Method and system for accelerating the delivery of content in a networked environment
First Claim
1. A method for improving network efficiency comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a request for a first document from a user;
(b) receiving said first document from a content server;
(c) binding, at a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and said content server, said first document to said user;
(d) storing said first document at said condenser;
(e) forwarding said first document to a memory accessible to said user;
(f) receiving a request for a second document from a user;
(g) receiving a second document from said content server;
(h) retrieving said first document bound to said user;
(i) creating a condensed document by abbreviating redundant information in said second document relative to said first document; and
(j) transmitting said condensed document to said user, enabling said user to reconstruct said second document using said first document.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Many documents transmitted in a network environment contain substantial overlap with old versions of the same (or related) documents. For example, a “current news” web page may be updated hourly on a web site so that a new story is added and the oldest story is dropped. In such cases, it is inefficient to send the updated document in its entirety to a user requesting the new document but who had previously received the old web page. Instead, the new web document is first sent to a condenser, which replaces the unchanged portions of the new document with pointers to the old document. In this way, only the changed portions of the document need be transmitted to the user in their entirety. The condensed document is bound to the requesting user via a token such as a cookie generated by the condenser, and the condensed document and cookie are sent to the user. The user uses assembly software corresponding to the condensing process to reassemble the new document from the condensed document and the old document. The foregoing may be implemented on an individual user basis, as well as for classes of users.
156 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for improving network efficiency comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a request for a first document from a user; (b) receiving said first document from a content server; (c) binding, at a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and said content server, said first document to said user; (d) storing said first document at said condenser; (e) forwarding said first document to a memory accessible to said user; (f) receiving a request for a second document from a user; (g) receiving a second document from said content server; (h) retrieving said first document bound to said user; (i) creating a condensed document by abbreviating redundant information in said second document relative to said first document; and (j) transmitting said condensed document to said user, enabling said user to reconstruct said second document using said first document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A condenser, located at a network location between a user'"'"'s computer and a content server, for improving downstream network efficiency, said condenser comprising:
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(1) a processor; (2) a memory connected to said processor storing a program to control the operation of said processor; (3) the processor operative with said program in said memory to; (a) receive a request for a first document from a user; (b) receive said first document from said content server; (c) bind, at said condenser, said first document to said user; (d) store said first document; (e) forward said first document to a memory accessible to said user; (f) receiving a request for a second document from a user; (g) receive a second document from said content server; (h) retrieve said first document bound to said user; (i) create a condensed document by abbreviating redundant information in said second document relative to said first document; and (j) transmit said condensed document to said user, enabling said user to reconstruct said second document using said first document. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for improving network efficiency, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:
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(a) receiving a request for a first document from a user; (b) receiving said first document from a content server; (c) binding, at a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and said content server, said first document to said user; (d) storing said first document; (e) forwarding said first document to a memory accessible to said user; (f) receiving a request for a second document from a user; (g) receiving a second document from said content server; (h) retrieving said first document bound to said user; (i) creating a condensed document by abbreviating redundant information in said second document relative to said first document; and (j) transmitting said condensed document to said user, enabling said user reconstruct said second document using said first document. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for reassembling a condensed document from a first document, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) receiving said condensed document; (2) retrieving said first document from a locally accessible memory, said first document being previously bound to a user by a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and a content server; (3) identifying at least one reference in said condensed document corresponding to a sequence in said first document; and (4) replacing at least one reference in said condensed document with said corresponding sequence in said first document, thereby creating a reassembled document. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for reassembling a condensed document from a first document, said device comprising:
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(1) a processor; (2) a memory connected to said processor storing a program to control the operation of said processor; and (3) the processor operative with said program in said memory to; (a) receive said condensed document; (b) retrieve said first document from a locally accessible memory, said first document being previously bound to a user by a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and a content server; (c) identify at least one reference in said condensed document corresponding to a sequence in said first document; and (d) replace at least one reference in said condensed document with said corresponding sequence in said first document, thereby creating a reassembled document. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for reassembling a condensed document from a first document, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:
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(a) receiving said condensed document; (b) retrieving said first document from a locally accessible memory, said first document being previously bound to a user by a condenser at a network location between the user'"'"'s computer and a content server; (c) identifying at least one reference in said condensed document corresponding to a sequence in said first document; and (d) replacing at least one reference in said condensed document with said corresponding sequence in said first document, thereby creating a reassembled document. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification