Patent Application
20070214240
1 . Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an accelerating client that can be used in a terminal for accelerating transmission between the terminal and a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The known Internet protocols TCP/IP and especially HTTP are best suited for high-speed, fixed networks. In wireless networks, for example in a GPRS (General packet radio services) network, Internet applications may operate poorly because of low transmission rates. The Internet traffic and/or performance of Internet applications can be improved by software termed an accelerating system. Also the term performance enhancing proxy has been used in prior art. An accelerating system includes at least an accelerating server placed in a communication network and possible accelerating clients placed in end-users' terminals. There are basically two kinds of solutions: a client-server solution or a server solution. The client-server solution includes the accelerating clients and the accelerating server. The server solution includes only the accelerating server. This patent application concerns the client-server solution.
Packing is an acceleration technique, or an acceleration action, which is most widely used. More information about traffic acceleration and different acceleration actions can be found in the applicant's former patent application, PCT/FI02/00703. In addition to these acceleration actions, there are many other known acceleration actions.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), as well as Java techniques, are used in certain embodiments of the invention, thus we will shortly discuss them in the following.
MIME is a standard for describing different types of information. MIME was originally used to specify how a different type of information is encoded into text. Encoding made it possible to send the information as an email via the Internet to a terminal. The sent information was decoded at the terminal in accordance with its MIME type.
The original MIME types were defined in RFC 1341 in 1992. After that the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) has defined other RFC's related to MIME. A single MIME type is a certain character string, for example, “text/html” or “application/zip”. The MIME types can be divided into categories, such as: Application, Audio, Image, Message, Text, Video, etc.
The terminal that receives MIME encoded files needs appropriate applications in order to handle said files. Let us assume that one of the files is a Word document and another file is a PDF image file. Then two different applications are needed: Word or a corresponding word processor capable of reading the Word file, and Adobe Acrobat or corresponding application capable of reading the PDF file. Usually, the conversions from the MIME encoded files into to the Word file and the PDF file are performed by the email application. It is also possible to store the MIME encoded files on a disk.
MIME can be utilized in other types of communication, too. When a MIME type discloses a type of the resource obtainable from a certain WWW server, a browser can start an application that is able to handle the resource. The MIME type may be placed in a mark-up language page, such as an HTML page. Then the browser obtains the MIME type from the mark-up language page. Alternatively, the MIME type can be placed in a header of a packet which is transmitted from a server to a terminal. In that case the terminal obtains the MIME type from data of the transmission.
The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) provides the libraries, the Java Virtual Machine, and other components to run applets and applications written in the Java programming language. These applets and applications, and other possible Java software are termed here “Java code”. In addition, two deployment software are part of the JRE: Java Plug-in, which enables applets to run in browsers; and Java Web Start which deploys, i.e. downloads and installs, standalone applications over a communication network.
Java Plug-in requires a one-time download and installation that takes a number of minutes, depending on the network and the terminal in which the Java Plug-in software is installed. After the installation Java Plug-in can execute Java applets. Java Plug-in is also able to store Java applets in cache memory and load them from the cache memory. This reduces the need to download the same Java applets again from the network to the terminal.
When using the Java Web Start software Java applications can be deployed with a single click over the network. Java Web Start ensures that the most current version of the application will be deployed, as well as the correct version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
A transmission to be accelerated could also be directed from the terminal 102 to the server 103. In general, traffic acceleration applies to any kind of transmission. This transmission includes, for example, Web pages, images, sounds, etc.
A terminal may have a quite inefficient processor and a low-capacity memory. The processing capacity of the terminal is completely in use when it executes an operating system, an accelerating client, and e.g. a browser. The accelerating client, which operates well in a laptop, does not necessarily operate well in a mobile phone. In addition to the laptop and mobile phone, traffic acceleration concerns other types of terminals, too.
A first drawback of the prior accelerating client is that it wastes the processing capacity, memory, and/or disk resources of a terminal.
A second drawback is that users may have lack of information about obtaining acceleration services. In the prior art a user should download an accelerating client from a service provider's Web site to his/her terminal. Then the user must know the Internet address of the service provider's Web site. In addition, the user must know which version of the accelerating client to download.
A third drawback is that content providers have a lack of means for providing acceleration services. By means of these services users could use HTML pages and other type of content more fluently.
A fourth drawback is poor usability of an accelerating client. In the prior art a user must explicitly start and close the accelerating client. The user may have a lack of skills for using the prior art acceleration client. In more detail, the user sometimes doesn't know whether he/she should associate the accelerating client to an application. Or the user doesn't know when to start or close the accelerating client.
The invention solves at least partly the above-mentioned drawbacks. It provides a content provider with a new way to provide acceleration services and it provides a user with an easy way to utilize the acceleration services. In more detail, the user can transparently deploy an appropriate version of an accelerating client to his/hers terminal so that the accelerating client is integrated into an application installed in the terminal. The application may be, for example, a browser, a media player, a dial-up application, a mail application, a news reader, an instant messaging application, or a client application of a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
When the accelerating client is integrated into the application, it is usable only with the application installed in the terminal. The accelerating client according to the invention is a helper object, a plug-in, Java applet, or Java application. Especially, the said helper object spends less processing capacity of a terminal than the prior art accelerating client implemented as a standalone application.
The invention comprises a method, an accelerating client, and an application into which the accelerating client is integrated.
The method is intended for accelerating transmission between a terminal and a communication network. The method includes at least the steps of:
In addition to the above steps, the method includes optional steps by which the accelerating client can be deployed to the terminal and by which a user interface can be created on a display of the terminal.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
The invention is described more closely with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
The invention can be utilized in client-server solutions, wherein an accelerating client accelerates transmission, together with an accelerating server. The accelerated transmission may be directed from a communication network to the terminal, or vice versa.
