Method of reflecting on another device a change to a browser cache on a handheld electronic device, and assocaited device

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device includes an Application Programming Interface (API) that generates various notifications in certain circumstances. The handheld electronic device provides an improved method of employing the notifications to enable another device to reflect a change to a browser cache on the handheld electronic device.

1 . At a server of mobile communications devices, a method of servicing requests for HTML documents, said HTML documents containing a plurality of HTML objects, from mobile communications devices, said method comprising:
 upon initiation of a browser session at a given mobile communications device served by said server, receiving at least a portion of a copy of a mobile data table stored on said given mobile communications device, said mobile data table comprising (i) a filename of an HTML object, (ii) an associated URL of a location from which said associated HTML object was obtained, and (iii) an associated expiry date, so as to indicate the contents of a browser cache of HTML objects at said mobile communications device;   reflecting said mobile data table in a server data table for said given mobile communications device;   thereafter, receiving updates from said given mobile communications device of changes to said browser cache such that said server data table is maintained as a mirror of said mobile data table;   upon receiving a request for an HTML document from said given mobile communications device, determining from said server data table whether HTML objects contained in said requested HTML document are present in said browser cache; and   sending a copy of a particular HTML object to said given mobile communications device when said determining determines that said particular HTML object is not present in said browser cache; and   sending an update to said given mobile communications device when said determining determines that said particular HTML object is present in said browser cache in an expired state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said sending an update to said given mobile communications device comprises requesting a new copy of said particular HTML object from a location indicated by an associated URL stored in said server data table for said HTML object only if said particular HTML object has changed since a given time wherein said given time is indicated by an associated expiry date of said particular HTML object stored in said server data table. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising sending an updated expiry date of said particular HTML object to said given mobile data communications device when said HTML object has not changed. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising sending (i) said new copy of said particular HTML object to said given mobile data communications device when said HTML object has changed, and (ii) an expiry date of said new HTML object. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said receiving updates comprises receiving from said given mobile communications device (i) a CREATE notification and (ii) at least a representation of a URL associated with said created HTML object. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said receiving updates comprises receiving from said given mobile communications device (i) a DELETE notification for a particular HTML object and (ii) at least a representation of a URL associated with said deleted HTML object. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said receiving updates comprises receiving from said given mobile communications device (i) a RENAME notification for a particular HTML object and (ii) an indicator of the new name of said renamed particular HTML object. 
     
     
         8 . A method of processing HTML documents at a mobile communications device during a browser session, said browser session including communication with a server servicing requests from said mobile communications device for HTML documents, said method comprising:
 maintaining a browser cache of HTML documents at said mobile communications device;   maintaining a mobile data table at said mobile communications device comprising a plurality of records, each record comprising (i) a filename of an HTML object in said browser cache, (ii) an associated URL of a location from which said associated HTML object was obtained, and (iii) an associated expiry date;   upon initiation of said browser session providing at least a portion of a copy of said mobile data table to said server;   detecting that a particular HTML object in said browser cache has undergone a change;   responsive to said detecting, sending an update to said server, said update comprising a filename of said particular HTML object and an indicator of the nature of said change,   
       whereby said mobile data table is mirrored at said server. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said detecting comprises detecting that said particular HTML object has been deleted and wherein said method further comprises deleting the mobile data table record associated with said HTML object. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said sending an update to said server comprises sending at least a representation of a URL associated with said deleted HTML object and a DELETE indicator. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said representation of a URL is a hash representation of said URL. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said detecting comprises detecting that said particular HTML object has been updated and wherein said method further comprises updating the mobile data table record associated with said HTML object with an updated expiry date. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said sending an update to said server comprises sending at least a representation of a URL associated with said updated HTML object, an UPDATE indicator and an expiry date. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said detecting that said particular HTML object has been updated comprises receiving an UPDATE notification from said server. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said representation of a URL is a hash representation of said URL. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said detecting comprises detecting that said particular HTML object has been renamed and wherein said method further comprises updating the mobile data table record associated with said HTML object with a new name. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said sending an update to said server comprises sending at least a representation of a URL associated with said renamed HTML object and a RENAME indicator and an indicator. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said representation of a URL is a hash representation of said URL. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising detecting that a new HTML object has been added to said browser cache and creating a new record in said mobile data table associated with said new HTML object. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising providing at least a portion of said new record to said server, said new record at least including a representation of a URL associated with said new HTML object.