US5946697A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rapid transfer of HTML files
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1997-04-22
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Granted: 1999-08-31
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Expires: 2017-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A compressed file produced by a server is used for updating a hypertext markup language (HTML) document cached on a client computer with changes so that it is identical to a changed HTML document stored on a server computer. Typically, when a user requests access to the HTML document on a server computer corresponding to the cached HTML document on the client computer, the cached HTML document is opened and processed by a client agent software module to produce a macro name file and a macro definition file. A checksum or macro name is determined for each construct or list in the cached HTML file. Each macro definition in the macro definition file is a concise content of the construct or list comprising a different portion of the HTML file. The client agent transmits the uniform resource locator (URL) for the site from which the cached HTML document was obtained and appends the macro name file (assuming that the server computer hasn't already generated the macro name file). A server agent at the server site produces a macro compressed file in which the macro name for each section that is unchanged is included, along with the actual contents of those constructs or lists in the HTML file stored on the server computer that have changed. The macro compressed file is transmitted back to the client agent for expansion and to refresh the HTML file that is cached on the client computer. The updated HTML file can then be displayed using the browser on the client computer.
Inventors
- 👤 Shioupyn Shen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 03:04
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03M; H03M7/00; H03M7/30; G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/9574
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
295 words
A method for synchronizing a hypertext markup language (HTML) file cached at a client location with a corresponding changed HTML file stored at a server location to enable the changed HTML file stored at the server location to be used at the client location without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the client location, comprising the steps of: (a) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached at the client location, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (b) unless the macro name file is already available at the server location, transmitting the macro name file from the client location to the server location; (c) generating a macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file at the server location, said macro compressed file indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached at the client location and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached at the client location; (d) transmitting the macro compressed file to the client location from the server location; and (e) expanding the macro compressed file at the client location to recover the changes and to identify any portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to the HTML file cached at the client location, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached at the client location to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file at the server location.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
295 words
A method for synchronizing a hypertext markup language (HTML) file cached at a client location with a corresponding changed HTML file stored at a server location to enable the changed HTML file stored at the server location to be used at the client location without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the client location, comprising the steps of: (a) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached at the client location, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (b) unless the macro name file is already available at the server location, transmitting the macro name file from the client location to the server location; (c) generating a macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file at the server location, said macro compressed file indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached at the client location and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached at the client location; (d) transmitting the macro compressed file to the client location from the server location; and (e) expanding the macro compressed file at the client location to recover the changes and to identify any portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to the HTML file cached at the client location, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached at the client location to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file at the server location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the new cached HTML file to render a display at the client location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the HTML file cached at the client location comprises a plurality of lists, each list representing one portion of said file and having a checksum associated with it that is the macro name for the list, said macro definition file comprising a macro definition for each list that concisely defines a content for each list.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the macro definition file comprises an idiom dictionary that defines the lists comprising the HTML file cached at the client location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of providing a client agent at the client location to extract the macro definition file and the macro name file, said client agent responding to a request entered by a user at the client location to access a site from which the HTML file cached at the client location was obtained, by appending the macro name file for said HTML file after an address for the site, and expanding the macro compressed file that is received from the server location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of providing a server agent at the server location to fetch the changed HTML file from the server location and produce the macro compressed file, said macro compressed file comprising the macro name for any list in the changed HTML file that is identical to the list in the HTML file cached at the client location and the list defining any portion of the changed HTML file that differs from that of the HTML file cached at the client location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the client agent expands the macro compressed file by replacing macro names included in the macro compressed file with a corresponding content determined from the macro definition file.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of conveying the new HTML file to a web browser for use in the display at the client location.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
421 words
A system for updating an HTML file disposed at a first location so that it is substantially identical to a changed HTML file disposed at a second location, without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the first location from the second location, comprising: (a) a client computer disposed at the first location, said client computer including a display for displaying data, and a memory in which the HTML file is cached and for storing machine instructions that effect a first set of functions; (b) a communication link coupling the first and the second locations in communication with each other; (c) a server computer disposed at the second location, said server computer including a memory in which the changed HTML file is stored and for storing machine instructions that implement a second set of functions; (d) said first set of functions including: (i) causing the client computer to extract a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (ii) unless macro name file is already available at the server computer, transmitting the macro name file from the client computer to the server computer; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file on the client computer, said macro compressed file being received from the server computer, indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached by the client computer, and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached by the client computer, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored in the memory of the server computer, said new cached HTML file being stored in the memory of the client computer; and (e) said second set of functions including: (i) causing the server computer to generate the macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file, said macro compressed file indicating the changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer; and (ii) causing the server computer to transmit the macro compressed file to the client computer.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
