Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer protocol implementing – Computer-to-computer data framing
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-07
2003-01-14
Coulter, Kenneth R. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Computer-to-computer data framing
C709S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507872
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The instant invention comprises a related class of methods, techniques and system designs for improving at least the perceived, if not the actual, efficiency of and end-user's interactive access of large (perhaps cross-referenced, cross-linked or “hyper-linked”) databases, such as the World Wide Web, via a communications network, such as “The Internet”; and which can also be applied to the computerized access of local databases.
This document, to some extent, builds on inventive work disclosed by Inventor in earlier patent applications, issued patents, and disclosure documents, as well as during proprietary development. Where that earlier material is relevant it will, generally, be pointed out in the disclosure.
SCOPE OF INVENTION
Generally, the domain of the instant invention is an extant (generally packet-switching) communications network such as “The Internet”. Alternately, the invention can be adapted, in a straight-forward manner, and applied to a locally accessible database. Such a network comprises a multiplicity of computers connected via a network over which information is sent: from a first program running on a first computer to a second program running on a second computer; by (if sufficiently large) breaking that information into a multiplicity of packets; and, “wrapping” each packet in addressing information that specifies at least its destination. The specification of how information is parsed, addressed, transmitted, received and reassembled are generally called communication protocols and include, on the internet, TCP/IP, UDP, FTP and HTTP; as well as protocols that permit an end user to dial-up a service provider's computer on the internet including SLIP, CSLIP and PPP.
The instant invention relates to a group of related methods for selecting and arranging information prior to its being submitted for distribution via the network and/or re-assembling the information after its being received at the destination. The network and its communications protocols operate on one or more levels below the operation of the instant invention and, thus, the instant invention may be considered a “meta-protocol” or higher level protocol.
The intended practitioner of the present invention is someone who is skilled in designing such networks and implementing the software that affects and/or utilizes these communication protocols within the environment of a particular operating system (e.g., UNIX). That is, one skilled in the art of this invention is capable of writing program code and/or utilizing and coordinating existing programs within a multi-computer environment. Examples of such related tasks would be the programming of software to implement: a communications protocol such as TCP/IP, UDP, FTP, HTTP, SLIP, CSLIP or PPP; or, an application that utilizes such a protocol, such as an information providing server (e.g., an EMail distribution program, or an FTP or World Wide Web site) or information requesting and receiving client program (e.g., a user EMail program or Web Browser). Many of these capabilities or programs are provided as part of operating systems (e.g., UNIX) and such practitioners are knowledgeable about and skilled in implementing the internals of such operating systems. Often they are referred to as system programmers or software engineers.
Those skilled in the art know how to accomplish such tasks as to: coordinate and pass information between programs operating within a single computer or on several interconnected computers; initiate requests for local or remote information or database searches; and, generally, to accomplish these tasks by utilizing services provided by operating systems, communications packages and protocols, and other application programs. The details of accomplishing such standard tasks are well known and within the ken of those skilled in the art; are not (in and of themselves) within the scope of the instant invention; and, will be referred to but not described in detail in the instant disclosure.
1
Rather, what will be disclosed are novel higher-level methods, system designs and information arrangements, which rely and build upon those known and understood processes. Disclosed will be what one skilled in the art will need to know, beyond that with which he is already familiar, in order to implement the instant invention.
The above discussion relates to the instant invention in general. However, certain aspects of the instant invention comprise elements including database searching, statistical simulation or artificial intelligence (e.g., learning software and neural networks). Similarly, those skilled in these specialized areas of computer science are well versed in the details of those fields; and, generally, those details are not the substance of this invention. Rather, the disclosure will point out the specific elements of the instant invention to which the standard practices of those fields are to be applied; or, specifically how the standard practices are to be modified to practice the instant invention.
2
In summary, the disclosure of the instant invention will focus on what is new and novel and will point out, but not repeat the details of, what is relevant of that which known in the art.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
This invention is disclosed in an technological environment that already includes, without limitation, large packet-switching communication networks, such as “The Internet”, and large interconnected databases, such as the World Wide Web (WWW). Much of the disclosure will be cast as relating specifically to accessing the WWW on the internet; however, references made to “The Internet” or “internet” may be considered to apply to any similar data network (as well as to the process of accessing a local database) and references made to the WWW may be considered to apply, generally, to any type of local or remote, distributed or coherent, database. The WWW has been chosen as an example because of its complexity as a hypermedia database (which comprises text, images, sound, etc.) which is interconnected and distributed in nature; and, also, because of the current interest in, and increasing usage of, this particular database.
In addition there are many extant programs and mechanisms for accessing and initiating computer mediated searches of such databases. For example, gopher, WAIS, archie, veronica, web browsers (including Mosaic and Netscape).
Communication between various computers on the internet (and computer programs running on those computers) is affected by various communication protocols, including TCP/IP, FTP, UDP, HTTP, SLIP, CSLIP, PPP, etc.
There are already extant many programs and techniques for: running computer simulations and analyses of systems such as communication networks; compiling and analyzing statistics, including sensitivity analysis; and artificial intelligence techniques such as complex searching algorithms, programs that learn or train, can recognize patterns, neural networks, etc.
Lastly, there are a large number of service providers who will make available to users, who have personal computers or workstations, a connection via modem over a dial-up telephone line (or ISDN or dedicated line) through their computer to the internet. However, accessing, searching and browsing the WWW through such a provider can be a painfully slow process.
THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED—IN BRIEF
As explained, above, the process of “surfing the Web”, let alone trying to accomplish serious work, via the internet can often be a slow and frustrating process; especially if accessing via a modem through a service provider but, often, even if directly connected to the internet. Periods of being flooded with information may alternate with long stretches of waiting for information to arrive.
As working, playing or just browsing over communications networks, via digital computers, become ubiquitous, the number of users, number of “sites”, and the shear bulk of data being accessed, is growing exponentially.
The introduction of graphical or hypertext document systems (such as the HTML language, the HTTP proto
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