US 7,849,403 B2Granted

Dynamically updating rendered content

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsNiraj P. Joshi, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan

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Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for efficiently updating rendered content (such as content of a Web page) using a “slow-loading” content element, such as a slow-loading image. A reference is embedded within the markup language notation for the content to be rendered, where this reference identifies the source of the slow-loading content element. Delivery of the slow-loading content therefore begins automatically, when the content is rendered. Event handling attributes are specified with the reference, where values of these attributes identify client-side logic to be invoked when the associated event occurs. If the server determines that the rendered content, or some portion thereof, should be asynchronously updated, it abruptly terminates delivery of the slow-loading content. This termination triggers an event handler, which operates to automatically request reloading of the content. Attributes are also preferably specified for handling abort events and successful loading events, causing the client to request reloading of the content in each case (and restarting delivery of the slow-loading content).

Claims21

Dependent claims

A software-implemented method of asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for Web page content in which at least a portion of the Web page content is dynamic, performing steps of:
generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream;
and
sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request for the requestable content stream upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;
detecting, by the server, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;
updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content;
and
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the request for reloading the Web page content, repeating the performing of the generating and sending steps, wherein the generating step uses the updated Web page content.

6 more elements

A method for asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

transmitting Web page content from a server to a client, over a first network connection, for rendering in a graphical display window at the client, wherein:
a specification for the rendering of the transmitted Web page content embeds therein a reference to a requestable content stream that is designed to require longer transmission time, as compared to transmission time for the Web page content, and that is to be automatically requested by the client upon rendering of the Web page content and detecting the reference embedded therein;
and
the reference further specifies at least one error condition, and that the client will automatically respond to detection of any of the at least one error conditions by sending a request for reloading contents rendered in the graphical display window;
responding to a request for the requestable content stream by beginning transmission, over a second network connection, of the requestable content stream from the server to the client;
responsive to updating the Web page content at the server, closing the second network connection, by the server, while the requestable content stream is still being transmitted, thereby triggering one of the at least one error conditions at the client and thereby causing the client to automatically send the request, over the first network connection, for reloading the contents rendered in the graphical display window;
and
responsive to receiving the automatically-sent request for reloading, transmitting the updated Web page content from the server to the client over the first network connection.

5 more elements

A system for asynchronously reloading Web page content, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor;
and
instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform:
responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for Web page content in which at least a portion of the Web page content is dynamic, performing:
generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream;
and
sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request for the requestable content stream upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;
detecting, by the server, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;
updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content;
and
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the request for reloading the Web page content, repeating the performing of the generating and sending, wherein the generating uses the updated Web page content.

9 more elements

A computer program product for asynchronously reloading Web page content, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media and comprising computer-usable program code for:

responsive to receiving, at a server from a client over a first network connection, a request for Web page content in which at least a portion of the Web page content is dynamic, performing:
generating the requested Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a requestable content stream that is distinct from the Web page content, wherein the reference specifies that the client is to automatically issue a request for reloading the Web page content if the client detects an error condition during loading of the requestable content stream;
and
sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request for the requestable content stream upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein;
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the requestable content stream, starting delivery of the requestable content stream from the server to the client over the second network connection, the requestable content stream configured to be rendered as hidden at the client and sized to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection;
detecting, by the server, that the Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated;
updating the Web page content and closing the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detecting, while the requestable content stream is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the error condition to be detected at the client, such that the client will automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending the request for reloading the Web page content;
and
responsive to receiving, at the server from the client, the request for reloading the Web page content, repeating the performing of the generating and sending, wherein the generating uses the updated Web page content.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/832,509Filed 1 Aug 2007 · continuation
Priority: 7 Mar 2003
Published: US 2007/0271389 A122 Nov 2007
Granted: 7 Dec 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 67/34
Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications: involving the movement of software or configuration parameters
G06F 16/958
Retrieval from the web: organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
H04L 67/02
Protocols: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
H04L 69/329
Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions: in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Family

Application10/383,306Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Mar 2003
US 2007/0271389 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Nov 2007
US 7,299,409 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2004/0177147 A1Published application
US 7,849,403 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.