421 words
A system for updating an HTML file disposed at a first location so that it is substantially identical to a changed HTML file disposed at a second location, without transmitting all of the changed HTML file to the first location from the second location, comprising: (a) a client computer disposed at the first location, said client computer including a display for displaying data, and a memory in which the HTML file is cached and for storing machine instructions that effect a first set of functions; (b) a communication link coupling the first and the second locations in communication with each other; (c) a server computer disposed at the second location, said server computer including a memory in which the changed HTML file is stored and for storing machine instructions that implement a second set of functions; (d) said first set of functions including: (i) causing the client computer to extract a macro name file and a macro definition file from the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer, said macro definition file including a definition that defines a content of at least a portion of the HTML file, and said macro name file including a macro name associated with each said definition; (ii) unless macro name file is already available at the server computer, transmitting the macro name file from the client computer to the server computer; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file on the client computer, said macro compressed file being received from the server computer, indicating changes made to the changed HTML file relative to the HTML file cached by the client computer, and including the macro name for each portion of the changed HTML file that is identical to a corresponding portion of the HTML file cached by the client computer, said changes being applied to the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored in the memory of the server computer, said new cached HTML file being stored in the memory of the client computer; and (e) said second set of functions including: (i) causing the server computer to generate the macro compressed file from the changed HTML file using the macro name file, said macro compressed file indicating the changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer; and (ii) causing the server computer to transmit the macro compressed file to the client computer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 9, wherein the new cached HTML file is used to produce a displayed image on the display of the client computer at the first location.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 9, wherein the HTML file cached on the client computer comprises a plurality of lists, each list having a checksum associated with it that is the macro name for the list, said macro name file comprising the macro names for the lists, said macro definition file comprising a macro definition for each list that concisely defines a content for each list.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 11, wherein the macro definition file comprises an idiom dictionary that defines the lists comprising the HTML file cached in the memory of the client computer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system of claim 11, wherein the first set of functions effected by the client computer further include producing a client agent on the client computer to extract the macro definition file and the macro name file, said client agent including the macro name file with an address for the second location that is transmitted over the communications link, and expanding the macro compressed file received from the server computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
The system of claim 13, wherein the second set of functions effected by the server computer further include providing a server agent on the server computer to fetch the changed HTML file from the server computer and produce the macro compressed file, said macro compressed file comprising the macro name for any list in the changed HTML file that is identical to the list in the HTML file cached by the client computer, and the compressed file including any portion of the changed HTML file that differs from that of the HTML file cached on the client computer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 14, wherein the client agent expands the macro compressed file by replacing macro names included in the macro compressed file with a corresponding content determined from the macro definition file.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 15, wherein the first set of functions include passing the new HTML file to a web browser for use in displaying an image on the display of the client computer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
131 words
An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising: (a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including: (i) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from a cached HTML file; (ii) as required, transmitting the macro name file to a different location, said different location storing a changed HTML file; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file received from the different location to recover changes in the changed HTML file, said changes being applied to the cached HTML file to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored at the different location.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
131 words
An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising: (a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including: (i) extracting a macro name file and a macro definition file from a cached HTML file; (ii) as required, transmitting the macro name file to a different location, said different location storing a changed HTML file; and (iii) expanding a macro compressed file received from the different location to recover changes in the changed HTML file, said changes being applied to the cached HTML file to make a new cached HTML file that is substantially identical to the changed HTML file stored at the different location.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the machine instructions cause the new cached HTML file to be used for displaying an image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
117 words
An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising: (a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including: (i) generating a macro compressed file for a changed HTML file using a macro name file derived from a corresponding HTML file that is cached at a different location, said macro compressed file indicating changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached at the different location; and (ii) transmitting the macro compressed file to the different location to enable the cached HTML file to be updated with the changes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
117 words
An article of manufacture for use with a computer, comprising: (a) a computer readable memory medium; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on said computer readable memory medium, said machine instructions controlling a computer to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including: (i) generating a macro compressed file for a changed HTML file using a macro name file derived from a corresponding HTML file that is cached at a different location, said macro compressed file indicating changes in the changed HTML file relative the HTML file cached at the different location; and (ii) transmitting the macro compressed file to the different location to enable the cached HTML file to be updated with the changes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the machine instructions produce the macro compressed file by identifying changes in the changed HTML file relative to the macro name file.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-08-30 | 2003-03-01 | 2003-08-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-08-30 | 2007-03-01 | 2007-08-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-08-30 | 2011-03-01 | 2011-08-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |