Method and apparatus for automatically optimizing the loading of images in a cloud-based proxy service

A method in a client device for automatically optimizing the loading of images of a web page while rendering the web page, the method comprising:

• receiving the web page that includes a plurality of references to a plurality of images respectively, wherein the web page includes code to optimize loading of the plurality of images;
• and
• executing the code to optimize the loading of the plurality of images, wherein executing the code causes a single request for at least two of the plurality of images to be generated and transmitted, wherein the single request is a single canonical URL that includes the URLs of the at least two of the plurality of images;
• responsive to the transmitted single request, receiving the at least two of the plurality of images in a single response, wherein the at least two of the images are sourced at different domains;
• and
• displaying the received at least two of the plurality of images in their respective appropriate locations.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for automatically optimizing the loading of images of a web page, the operations comprising:

• receiving a request for the web page, the request originating from a client network application of a client device, the web page including a plurality of references to a plurality of images respectively;
• retrieving the requested web page;
• modifying the retrieved web page including adding code to the retrieved web page that, when executed by the client network application, cause at least two of the plurality of images to be requested with a single request;
• transmitting the modified web page to the client device;
• receiving from the client network application of the client device, the single request for at least two of the images referenced in the modified web page, wherein the at least two of the images are sourced at different domains, wherein the single request is a single canonical URL that includes the URLs of the at least two of the images;
• retrieving the at least two of the images;
• and
• transmitting a single response to the client network application that includes the at least two of the images.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor of a client device, cause the processor to perform operations for automatically optimizing the loading of images of a web page, the operations comprising:

• receiving the web page that includes a plurality of references to a plurality of images respectively, wherein the web page includes code to optimize loading of the plurality of images;
• and
• executing the code to optimize the loading of the plurality of images, wherein executing the code causes a single request for at least two of the plurality of images to be generated and transmitted, wherein the single request is a single canonical URL that includes the URLs of the at least two of the plurality of images;
• responsive to the transmitted single request, receiving the at least two of the plurality of images in a single response, wherein the at least two of the images are sourced at different domains;
• and
• displaying the received at least two of the plurality of images in their respective appropriate locations.