Patent ID: 6769019
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
A method of enhanced downloading of information from a computer network to a computer operated by a user, the computer alternately downloading information from the computer network and not downloading information from the computer network, thereby causing one or more idle times, the method comprising:accepting a user selection for additional information to be downloaded at a distinct graphical user interface connected to a web browser; determining whether a cache is full; accepting at least one user command at the graphical user interface for managing the cache in response to the cache being full; downloading at least some of the additional information from the computer network to the computer operated by the user during at least one of the idle times; and caching the downloaded additional information at the computer operated by the user substantially immediately after downloading; wherein the step of downloading at least some of the additional information from the computer network to the computer operated by the user during at least one of the idle times further comprises: prioritizing the downloading of conventionally downloaded information and the additional information; wherein the priority of the conventionally downloaded information is higher than the priority of the additional information; wherein the additional information comprises user selections, advertising, and predetermined favorite sources of information, and wherein the priority of user selections is higher than the priority of advertising, which is higher than the priority of predetermined favorite sources of information; wherein â€ƒdownloading of lower priority information is suspended to allow downloading of higher priority information; wherein the step of accepting at least one user command at the graphical user interface for managing the cache in response to the cache being full further comprises being operable to accept commands to increase a size of the cache and to delete requests to download information from a queue.