JP2001101060A - Communication data pre-reading device and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize speedy and effective pre-read data display even when a communication line or a browser function are limited. SOLUTION: When no request is arriving from a client 4, this communication data pre-reading device 2 pre-reads data which are likely to be requested from the client 4 from a network system 1 by using the spare time. The device 2 is provided with a data dividing means 12 for dividing data pre-read from the network system 1 into text data 32 and non-text data 33 and preserving the data, and a storage device 13 for preserving the pre-read data divided by the data dividing means 12, and a client request processing means 14 for transmitting only the text data as the pre-read data to the client when the data are requested from the client.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication data prefetching apparatus and a recording medium, and more particularly to a communication data prefetching apparatus and a recording medium suitable for a system for distributing prefetched data to a client terminal or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a network system such as the Internet, when a Web client requests data from a Web server, the Web server interprets the request and performs communication such as reading a home page as necessary. It is supposed to do.

[0003] In such a communication system, access to the Internet from a web server based on a direct request of a web client is intermittent. In such a data communication system in which access occurs intermittently, there may be times when the band is not used in the communication path.

Therefore, using the free time, the web server predicts the data that will occur next, reads the predicted data in advance (prefetch), and if necessary, prefetches the data to the web client. There are technologies to provide.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how data is prefetched and how prefetched data is provided in a conventional communication system.

As shown in FIG. 1, a web server prefetches text data and image data of a page linked to a currently referred page from the Internet.
The read prefetch data is stored in a storage device in the server, and is transmitted when requested by a web client. Then, when there is actually a request from the web client, text data and attached data (images and the like) are sent through the telephone network.

[0007]

In the prior art described above, the prefetched text data and other data such as images are held without any particular distinction in the web server, and all the prefetched data are stored in the web client. Is provided.

However, a mechanism (web server) for prefetching and providing data and a web client are:
For example, when a connection is made through a line with poor line quality such as wireless communication, data display on the client may be delayed. Also, even if there is no problem with the communication line, some data display may not be possible depending on the browser function on the client side.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and enables communication data to be displayed quickly and effectively even when communication lines and browser functions are limited. An object of the present invention is to provide a read-ahead device and a recording medium.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems Hereinafter, the invention made to solve the above problems will be described. Prior to this, the gist of the invention will be described. The gist of the present invention is to process the page data captured in the communication data prefetching device,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for changing the data amount of a page itself according to the situation of a user. That is, when reading data, the communication data pre-reading device stores the data separately as text data and images and other data, and the client notifies in advance whether all data or only text data is to be received as page data. The communication data prefetching device transmits data in a format according to each user request in accordance with the notification.

Here, a first invention for solving the problem is as follows.
If the server reads data from the network system in response to a request from the client and the request from the client is interrupted, use the available time to retrieve data that may be requested from the client. In a communication data prefetching apparatus for prefetching from a network system, data prefetching data prefetched from the network system, data dividing means for dividing and storing text data and data other than text data,
The communication data pre-reading device includes a storage device that holds the pre-read data divided by the data dividing unit, and a client request processing unit that transmits only text data as pre-read data to the client when requested by the client. . Since the present invention includes such means, speedy and effective display of prefetched data can be realized even when there are restrictions on communication lines and browser functions. Next, a second invention for solving the problem is that, in the first invention, whether the client transmits only text data or both text data and data other than the text data is transmitted to the client. A communication data prefetching device for transmitting, to the client, text data only or both text data and data other than text data as prefetch data in accordance with the settings in the table means. It is.

Since the present invention is provided with such means, it is possible to change the service content for each client and to provide a variety of services. Next, a third invention for solving the problem is a recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to realize the first invention is recorded. The computer controlled by the program read from the recording medium functions as the communication data prefetch device of the first aspect. Next, a fourth invention for solving the problem is a recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to realize the second invention is recorded.
The computer controlled by the program read from the recording medium functions as the communication data prefetch device according to the second aspect.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a communication system to which a communication data prefetch device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In this communication system, a large number of web servers 2 are connected to the Internet 1 and the web server 2
And a web client 4 is connected via a communication line 3 such as a telephone network. Note that the communication line 3 includes a wireless communication system such as a wireless telephone and a PHS. The web client 4 is a computer equipped with a web browser, and includes not only general computers such as workstations and personal computers, but also mobile terminals and the like which are lower in price and function than these computers.

