Granted Patent B2

US 7,257,625 · App. 10/037,297 · Granted Aug 14, 2007

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from a first computer device requesting content to be transmitted from a second computer device to the first device;

(b) receiving from the second computer device a prediction of non-requested content that the first computer device will request based on the content requested by the first device;

(c) receiving, at a cache computer, a first cache request from the second computer device to cache the non-requested content on the cache computer wherein the first cache request includes an amount of memory requested to cache the non-requested content;

(d) determining an amount of free space available on the cache computer wherein:

(e) if the amount of free space available is more than the requested amount of memory to cache the non-requested, caching the non-requested content is cached at the cache computer, and

(f) if the amount of free space is less than the requested amount of memory to cache the non-requested content, transmitting a second cache request to the second computer device wherein the second cache request includes an amount of memory available to the second computer device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including

(c) transmitting a cache invitation to the second computer device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cache invitation is located within a header oft request for content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cache request includes terms that have previously been agreed upon by the cache server and the second computer device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cache request comprise a fee for use of the cache memory space.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fee is paid by the second computer device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-requested content comprises objects of a web page.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including:

(g) receiving at the cache computer the identification of non-requested content.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identification of non-requested content comprises memory addresses of non-requested content.

10. The method of claim 8 , in response to (g) further including:

(g) requesting the non-requested content from the second computer.

11. A method of transmitting content from a first computer device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for content from a cache computer device at the first computer device;

(b) transmitting to the cache computer device the requested content;

(c) receiving from the second computer device prediction of non-requested content that the first computer device will request based on the content requested by the first device;

(d) transmitting to the cache computer device a cache request from the second computer device to cache the non-requested content on the cache computer wherein the cache request includes terms comprising an amount of cache memory requested to cache the non-requested content;

(e) determining an amount of free space available on the cache computer wherein:

(f) after accepting terms for the use of the cache memory, transmitting to the cache computer device the non-requested content, wherein the non-requested is content other than content requested by the cache computer device; wherein if the terms are not accepted, the second computer device is configured to receive a denial in response to the request for the use of the cache memo and the second computer device receives an amount of memory available to the second computer device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cache computer device comprises an access muter coupled to an access network.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request in (c) comprises a proposed fee for use of the cache memory.

14. The method of claim 11 , further including the steps of:

(e) determining when the first computer device updates the non-requested content; and

(f) transmitting updated non-requested content to the second computer deviCe when the first computer device updates the non-requested content.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request in step (c) comprises a time duration.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request in step (c) comprises a proposed fee.

17. The method of claim 11 , further including the steps of:

(e) transmitting to the first computer device an approval of the proposed terms for use of the cache memory.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cache request of (c) is located within a header of the requested content.

19. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that when executed perform the steps comprising:

(a) allowing a request from a first computer device requesting content to be transmitted from a second computer device to the first computer device;

(b) receiving from the second computer device, a prediction of non-requested content that the first computer device will request based on the content requested by the first computer device;

(c) receiving at a cache computer, a first cache request from the second computer device to cache the non-requested content on the cache computer wherein the first cache request includes an amount of memory requested to cache the non-requested content:

(d) determining an amount of free space available on the cache computer;

(e) if the amount of free space available is more than the requested amount of memory to cache the non-requested content, caching the non-requested content at the cache computer, and

f) if the amount of free space is less than the requested amount of memory to cache the non-requested content, transmitting a second cache request to the second computer device wherein the second cache request includes an amount of memory available to the second computer device.

20. An access muter coupled to a local computer and a website, the access router including a cache module configured to perform the steps comprising:

(a) receiving a cache request from the website; and

(b) receiving non-requested content from the website, wherein the non-requested is content other than content requested by the local computer.

Assignments (11)