Claims
- 1. In an interactive network including a server and a client station, the server including a server memory for storing a composite description, a plurality of composites, and a plurality of multimedia application assets, the client station including a client memory, a method for preloading prefetch data of a multimedia application at the client station to reduce network latency, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first signal from the server to the client station representing a composite description, wherein the composite description describes prefetch data of a composite;
- storing the composite description in the client memory;
- identifying at the client station the prefetch data based on the composite description when the composite is running on the multimedia application at the client station, wherein the prefetch data includes at least one of the plurality of composites and multimedia application assets;
- transmitting a second signal from the client station to the server representing a request for the identified prefetch data;
- transmitting a third signal from the server to the client station representing the identified prefetch data before the multimedia application needs the identified prefetch data to run a composite following the composite currently running; and
- storing the prefetch data in the client memory before the multimedia application needs the identified prefetch data.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the plurality of multimedia application assets is a non-streamed multimedia application asset.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying is based on one level of look-ahead.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying includes identifying prefetch data loaded by the multimedia application, wherein transmitting a second signal representing a request for the identified prefetch data excludes a request for the prefetch data loaded by the multimedia application.
- 5. In an interactive network including a server and a client station, the server including a server memory for storing a composite description, a plurality of composites, and a plurality of multimedia application assets, the client station including a client memory, a system for preloading prefetch data of a multimedia application at the client station to reduce network latency, the system comprising:
- means for transmitting a first signal from the server to the client station representing a composite description, wherein the composite description describes prefetch data of a composite;
- means for storing the composite description in the client memory;
- means for identifying at the client station the prefetch data based on the composite description when the composite is running on the multimedia application at the client station, wherein the prefetch data includes at least one of the plurality of composites and multimedia application assets;
- means for transmitting a second signal from the client station to the server representing a request for the identified prefetch data;
- means for transmitting a third signal from the server to the client station representing the identified prefetch data before the multimedia application needs the identified prefetch data to run a composite following the composite currently running; and
- means for storing the prefetch data in the client memory before the multimedia application needs identified the prefetch data.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the plurality of multimedia application assets is a non-streamed multimedia application asset.
- 7. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for identifying is based on one level of look-ahead.
- 8. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for identifying includes means for identifying prefetch data loaded by the multimedia application, wherein means for transmitting a second signal representing a request for the identified prefetch data excludes a request for the prefetch data loaded by the multimedia application.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/372,152 filed on Jan. 13, 1995, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
372152 |
Jan 1995 |
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