EP0811939A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for providing proxying and transcoding of documents in a distributed metwork
Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc
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Filing: 1997-04-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A method of providing a document to a client coupled to a server is provided. The server provides a number of Internet services to the client, including functioning as a caching proxy on behalf of the client for purposes of accessing the World Wide Web. The proxying server includes a persistent document database, which stores various attributes of all documents previously retrieved in response to a request from a client. When a Web document is retrieved from a remote server in response to a request from the client, the database is consulted and the stored information relating to the requested document is used by the server in transcoding the document. The document is transcoded for various purposes, including to circumvent bugs or quirks found in the document, to size the document for display on a television set, to improve transmission efficiency of the document, and to reduce latency. The transcoder makes use of the document database to perform these functions. The document database is also used for prefetching previously requested documents and images and for reducing latency when downloading images to the client.
Inventors
- 👤 Lee S. Mighdoll
- 👤 Bruce A. Leak
- 👤 Stephen G. Perlman
- 👤 Phillip Y. Goldman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:06
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F15/00; G06F15/16; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/34; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/9577; G06F8/00; G06F8/60; G06F8/65; H04L51/00; H04L51/06; H04L51/066; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/40; H04N19/46; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/235; H04N21/2355; H04N21/2356; H04N21/25; H04N21/254; H04N21/2541; H04N21/258; H04N21/25808; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25875; H04N21/25891; H04N21/266; H04N21/2662; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/433; H04N21/4331; H04N21/435; H04N21/45; H04N21/462; H04N21/4622; H04N21/47; H04N21/478; H04N21/4782; H04N21/4786; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/8166; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/60; H04N5/602; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04L51/21; H04L51/224; H04M; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42059; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99939; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
In a proxying server coupled to a client and to a remote server, the proxying server operating as a proxy on behalf of the client for accessing the remote server, a method of providing a first document to the client, the method comprising the steps of: retrieving the first document from the remote server in response to a request from the client, the document including data for causing the client to generate a display; using the proxying server to alter the data in the first document to form a transcoded document; and transmitting the transcoded document to the client.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of using the proxying server to alter the data in the first document comprises the steps of: analyzing the data to determine whether a predetermined condition is present in the data, wherein the predetermined condition comprises data which, when used by the client, causes an error condition to occur; and if the predetermined condition is present in the data, revising the data to eliminate the predetermined condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the transcoded document to the client is performed prior to performing the step of using the proxying server to alter the data in the first document.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the client includes a television display, wherein the document references an image, and wherein the step of using the proxying server to alter the data in the document comprises the step of revising the data such that the image is sized for display on the television display.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: retrieving an image from the remote server in response to a request from the client, wherein the image has a first image format; and using the proxying server to convert the image from the first image format to a second image format.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the first document includes a link to a second document, the link including a first address, and wherein the step of using the proxying server to alter the data in the document comprises the step of updating the link.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the second document is an image, and wherein the step of updating the link includes the step of adding information to the first document indicating the size of the image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the second document is inaccessible to the proxying server, and wherein the step of updating the link comprises the step of removing the link.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the second document has been relocated from the first address to a redirect address, and wherein the step of updating the link comprises the step of updating the link to correspond to the redirect address.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
108 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: identifying an image referenced by the document; determining whether the image has been previously retrieved by the proxying server; and if the image has been previously retrieved by the proxying server, accessing information stored in the proxying server indicating the size of the image; wherein the step of using the proxying server to alter the data in the document comprises the step of using the information indicating the size of the image to revise the data of the document to allow the document to be displayed by the client before the image is received by the client.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a server coupled to a client and to a remote server, a method of providing proxy services to the client for accessing a document stored in the remote server, the document including data to be used by the client to provide a display, the method comprising the steps of: providing a persistent database in the server, the persistent database including information relating to the document; and using the information stored in the persistent database to guide the proxying services.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of transcoding the document based on the information stored in the persistent database to generate a transcoded document.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of providing the transcoded document to the client, wherein the step of providing the transcoded document to the client is performed prior to performing the step of transcoding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein the persistent database includes information corresponding to a plurality of error conditions, the method further comprising the steps of: analyzing the data in the document using the information stored in the persistent database to determine whether the data is likely to cause one of the error conditions to occur when used by the client; and automatically revising the data if the data is determined in the analyzing step to be likely to cause one of the error conditions to occur when used by the client.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of storing in the persistent database validity information corresponding to the document.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 15, wherein the validity information is based on an observed rate of change of the document.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of Storing in the persistent database performance information relating to performance of the remote server when accessing the document.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 17 wherein the performance information is a latency value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of storing in the persistent database information for optimizing memory usage by the client.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
196 words
In server coupled to a client, the client having an authorized user, wherein the server is for providing the client with a plurality of on-line services including a log-in service and a second service, the server including a user database, a method of controlling access by the client to the plurality of on-line services, the method comprising the steps of: storing in the database a set of user data corresponding to the authorized user; using the log-in service to receive a first access request from the client, the first access request for initiating access to the server by the client; generating an information packet from the set of user data, the information packet indicating access privileges of the authorized user in relation to the plurality of on-line services; using the log-in service to provide the information packet to the client; using the second service to receive a second access request from the client, the second access request for requesting use of the second service by the client, the second access request including a copy of the information packet; and using the copy of the information packet to regulate access by the client to the second service.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of on-line services are Internet services.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 20, wherein the second service is a proxy service by which the server functions as a proxy on behalf of the client for purposes of accessing a second server.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
140 words
In server system coupled to a client, a method of providing the client with a plurality of redundant services, each of the redundant services being substantially equivalent to each of the other redundant services, the method comprising the steps of: providing the client with a service name applicable to all of the redundant services; providing the client with a unique port number for each service; providing the client with a unique protocol for each service; receiving a request to access one of the redundant services from the client, the request including an address specifying the service name; and granting access to one of the redundant services in accordance with the name included in the address, one of the port numbers and one of the protocols, such that the client uses the same address to access any of the redundant services.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the address is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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