client viewing station, the multiple media viewer being responsive to user input to transmit a first request to the server station for media content associated with a selected topic of the title for presentation to the user; a data transfer service executing on the server station and operative responsive to the first request to anticipate additional media content likely to be requested by the multiple media viewer and to transfer the additional media content to the client viewing station; a cache storage at the client viewing station for caching the additional media content transferred by the data transfer service; and the multiple media viewer being operative to check for the presence in the cache storage of an item of media content to be presented to the user, and to transmit a second request to the server station for the item if the item is absent from the cache storage. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30)
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31. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at said server a current request by the client viewing station for multiple media items relating to a selected one of the topics contained in the multiple media title; determining at said server from multiple media items associated with the selected topic and responsive to the current request which of the multiple media items of the topic are likely to be requested further by the client; transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items determined as likely to be requested further; and caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available at the client without requesting from said server when rendering a presentation of at least a portion of the topic at the client viewing station. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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34. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, at least one of said topics containing at least one hint item relating to which items are likely to be requested further by the client viewing station, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at said server a first request by the client viewing station for a multiple media item relating to a selected one of the topics contained in the multiple media title; checking the topic at said server for a hint item relating to said multiple media item; determining at said server from said hint item which of the multiple media items of the topic are likely to be requested further after the first request by the client; transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items likely to be requested further; and caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available at the client without requesting from said server when rendering a presentation of at least a portion of the topic at the client viewing station.
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35. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, the client and server having a pre-established protocol for transferring items, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting by the client viewing station of a tip message relating to multiple media items that are to be requested next by the client viewing station according to the pre-established protocol; determining responsive to said tip message which of the multiple media items of the topic are likely to be requested further by the client; transferring from said server to the client viewing station of said multiple media items likely to be requested further by the client viewing station; caching said transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby said multiple media items are available at the client viewing station when the client viewing station would otherwise request the items according to the pre-established protocol.
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36. In a distributed computer network comprising a remote multiple media content server and a client viewing station in communication via a wide-area connection, the client and server having a pre-established protocol for transferring items, a method of viewing at the client viewing station a multiple media title stored at said server and containing a plurality of topics associated with multiple media items, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting by the client viewing station to the server a current request for multiple media items relating to a selected one of the topics contained in the multiple media title; determining at the server which of the multiple media items are likely to be requested further by the client according to an order of the multiple media items occurring in the selected topic and according to an order in which the client requests items, wherein the client request order is contained in the pre-established protocol for transferring items; transferring from the server to the client viewing station the multiple media items determined likely to be requested further by the client viewing station; caching the transferred multiple media items in a cache storage at the client viewing station whereby the transferred multiple media items are available at the client viewing station when the client viewing station would otherwise request the items according to the pre-established protocol. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification