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Application program cachingRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Software Development, Installation, And Management, Software Program Development Tool (e.g., Integrated Case Tool Or Stand-alone Development Tool), Testing Or Debugging, Including Analysis Of Program ExecutionApplication program caching description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050273766, Application program caching. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is related to and claims the benefit and priority of the earlier filed provisional patent application entitled "Caching and Distributed Execution of Web Applications"[docket no. 154795.2], filed on Jul. 11, 2000, and assigned Ser. No. 60/217,602. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to application programs executed by an original computing device for a client computing device, and more particularly to programs downloaded from the original device, cached, and executed for the client computing device by the client device and/or a caching computing device. [0003] Traditionally, application programs have been executed locally by client computing devices. These programs include a wide variety of consumer- and business-related programs, such as word processing programs, accounting programs, personal information management (PIM) programs, and other types of programs. One of the advantages of executing programs locally has been and continues to be that the programs run as fast as the hardware of the client computing devices allows. [0004] With the increasing popularity of network computing over networks such as the Internet, more attention has been given to application programs that are executed by another computing device for client computing devices. For example, an application service provider (ASP) may offer a subscription service in which an application program is executed for subscribing clients by the ASP's server. The subscribing clients utilize the program over the Internet. Input and output is typically performed at the clients, while the execution of the program usually occurs at the server. [0005] This model has some advantages. For example, small businesses that may not have adequate information technology (IT) departments can instead effectively outsource some or all of their application program needs to ASP's. This means that the the businesses do not have to concern themselves with maintaining and updating the programs. Instead, nearly everything is handled by the ASP's. Moreover, rather than paying for program licenses, businesses instead pay on a subscription basis, which can be desirable. [0006] Executing application programs by another computing device for client computing devices has disadvantages as well. One disadvantage is that the programs usually run slower than if executed by the client computing devices themselves. This is because the computing device hosting the application programs may have to run a number of instances of the programs for a number of different client computing devices. Even if the computing device hosting the application program can sufficiently handle this load, network latency can affect the speed at which the programs run. The fastest Internet connections are still typically slower than the internal speeds at which a computer runs. Congestion within the Internet can also affect the speed with which client computing devices interact with application programs executed by another computing device. For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0007] The invention provides caching and executing an application program by a client computing device or a caching computing device. In accordance with the present invention, an entire application program may be cached, or only a portion of the application program may be cached. A client computing device, a caching computing device, or both devices, are used to cache the application program. The devices cache the application program from an original computing device. Where the application program or a portion thereof is cached at the client computing device, the client computing device executes the cached application programs for itself or the cached portion. If the application program or a portion thereof is cached at a caching device, the caching computing device executes the cached application program or the cached portion for the client computing device. A portion of the application program may also reside in the original computing device, which also executes this portion of the application program for the client computing device. [0008] In accordance with the present invention, the client computing device generates a request for an application program to be executed by the original computing device for the client computing device. If the client computing device has the capability to cache the application program, it intercepts and examines the request to determine if the request relates to any application program that it has already cached. If so, then the request is redirected to a cached application program for execution by the client computing device itself. Otherwise, the client computing device passes the request to a caching computing device or an original computing device. [0009] If a caching computing device having application caching capability is present, it intercepts and examines the requested passed to it by the client computing device to determine if the request relates to any application program that it has already cached. If so, then the request is redirected to a cached application program for execution by the caching computing device for the client computing device. Otherwise, the caching computing device passes the request to an original computing device, which fulfills the request by executing the requested application program for the client computing device. [0010] Application caching is different from content caching. Content caching is limited to the storage of data at a location closer to a client computing device than the original storage location. When the client computing device desires to access the content, it ultimately receives the content from the closer location. This is presumably faster than receiving the content from the more distant location. Content caching is a relatively simple process. The computing devices that are storing the content do not actually execute anything. The devices exist only to serve the content to client computing devices, while the client computing devices themselves may wholly execute some of the content. [0011] Conversely, application caching involves downloading and installing at least a part of an application program on a caching computing device. The caching computing device is compatible with the original computing device. Configuration parameters are downloaded and interpreted by the caching computing device to determine how to install the program. Unlike a content caching computing device that only serves content to client computing devices, an application caching computing device executes at least part of an application program for the client computing devices. No execution of the data is typically performed by a content caching computing device. [0012] The invention includes computer-implemented methods, machine-readable media, computerized systems, and computers of varying scopes. Other aspects, embodiments and advantages of the invention, beyond those described here, will become apparent by reading the detailed description and with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of a client computing device, a caching computing device, and an original computing device, according to preferred embodiments of the invention; [0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a more specific example of the configuration of FIG. in which the client computing device is communicatively connected to the caching computing device through a local network, and the caching computing device is communicatively connected to the original computing device through a remote network, according to an embodiment of the invention; [0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another more specific example of the configuration of FIG. 1, in which the client, caching, and original computing devices are communicatively connected to one another through the same network, according to an embodiment of the invention; [0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the caching computing device of FIG. 1 in more detail, according to an embodiment of the invention; [0017] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how a device, such as the client computing device or the caching computing device, intercepts, passes through, and redirects application program requests, according to an embodiment of the invention; [0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the client computing device of FIG. 1 in more detail, according to an embodiment of the invention; [0019] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method summarizing how the client, caching, and original computing devices handle an application program request; [0020] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method summarizing how the client computing device or the caching computing device determines whether part or all of an application program should be cached; Continue reading about Application program caching... Full patent description for Application program caching Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Application program caching patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Application program caching or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Object-oriented creation breakpoints Next Patent Application: Methods and systems of testing software, and methods and systems of modeling user behavior Industry Class: Data processing: software development, installation, and management ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Application program caching patent info. 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