The web server 2 has the function of a general web server in the World Wide Web (WWW), and incorporates the communication data prefetch device of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the communication data prefetching device included in the web server 2 will be mainly described.

The web server 2 includes a data pre-reading unit 11 for reading various data from the Internet, a data dividing unit 12 for dividing the read data, a storage device 13 for storing the divided data, a client request processing unit 14, , An additional data required / unnecessary table 15 is provided.

The data prefetch unit 11 reads data requested by a web client from any site on the Internet 1 in accordance with a request from the client request processing unit 14. Further, data prefetching is performed according to the status of the display page or the like in the client.

The data dividing unit 12 is a data pre-reading unit 11
Divides the read data into text data and attached data, and stores them in the storage device 13.

The storage device 13 stores the text data storage unit 2
1 and an attached data storage unit 22.
2 are stored in respective storage units 21 and
2 is stored. Note that the text data storage unit 21 and the attached data storage unit 22 may be provided, for example, in correspondence with the respective read data.

The client request processing unit 14 receives various requests from the web client 4 and performs various corresponding processes. Specifically, first, the necessity / unnecessary setting of the ancillary data in the necessity / unnecessary table 15 of the ancillary data is performed in response to the transmission data setting request. When transmitting data to the client 4 for the first time, the client 4 is requested to make a setting request of necessity / unnecessity of ancillary data such as image data.

When the data requested by the client 4 does not exist in the pre-read data of the storage device 13 or the like, the client request processing unit 14 instructs the data reading unit 11 to read the request data from the Internet 1. If the request data exists in the storage device 13, the text data alone or the text data and the attached data are transmitted to the web client according to the setting of the necessity / unnecessity table 15.

The necessity / unnecessary table 15 of the attached data indicates whether only the text data is transmitted to the client 4 or not.
Whether or not the accompanying data is transmitted together is set for all clients. The default is “send attached data together”.

Further, as the target text data and attached data, for example, the following are assumed.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of text data and attached data in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, page data 31 read from the Internet 1 by the web server 2 is composed of text data 32 and attached data 33. The attached data 33 is
In many cases, it forms the attached data group 34.

Here, the text data 32 is data to be read first. This data 32 indicates a link to another page. Further, a link destination to the data 33 attached thereto is also shown. In addition, there is information such as sentences.

The attached data group 34 is a data group of the attached data 33 attached to the text data 32. The attached data 33 is data that is read according to the link destination described in the text data 32 after the text data 32 is read. It has meaning only when associated with the text data 32. Mainly image and audio data.

Next, the operation of the communication data prefetching apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of the overall processing in the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, first, text data and image data of a page linked to the currently referred page are prefetched from a website on the Internet by the data reading unit 11 of the web server 2 ().

The read prefetch data is divided and stored in the storage device 13 by the data dividing section 12 (), and is transmitted when requested by the web client 4. At the time of the first request from the web client 4, the necessity / unnecessity of the attached data is checked first, and the check result is set in the table 15 ().

Thereafter, when there is a data request from the web client 4, it is determined based on the settings in the table 15 whether to send only text data or both text data and attached data. Then, only necessary data is transmitted to the web client 4 via the telephone network 3 (). FIG. 3 shows a case where only the text data 32 is transmitted.

Next, the data prefetch processing and the client request processing in the web server will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the data prefetch processing. First, the data prefetching unit 11 prefetches the page data 31 that is further linked from the web page currently displayed or the prefetched page on the client 4 (s1).

Next, the data 31 pre-read by the data dividing section 12 is analyzed (s2), and the data 31 is divided into text data and other data (ancillary data group 34) (s3). And the divided data is
In the storage device 13, the data is separately stored in the text data storage unit 21 and the attached data storage unit 22 (s4).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the client request processing. The figure mainly shows the processing by the client processing request unit 14. First, when a request from the web client 4 is received by the client processing request unit 14 (t1), the necessity / unnecessity of the attached data is confirmed for the web client 4 (t2).

When the setting information is received from the client 4, the necessity / unnecessity of the attached data is set in the table 15 based on the information (t3).

After such setting, if the page data 31 requested by the client 4 is set to require additional data (t4), the client processing request unit 14 includes the additional data for the web client 4. All page data is transmitted (t5). On the other hand, when it is set that the attached data is unnecessary (t4), only the text data is transmitted from the client processing request unit 14 to the web client 4 (t6).

The table 15 may be set again by making an inquiry each time a page data request is made from the client 4. The inquiry may be made only at the time of the first page data request. It may be performed. In the latter case, the table contents are reset in response to a setting change request from the client 4.