Thus, the accelerating client 301 is one of the following objects: a helper object, a plug-in, or Java code. In the all alternatives the accelerating client 302 is integrated into the browser 301 so that it can be used only with the browser 301. This in one detail that differs the accelerating client 302 from the prior art accelerating client 202. The integration essentially saves the processing capacity of a terminal, especially if the terminal is a mobile phone and the acceleration client 302 is implemented as a helper object. Instead of the browser 301 the accelerating client 302 can also be integrated into other types of applications.
In addition to the main steps shown in
The accelerating client can be implemented so that it is executed in the terminal as long as the application is executed in the terminal. It is also possible to implement the accelerating client so that the user can activate and deactivate the accelerating client through the user interface element created in step 506. In other words, the user can start the execution of the accelerating client and stop its execution.
Generally speaking, the user interface enables a user to control use of the accelerating client. In addition to the above-mentioned option to activate and deactivate the accelerating client, the user may have an option of removing the accelerating client from the terminal. The user may also have an option to input through the user interface element at least one parameter for the accelerating client. The parameter(s) may concern, for example, a set of acceleration actions, i.e. which acceleration actions are performed and which are not.
Thus, the accelerating client may receive at least one parameter from a user. In addition to the user input(s), there are other possible sources of parameter(s).
Parameter(s) may be from a mark-up language page, such as a HTML page. The HTML page may be either static or generated ad hoc. For example, a content server or an accelerating server may generate the HTML page on the basis of an IP address of the user, authentication data of the user, or on the basis of an MSISDN or an IMSI number of the terminal. In addition or alternatively, the parameter(s) from the mark-up language page may contain, for example, an IP address of the accelerating server, traffic acceleration settings, or TCP forwarding settings. The accelerating client may receive the parameter(s) directly from the mark-up language page, or via a browser or a corresponding application that starts the accelerating client.
Parameter(s) may be from the transmission to be accelerated. Then the acceleration client obtains parameter(s) from a header of a packet belonging to the transmission. The header may be a general-purpose header or a specific header intended for this purpose.
Parameter(s) may be from the accelerating server that places the parameter(s) in a header of a packet belonging to the transmission.
Parameter(s) may be from system files of the terminal in which the application as well as the accelerating client are installed. It possible that the accelerating client reads, for example, system files of Windows in order to obtain parameter(s).
The above parameter(s) adjust the accelerating client according to the invention, i.e. the operation of the accelerating client. The parameter(s) may be stored either permanently or temporarily in a memory of the terminal, for example, in the configuration settings of the application.
The accelerating client is preferably implemented so that a user needs to input as few parameter(s) as possible. Then the accelerating client obtains the parameter(s) from the other above-mentioned sources and is able to determine in which way it must operate in the terminal. For example, instead of asking the user information about a communication link of the terminal, the accelerating client could extract this information from the system files or from the accelerating server.
The starting of the accelerating client 605 varies in all the above implementations 1), 2), and 3).
If the accelerating client 605 is implemented as a helper object, it is adapted to get started at the terminal 602 in accordance with configuration settings of the application 605 when the application 605 is started.
If the accelerating client 605 is implemented as a plug-in, it is adapted to get started at the terminal 602 when the application 602 obtains a certain MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type related to the transmission 601 and finds the said MIME type in a list of installed plug-ins in which each MIME type is mapped to a certain plug-in. The MIME type is preferably a new, currently undefined MIME type, such as
The MIME type indicates for the application 602 that it should start the plug-in/accelerating client. If the MIME type is not found from the list of installed plug-ins, the plug-in/accelerating client is preferably downloaded via the communication network 603 and installed in the terminal 602 after which the MIME type is added to the list.
If the accelerating client 605 is implemented as a Java code, the accelerating client is adapted to get started at the terminal 602 in the Java Runtime Environment, if the application 604 draws a conclusion that a URL included in the mark-up language page, from which the application initiated the transmission 601, points to the JAVA code/accelerating client. The said conclusion may be based on, for example, one of the following cases:
If the conclusion is that the URL included in the mark-up language page points to the JAVA code, said Java code is downloaded to the terminal 602 to be started in the Java Runtime Environment. The term “Java code” refers to Java software which may be a Java applet or a Java application, but which may also include the Java Runtime Environment or a part of it. The Java applet is usually downloaded in the form of a JAR (Java Archive) file. The JAR file contains all class files of the Java applet and some extra information.
In addition to the method and the accelerating client, the invention comprises the application into which the accelerating client can be integrated.
As mentioned many times in the above text, the transmission 601 is usually initiated when the application 604 handles a mark-up language in accordance with a certain protocol. For example, the transmission may be started when browsing the mark-up language page. In the following we show three examples of the mark-up language page:
In Example 1 the code line starting with “<embed src” discloses the content of the page, or in more detail, the content of an element which is placed on the page. The element is composed of the code lines between the tag “<object width” and the tag “</object>”. The code line starting with “pluginspage” discloses from where the plug-ins can be searched. The code line starting with “type” discloses the MIME type “x-shockwave-flash”.
In Example 2 the tag “<applet code” discloses that the element of the mark-up language page contains a Java applet.
In Example 3 the code line starting with the tag “<object codetype” includes a MIME type. This MIME type discloses for the application that it should start the Java Runtime Environment.
In addition to the examples and the embodiments of the invention explained above, there are many other possible examples and embodiments which are obvious for a person skilled in the art and should considered to be included in the scope of the following patent claims.
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20045070 | Mar 2004 | FI | national |
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/FI2005/050077 filed Mar. 11, 2005.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/FI05/50077 | Mar 2005 | US |
| Child | 11517930 | Sep 2006 | US |
