Method and apparatus for updating and synchronizing information between a client and a server

Abstract

The present invention integrates applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. In the described embodiments, a hidden Applet Group Controller applet handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that includes the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet. Upon the invocation of an event, the association instructs an Action Coordinator to invoke an action. The Action Coordinator obtains and transmits a list of all of the keys and their values to the server. The server invokes the appropriate application logic and transmits the keys and their values (as updated during the execution of the application logic) back to the Action Coordinator, which pushes the updated values out to the applets and the browser's display is updated.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of updating a display page, comprising:
 in a first computer, performing operations for:
 receiving an input via the display page; 
 generating a first package that includes first values associated with the input that have changed since a previous communication with a second computer; 
 transmitting the first package to the second computer; 
 receiving synchronization information from the second computer, wherein the synchronization information is generated by the second computer based at least in part on a comparison of the first values with one or more second values in the second computer; and 
 updating the display page by using the synchronization information to update a portion of the display page as displayed at the first computer without requiring retransmission of the entire display page. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the first package comprises:
 acquiring information representing a state of the second computer at a time of the previous communication with the second computer; and   based at least in part on the information, determining the first values associated with the input that have changed since the previous communication with the second computer.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the information representing the state of the second computer comprises one of:
 one or more input values of a type “hidden” received in one or more communications from the second computer;   one or more records of a state of at least one previous transaction between the first computer and the second computer;   one or more records of values sent by the second computer to the first computer; or   one or more instance variables included in computer instructions received from the second computer.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, before receiving the input via the display page:
 retrieving the entire display page from the second computer;   rendering the display page; and   displaying the display page at the first computer.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the display page comprises a web page. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein updating the display page at the first computer comprises:
 updating the web page as displayed at the first computer without re-rendering at least part of the web page.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the input comprises accepting user input via the display page. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first package includes an action data indicating an action to be invoked at the second computer. 
     
     
         10 . A method for updating a display page that is displayed on a first computer, comprising:
 in a second computer, performing operations for:
 providing, to the first computer, the display page, wherein the display page comprises computer instructions that, when executed by the first computer, cause the first computer to:
 accept an input via the display page; 
 generate a first package that includes first values associated with the input that have changed since a previous communication with the second computer; and 
 transmit the first package to the second computer; 
 
 receiving the first package including the first values from the first computer; 
 generating synchronization information based at least in part on a comparison of the first values with one or more second values in the second computer; and 
 transmitting the synchronization information to the first computer, wherein the synchronization information is configured so that the first computer updates the display page by using the synchronization information to update a portion of the display page as displayed at the first computer without requiring retransmission of the entire display page. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 during a previous communication with the first computer, sending, to the first computer, information representing a state of the second computer, the information configured so that the first computer, based at least in part on the information, determines the first values associated with the input that have changed since the previous communication.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the information representing the state of the second computer comprises one of:
 one or more input values of a type “hidden” received in one or more communications from the second computer;   one or more records of a state of at least one previous transaction between the first computer and the second computer;   one or more records of values sent by the second computer to the first computer; or   one or more instance variables included in computer instructions received from the second computer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the display page comprises a web page. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein updating the display page at the first computer comprises updating the web page as displayed at the first computer without re-rendering at least part of the web page. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first package further includes an action data indicating an action to be invoked at the second computer, and wherein the method further comprises:
 performing the action at the second computer.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions comprise an object-oriented program. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions manipulate one or more elements in an HTML document used for the display page. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions generate HTML statements used for the display page. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the computer instructions control an acquisition of data, the data used for generating the HTML statements. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions are expressed in a scripting language configured to be executed by an interpreter on the first computer.