As described above, the communication data prefetching apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the data dividing unit 12,
Since the page data read from the website is divided into "text data" and "other" (attached data), it is stored separately.
Only text data can be passed to the web client at the client's request. Therefore, the amount of transmission data can be reduced, and speedy access to the web server can be realized.

The communication data pre-reading apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with the necessity / unnecessary table 15 of the attached data, and the data (“all data” or “all data”) provided by each client.
Since "text data only" can be changed, the service content can be changed for each client, and a variety of services can be provided.

As described above, the prefetch data is divided and held,
Since simplified data (text data) can be provided depending on the client 4, for example, when the communication line 3 uses a line having poor wireless communication quality, or when the data is efficiently transmitted in a limited band. This is effective when it is necessary to read ahead.

For example, in a mobile environment in which a mobile terminal or the like connects to a Web server, the line quality between the terminal (client 4) and the web server 2 is low.
In many cases, stable communication is not possible. In such a case, the user can select a service according to his or her communication environment. In particular, when a low-quality line such as a mobile environment is used, the amount of data to be transmitted and received can be reduced, and speedy and comfortable access can be realized.

In general, a setting such as not to display an image having a large data amount such as image data is supported as a browser function. In the present embodiment, this setting function is provided only by the web server 2. Therefore, the above effect can be obtained without depending on the browser. For example, even when the computer function of the client 4 is low and a browser having a sufficient service function cannot be installed, the benefits of the present invention can be obtained.

The method described in the embodiment may be a program (software means) that can be executed by a computer (computer), for example, a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, etc.). ), Stored in a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, or transmitted and distributed via a communication medium. The programs stored on the medium side include
A software program (including not only an execution program but also a table and a data structure) to be executed by the computer includes a setting program for configuring the computer. A computer that realizes the present apparatus reads a program recorded in a storage medium, and in some cases, constructs software means by using a setting program, and executes the above-described processing by controlling the operation of the software means.

[0041]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the read page data is divided into text and other parts and stored, and only the text data is provided in response to a client request. It is possible to provide a communication data pre-reading device and a recording medium that can realize speedy and effective pre-read data display even when there are restrictions on the line and the browser function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a communication system to which a communication data prefetch device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing an example of text data and attached data in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing an overall processing state in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing data prefetch processing.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing client request processing.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing data prefetching and provision of prefetching data in a conventional communication system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Internet 2 ... Web server 3 ... Communication line 4 ... Web client 11 ... Data pre-reading unit 12 ... Data division unit 13 ... Storage device 14 ... Client request processing unit 15 ... Necessary / unnecessary table of attached data 21 ... Text data storage unit 22: attached data storage unit 31: page data 32: text data 33: attached data 34: attached data group

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yukiko Kamotome 1 Toshiba-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo F-term in the Fuchu factory of Toshiba Corporation 5B082 FA03 5B089 GA11 GB04 HA10 JA33 JB01 JB03 KA05 KC15 KC28 KC48 KC53 5K030 HA08 HB16 KA01 KA06 LD17 LE16 9A001 CC02 JJ25 JJ27 KK60

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A server for reading data from a network system in response to a request from a client,
And when the request from the client is interrupted, a communication data prefetching device that prefetches data that may be requested from the client from the network system using the idle time, Data dividing means for dividing the prefetched data into text data and data other than text data and storing the data, a storage device for holding the prefetched data divided by the data dividing means, and when the client requests, And a client request processing means for transmitting only the text data as prefetch data to the client. 2. A client request processing unit comprising: a table unit for setting whether only text data or both text data and data other than text data are to be transmitted to the client; According to the settings in the table means, only the text data, or both text data and data other than text data,
2. The communication data prefetching device according to claim 1, wherein the communication data prefetching device transmits the prefetched data to a client. 3. A server for reading data from a network system in response to a request from a client,
And a program for controlling a communication data prefetching device that prefetches data that may be requested from the client from the network system by using the idle time when the request from the client is interrupted. A data division unit for dividing prefetched data prefetched from the network system into text data and data other than text data and storing the data, and when the client requests, only the text data is used as prefetch data as the prefetch data. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to function as a client request processing means to be transmitted to a computer is recorded. 4. The client request processing means sets in a table for each client whether to transmit only text data or both text data and data other than text data to the client, 4. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the client request processing unit causes the client to transmit only the text data or both the text data and the data other than the text data as pre-read data according to the table setting.