System, method and computer program product that pre-caches content to provide timely information to a user

A method of tracking a user's activities in order to pre-cache information from the information network during a time when the user is not accessing the information network, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the user's pattern of use of a communication line;
• (b) monitoring the user's activities on the information network including the information the user accesses from the information network and the time of day during which the user accesses each information from the information network;
• (c) creating a schedule for pre-caching the information from the information network without interfering with the user's pattern of use of the communication line;
• and
• (d) pre-caching the information from the information network according to the schedule.

A computer readable medium having an application stored thereon for causing a computer to implement a method for tracking a user's activities in order to provide information that the user is expected to request from an information network based on the user's historical usage pattern, comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the user's activities on the information network including the information that the user accessed from the information network and the time of day which the user accesses each information from the information network;
• (b) creating a historical usage pattern for the user based on the user's monitored activities;
• (c) determining which information is expected to be accessed by the user from the information network based on the user's historical usage pattern;
• (d) determining an expected time of day at which the user will request access to the information from the information network based on the user's historical usage pattern;
• (e) creating a schedule for pre-caching the information from the information network within a threshold amount of time from the expected time at which the user will request access to the information;
• and
• (f) pre-caching the information from the information network according to the schedule.

An apparatus for tracking a user's activities in order to provide information that the user is expected to request from an information network based on the user's historical usage pattern, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an information accessor that permits a user to access information on the information network;
• (b) a control unit capable of monitoring the user's activities on the information network through the information accessor including the information that the user accesses from the information network and the time of day during which the user accesses each information from the information network, the control unit determining which information is expected to be accessed by the user from the information network and an expected time of day at which the user will request access to the information from the information network, the control unit also creating a schedule for pre-caching the information from the information network within a threshold amount of time from the expected time at which the user will request access to the information based on the user's historical usage pattern;
• and
• (c) a storage device for pre-caching the information from the information network according to the schedule.

A computer readable medium having a computer program product stored thereon for causing a computer to implement a method for tracking a user's activities in order to provide information that the user is expected to request from an information network based on the user's historical usage pattern, comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the user's activities on the information network including the information that the user accesses from the information network and the time of day during which the user accesses each information from the information network;
• (b) determining which information is expected to be accessed by the user from the information network;
• (c) determining an expected time of day at which the user will request access to the information from the information network based on the user's historical usage pattern;
• (d) creating a schedule for pre-caching the information from the information network within a threshold amount of time from the expected time at which the user will request access to the information;
• and
• (e) pre-caching the information from the information network according to schedule.