Caching web resources using varied replacement sttrategies and storage

Abstract

Various methods of caching web resources include caching in accordance with a number of times accessed, a frequency of access, or a duration of access. One method of caching web resources includes the step of accessing a first web resource. The first web resource is cached, if no other web resource is accessed after a pre-determined period of time. Another method of caching web resources includes the step of accessing a first web resource. The first web resource is cached, if the first web resource is subsequently accessed more than a pre-determined number of times. Another method of caching web resources includes the step of accessing a plurality of web resources. The accessed web resources are cached as cached web resources in accordance with at least one of a number of times accessed, a frequency of access, or a duration of access. An apparatus comprises storage media containing caching logic for caching web resources. The caching logic includes instructions to cache selected web resources as cached web resources in accordance with at least one of a number of times accessed, a frequency of access, or a duration of access. The selected web resources correspond to a subset of a plurality of accessed web resources.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of caching web resources, comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a first web resource; and    caching the first web resource, if no other web resource is accessed after a pre-determined period of time.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the first web resource is cached in a random access memory.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the first web resource is cached in a nonvolatile memory.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 3    wherein the nonvolatile memory is one of a magnetic disk and a flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (flash EEPROM).  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising the step of: 
 accessing a web resource other than the first web resource; and  
 retrieving the cached first web resource in response to a subsequent request to access the first web resource.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the first web resource is a web page.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 1    wherein the first web resource is a file for producing at least one of a sound and a movie.  
     
     
         8 . A method of caching web resources, comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a first web resource; and    caching the first web resource, if the first web resource is subsequently accessed more than a pre-determined number of times.    
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8    wherein the first web resource is cached in a random access memory.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 8    wherein the first web resource is cached in nonvolatile memory.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 10    wherein the nonvolatile memory is one of a magnetic disk and a flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (flash EEPROM).  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 8    further comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a web resource other than the first web resource; and  
 retrieving the cached first web resource in response to a subsequent request to access the first web resource.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 8    wherein the first web resource is a web page.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 8    wherein the first web resource is a file for producing at least one of a sound and a movie.  
     
     
         15 . A method of caching web resources, comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a plurality of web resources; and    caching accessed web resources as cached web resources in accordance with one of a number of times accessed, a frequency of access, or a duration of access.    
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    wherein web resources are cached in random access memory.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 15    wherein web resources are cached in nonvolatile memory.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 15    wherein the nonvolatile memory is at least one of a magnetic disk and a flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (flash EPROM).  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 15    further comprising the step of: 
 retrieving a cached web resource from a cache in response to an access request for a previously accessed web resource, if the cached web resource corresponds to the previously accessed web resource.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 15    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if the accessed web resource is accessed a pre-determined number of times within a pre-determined time period.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 15    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if the accessed web resource is accessed a pre-determined number of times.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 15    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if no other web resource is accessed after a pre-determined period of time.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 15    wherein the first web resource is a web page.  
     
     
         24 . The method of    claim 15    wherein the first web resource is a file for producing at least one of a sound, an image, and a movie.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus comprising: 
 storage media containing caching logic for caching web resources, wherein the caching logic includes instructions to cache selected web resources as cached web resources in accordance with at least one of a number of times accessed, a frequency of access, or a duration of access, wherein the selected web resources correspond to a subset of a plurality of accessed web resources.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of    claim 25    further comprising: 
 a cache, wherein the caching logic includes instructions to retrieve a cached web resource from the cache in response to an access request for a previously accessed web resource, if the cached web resource corresponds to the previously accessed web resource.  
 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of    claim 25    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if the accessed web resource is accessed a pre-determined number of times within a pre-determined time period.  
     
     
         28 . The method of    claim 25    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if the accessed web resource is accessed a pre-determined number of times.  
     
     
         29 . The method of    claim 25    wherein an accessed web resource is selected for caching if no other web resource is accessed after a pre-determined period of time.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of    claim 25    wherein the instructions form a portion of at least one of an operating system and a browser.