Caching In A Wireless Network Of Content Delivered For A Mobile Application Requested Over A Long-Poll Request

Abstract

Mobile devices, systems and methods for caching in a wireless network of content delivered for a mobile application requested over a long-poll request are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a distributed proxy and cache system, including, in response to determining that a cached response is available on a cache of the mobile device for a request from the mobile device, the request includes one to request the persistent connection with the content source, responding to the request using the cached response on the cache of the mobile device timed to correspond to a manner in which the content server would respond to the outgoing request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of caching content for a mobile device provided over a persistent connection from a content server over a wireless network, the method, comprising:
 in response to determining that a cached response is available on a cache of the mobile device for a request from the mobile device;   wherein, the request is one to request the persistent connection with the content source;   responding to the request using the cached response in the cache of the mobile device to correspond to a manner in which the content source would respond to the request   without a need to send the outgoing request over the wireless network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the manner of response of the content server is simulated by allowing a time interval to elapse before responding to the outgoing request with the cached response. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, the time interval is determined based on request characteristics of an application on the mobile device from which the outgoing request originates. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, detecting a poll request interval between the two consecutive requests from an application which generated the outgoing request from the mobile device; using the poll request interval to determine the time interval. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the two consecutive requests are tracked prior to detection of the outgoing request initiated from the mobile application on the mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the content server is monitored for an updated response different from the cached response associated with the outgoing request; continue to provide the cached response each time the outgoing request is received until the updated response different from the cached response is detected. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, determining whether the cached response is still valid for the outgoing request prior to responding to the outgoing request using the cached response. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, removing the cached response from the cache of the mobile device when the cached response is no longer valid for the outgoing request. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein, the cached response is removed from the cache after it is provided once again to an application which generated the outgoing request after determining that the cached response is no longer valid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein, the cached response is provided again without waiting for the time interval. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein, the cached response is provided again when a new response for the outgoing request has not been received after the time interval has elapsed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 transmitting, over the wireless network, a new response to the outgoing request when the cached response is no longer valid;   providing the cached response again as a response to the outgoing request if a new response is not received within the time interval, prior to removal of the cached response from the cache on the mobile device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the persistent connection is established in response to a long-held HTTP request from the mobile device; wherein, the persistent connection is a long poll or COMET style push. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein, the content server is monitored by a proxy server able to establish wireless connectivity to the mobile device; wherein, updated content for the outgoing request is detected by the proxy server. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the cached response is determined to be invalid for the outgoing request based on a notification received from a proxy server coupled to the content server, wherein, the proxy server is able to wirelessly communicate with the mobile device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, the outgoing request is detected to be for the persistent connection based on timing characteristics of prior requests; wherein, the prior requests and the outgoing request are generated by a same application or client on the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein, the timing characteristics include, one or more of,
 a response delay time to receive a response after a request has been sent; and   an idle time to send a subsequent request after the response has been received.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, the outgoing request is detected to be for the persistent connection based on a comparison of the response delay time relative to the idle time. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, the outgoing request is detected to be for the persistent connection when one or more of the following conditions is met: the idle time is short compared to the response delay time, or the idle time indicates a immediate or near-immediate issuance of the subsequent request after receipt of the response. 
     
     
         20 . A method of using cached content provided over a long-held connection via a wireless network to satisfy mobile client requests on a mobile device, the method, comprising:
 detecting a request initiated at a mobile client on a mobile device for which a cached response is available on the mobile device;   wherein, the request is one for a long-held connection over which content is pushed to the mobile client when available;   responding to the request using the cached response stored on the mobile device such that the request is able to be satisfied without a need to send the request over the wireless network.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, the cached response is stored in the cache when responses received in prior requests from the mobile client indicates repeatability in responses; wherein, the repeatability is determined when two responses received from the prior requests are the same. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, hash values of the responses received for the prior requests are used to determined repeatability. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, the cached response already on the mobile device is provided to the mobile client after a time interval has elapsed to simulate a manner in which a source to which the request is directed would respond to the request. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, a source which provides responses to requests of the mobile client is monitored to determine relevancy of the cached response stored in the cache of the mobile device for the request; wherein, the source is monitored by an entity external from the mobile device. 
     
     
         25 . A mobile device for satisfying mobile client requests with locally cached content, the mobile device, comprising:
 a radio;   memory having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor, causes the mobile device to:   detect a request initiated from a mobile client for which a cached response is locally cached;   wherein, the request is detected to be for the long-held connection by tracking patterns of requests initiated from the mobile client over time;   respond to the request using the cached response already locally cached such that the request is able to be satisfied without a need to send the request by turning on the radio;   respond to the request using the cached response on the local cache to correspond to a manner in which an intended recipient of the request would respond to the request.   
     
     
         26 . A system for caching content delivered over a long poll connection over a wireless network, the system, comprising:
 a local proxy on a mobile device, which stores content from a host as cached elements in a local cache on the mobile device;   wherein, the local proxy intercepts a request, made by a mobile application on the mobile device, to contact the host for which received content is stored as cached elements and determines that the request is to establish the long poll connection with the host,   wherein, the local proxy provides a response to the mobile application using the cached elements such that a radio of the mobile device need not be activated to provide the response to the mobile application,   wherein, the local proxy provides the response after a time interval has elapsed after the request to correspond to a manner in which the host would respond over the long poll connection.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein, the local proxy stores the cached elements in the cache when responses received in prior requests from the mobile client indicates repeatability or predictability in responses from the host. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein, the local proxy invalidates the cache elements in the local cache when new or changed data is detected at the host for the request; wherein, the local proxy enables use of the radio on the mobile device to satisfy the request made by the mobile application when the cache elements have been invalidated. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising,
 a proxy server external to the mobile device, the proxy server being able to communicate with the host which the mobile application interacts;   wherein, the proxy server monitors the host to determine whether the cached elements still include a relevant or valid response for the request.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, the proxy server communicates with the local proxy to notify the local proxy of new or changed responses associated with the request; wherein, the proxy server notifies the local proxy to invalidate some or all of the cached elements stored in the local proxy on the mobile device.