Selectively updating web pages on a mobile client

• US 7,774,788 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lopez, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US11/716,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 719/311, 719/313, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 719/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for enabling the selective updating of web pages provided to a mobile client using, for example, AJAX technology. The system, method, and computer program product are optionally further extended to harmonize synchronization of data retrieved by other methods with data updated using AJAX. The use of AJAX technology is disclosed within the context of additional technology suites which may be substituted to achieve the same function. Additionally, the use of queuing AJAX updates is discussed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating a document displayed by a computing device, comprising:

requesting the document from a document gateway, wherein the document comprises a callback function, the callback function operable to replace an object within the document with updated data;

receiving the document from the document gateway;

displaying the document within a client software;

receiving an interface script from the document gateway;

triggering an update request for the object within the interface script, wherein the update request comprises a reference to the callback function;

requesting updated data for the object at the interface script using an interface library from a document server, wherein the interface script accesses the interface library using an interface library wrapper;

receiving the updated data at the interface library, wherein the interface library is operable to forward the updated data to the interface script;

receiving the updated data at the interface script, wherein the interface script is operable to notify the callback function of the updated data in order to replace the object with the updated data; and

displaying the updated document within the client software.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting the document from the document gateway comprises:

retrieving the document at the document gateway from the document server if the document is not available at the document gateway, or if the document at the document gateway is older than the document at the document server;

caching a copy of the document at the document gateway; and

sending a cached copy of the document at the document gateway to the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the updated data to the document gateway; and

at the document gateway, updating the cached copy of the document.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

updating a timestamp for the cached copy of the document.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining if the document at the document gateway is older than the document at the document server comprises:

retrieving header information for the document at the document server, wherein the header information comprises a timestamp identifying the time the document at the document server was most recently edited;

determining when the cached copy was updated; and

comparing the time when the cached copy was updated to the timestamp.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting the document from the document gateway comprises:

modifying the document, at the document gateway, for presentation on the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting updated data for the object at the interface script comprises:

determining whether access to the document server is available;

if access to the document server is not available, queuing the request for updated data; and

when access to the document server is available, transmitting all queued requests for updated data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the object to be updated within the document comprises:

enabling a user to specify the object to be updated in a preference file; and

reading the preference file to determine the object to be updated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface library wrapper is included with the client software, and further wherein the interface library is included with the computing device.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to update a document displayed by a computing device, the computer program logic comprising:

first requesting means for enabling a processor to request the document from a document gateway, wherein the document comprises a callback function, the callback function operable to replace an object within the document with updated data;

first receiving means for enabling a processor to receive the document from the document gateway;

first displaying means for enabling a processor to display the document within a client software;

second receiving means for enabling a processor to receive an interface script from the document gateway;

triggering means for enabling a processor to trigger an update request for the object within the interface script, wherein the update request comprises a reference to the callback function;

second requesting means for enabling a processor to request updated data for the object at the interface script using an interface library from a document server, wherein the interface script accesses the interface library using an interface library wrapper;

third receiving means for enabling a processor to receive the updated data at the interface library, wherein the interface library is operable to forward the updated data to the interface script;

fourth receiving means for enabling a processor to receive the updated data at the interface script, wherein the interface script is operable to notify the callback function of the updated data in order to replace the object with the updated data; and

second displaying means for enabling a processor to display the updated document within the client software.

11. The computer program logic of claim 10, wherein the first requesting means comprises:

first retrieving means for enabling a processor to retrieve the document at the document gateway from the document server if the document is not available at the document gateway, or if the document at the document gateway is older than the document at the document server;

caching means for enabling a processor to cache a copy of the document at the document gateway; and

sending means for enabling a processor to send a cached copy of the document at the document gateway to the computing device.

12. The computer program logic of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit the updated data to the document gateway; and

first updating means for enabling a processor to update the cached copy of the document at the document gateway.

13. The computer program logic of claim 12, further comprising:

second updating means for enabling a processor to update a timestamp for the cached copy of the document.

14. The computer program logic of claim 11, wherein the first retrieving means comprises:

second retrieving means for enabling a processor to retrieve header information for the document at the document server, wherein the header information comprises a timestamp identifying the time the document at the document server was most recently edited;

determining means for enabling a processor to determine when the cached copy was updated; and

comparing means for enabling a processor to compare the time when the cached copy was updated to the timestamp.

15. The computer program logic of claim 10, wherein the first requesting means comprises:

modifying means for enabling a processor to modify the document, at the document gateway, for presentation on the computing device.

16. The computer program logic of claim 10, wherein the second requesting means comprises:

determining means for enabling a processor to determine whether access to the document server is available;

queuing means for enabling a processor to queue the request for updated data if access to the document server is not available; and

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit all queued requests for updated data when access to the document server is available.

17. The computer program logic of claim 10, wherein the identifying means comprises:

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to specify the object to be updated in a preference file; and

reading means for enabling a processor to read the preference file to determine the object to be updated.

18. The computer program logic of claim 10, wherein the interface library wrapper is included with the client software, and further wherein the interface library is included with the computing device.

19. A system, having at least one processor, capable of updating a document displayed by a computing device, comprising:

a first module to request the document from a document gateway, wherein the document comprises a callback function, the callback function operable to replace an object within the document with updated data;

a second module to receive the document from the document gateway;

a third module to display the document within a client software;

a fourth module to receive an interface script from the document gateway;

a fifth module to trigger an update request for the object within the interface script, wherein the update request comprises a reference to the callback function;

a sixth module to request updated data for the object at the interface script using an interface library from a document server, wherein the interface script accesses the interface library using an interface library wrapper;

a seventh module to receive the updated data at the interface library, wherein the interface library is operable to forward the updated data to the interface script;

an eighth module to receive the updated data at the interface script, wherein the interface script is operable to notify the callback function of the updated data in order to replace the object with the updated data; and

a ninth module to display the updated document within the client software.

20. A computer-implemented method for updating a document displayed by a computing device, comprising:

retrieving the document and an interface script;

triggering an update request in the interface script for an object within the document;

requesting updated data for the object using the interface script, wherein the interface script is operable to contact an interface library using an interface library wrapper to retrieve the updated data;

retrieving the updated data, wherein the interface library is operable to request and receive the updated data at the request of the interface script and is further operable to forward the updated data to the interface script; and

receiving the updated data at the interface script, wherein the interface script is operable to replace the object with the updated data.