# US 2016/0366241 A1 · Saving bandwidth in transmission of compressed data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0366241 A1 - Document ID: US20160366241A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/147,546 - Filed: 2016-05-05 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-16 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal; Vasileios Pappas; Ramya Raghavendra; Mudhakar Srivatsa; Dinesh C. Verma; Ho Y. Wong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160366241A1 ## CPC - H04L 67/2885: Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching - H04B 1/66: for reducing bandwidth of signals; for improving efficiency of transmission (H04B1/68 takes precedence) - H04L 67/568: Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching - H04L 69/329: in the application layer [OSI layer 7] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A method, system and computer program product for transmitting content across a link in a communications network. In an embodiment, the method comprises examining traffic in the network at a sender end of the link to determine if the traffic is carrying compressed content; when the traffic is carrying compressed content, decompressing at least one portion of the compressed content; and checking a cache to determine if the cache has content matching the at least one decompressed portion of the content. In an embodiment, the method further comprises when the cache has content matching the at least one decompressed portion of the content, determining an identifier associated with the at least one decompressed portion of the content; and using the identifier to reconstruct, at a receiving end of the link, the at least one decompressed portion of the content. In one embodiment, the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the traffic is replaced with an index, the index is compressed to form the associated identifier, and the associated identifier is sent to the receiving end of the link. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of transmitting content across a link in a communications network, the method comprising: examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of the link to determine if the traffic is carrying any compressed content; when the specified traffic is carrying compressed content, decompressing at least one portion of the compressed content to obtain decompressed content; comparing the decompressed content from the specified traffic with content of a sender cache to determine if the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic; when the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic, determining an identifier associated with said decompressed content from the specific traffic; and using the associated identifier to reconstruct, at a receiving end of the link, the decompressed content from the specified traffic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the using the associated identifier includes replacing the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic with the associated identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the using the associated identifier further includes: determining an index for identifying said at least one decompressed portion of the content; and compressing said index to form the associated identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the using the associated identifier further includes sending the associated identifier over the link to the receiving end of the link. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: using the decompressed content from the specified traffic to update the sender cache and to update a receiver cache at the receiver end of the link; and using non-compressed content from the specified traffic to update the sender cache and the receiver cache. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the using the associated identifier includes only using the associated identifier to reconstruct the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic when one or more given conditions are satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, further comprising when said one or more conditions are not satisfied, sending said compressed content in the specified traffic to the receiving end of the link. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of the link includes examining said specified traffic before the specified traffic enters the link. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the using the associated identifier includes only using the associated identifier to reconstruct the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic when one or more given conditions are satisfied. ### Claim 10 A system for transmitting content across a link in a communications network, the system comprising: a caching sender including a first cache at a sender end of the link, for examining specified traffic in the network to determine if the traffic is carrying any compressed content; and when the specified traffic is carrying compressed content, for decompressing at least one portion of the compressed content to obtain decompressed content, and comparing the decompressed content from the specified traffic with content of the first cache to determine if the first cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic; and when the first cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic, determining an identifier associated with said decompressed content from the specified traffic; and a caching receiver at a receiver end of the link and including a second cache, for receiving the associated identifier from the caching sender, and using the associated identifier to reconstruct the decompressed content from the specified traffic. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the caching sender: replaces the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic with the associated identifier; and sends the associated identifier over the link to the caching receiver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the caching receiver: uses the associated identifier to obtain, from a second cache, a copy of the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the caching sender examines said specified traffic before the specified traffic enters the link. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the caching sender determines if any content of the specified traffic is cached at the receiver end of the link. ### Claim 15 An article of manufacture comprising: at least one tangible computer readable device having computer readable program code logic tangibly embodied therein to transmit content across a link in a communications network, the computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following: examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of the link to determine if the traffic is carrying any compressed content; when the specified traffic is carrying compressed content, decompressing at least one portion of the compressed content to obtain decompressed content; comparing the decompressed content from the specified traffic with content of a sender cache to determine if the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic; when the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic, determining an identifier associated with said decompressed content from the specified traffic; and using the associated identifier to reconstruct, at a receiving end of the link, the decompressed content from the specified traffic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the using the associated identifier includes: replacing the at least one decompressed portion of the content from the specified traffic with the associated identifier; and sending the associated identifier over the link to the receiving end of the link. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of the link includes examining said specified traffic before the specified traffic enters the link. ### Claim 18 A method of saving bandwidth in transmission of compressed data, the method comprising: examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of a network link to determine if the traffic is carrying any compressed content; when the specified traffic is carrying compressed content, decompressing at least one portion of the compressed content to obtain decompressed content; comparing the decompressed content from the specified traffic with content of a sender cache to determine if the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic; when the sender cache has content matching the decompressed content from the specified traffic, replacing said decompressed content from the specified traffic with an associated index; compressing said index to form a compressed identifier; sending the compressed identifier over the link to a receiver end of the link; at the receiver end of the link, decompressing the compressed identifier to form the index associated with the decompressed content from the specified traffic; and replacing the index with content from a receiver cache to reconstruct, at the receiver end of the link, the decompressed content from the specified traffic. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the sending the compressed identifier over the link includes only sending the compressed identifier over the link when one or more given conditions are satisfied. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, further comprising when said one or more conditions are not satisfied, sending said compressed content in the specified traffic to the receiver end of the link. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, further comprising: determining a size of the compressed identifier and a size of the at least on portion of the compressed content from the specified traffic; and wherein: the sending the compressed identifier to the receiver end of the link includes sending the compressed identifier to the receiver end of the link when the size of the compressed identifier is smaller than the size of the at least on portion of the compressed content from the specified traffic; and the sending the compressed content in the specified traffic to the receiver end of the link includes sending the at least on portion of the compressed content to the receiver end of the link when the size of the at least on portion of the compressed content is smaller than the size of the compressed identifier. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the examining specified traffic in the network at a sender end of the link includes examining said specified traffic before the specified traffic enters the link.