Abstract:
A monitor analyzes and generates a profile of an Internet website data transmission. The profile indicates the relative load and/or execution times of different components of the data, including text, images, and Java code. The profile is displayed and an end-user deselects one or more of the data components which are of marginal interest but contributing to the webpage load or execution times, whereupon the altered profile is stored. During a next access of the website, the altered profile is retrieved and utilized to selectively control a more limited load and/or execution of subsequently transmitted website data by eliminating the previously de-selected data types. The load or execution times associated with pages of the website are thereby reduced. In one embodiment, the profile is pre-generated and stored with the website data and transmitted in the website data transmission for display and alteration.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to Internet end-user systems and, more particularly, relates to technology for improving the efficiency with which such end-users are able to navigate the Internet. 
   2. Background and Related Art 
   The recent evolution and promulgation of the Internet has been compared in its significance to human development to the invention of the printing press. However, anyone who has spent even a small amount of time navigating the worldwide web very quickly becomes aware of one of the serious impediments to its use, namely the long delays which may be experienced while waiting for web pages to be downloaded and displayed. These delays may be attributable to a number of factors, including the sheer numbers of new users coming on line, limited bandwidth of Internet servers, and the demands on such bandwidth resulting from the increasingly rich and complex data which is becoming available through the Internet. This data may include text, multimedia including streaming video and audio data, full motion video images, Javascript programs and Java Aplets, all of which exact increasingly greater demands on the already limited bandwidth of the Internet. 
   One factor which unnecessarily contributes to the performance problem is that the end-user navigating the Internet and the worldwide web in particular frequently does not know what type of data he or she is waiting on, e.g., text, images, Java programs, or the like. For the end-user to ensure that all data is displayed and therefore none is missed, the user typically does not even turn image display features off of a web browser such as the Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator popularized by the Microsoft and Netscape Corporations, respectively. The result of this is that the user frequently and unnecessarily waits on all of the data, much of which may be irrelevant to the particular user&#39;s needs at the time. 
   One approach to addressing this problem, as mentioned, is to permit the end-user to at least deactivate images in the web browser which are notoriously the cause of some of this delay due to the large amount of data associated with high resolution and motion images. If the web “surfer” is only interested in the textual information of a web page, by deactivating the transmission, loading, and display of these visual images, at least the delays associated with such images are eliminated. However, several problems are associated with this approach. First, it is static in the sense that once this text only feature is activated in a browser, image data is turned off indiscriminately for the entire session and with respect to all websites and pages traversed by the user. Moreover, this deactivation of the images does not even begin to account for yet additional root causes for these delays which are becoming so serious as to effectively completely negate the utility of the Internet in many instances. These additional causes may, for example, be data types other than images such as the aforementioned Java code. 
   For all the foregoing reasons, technology would be highly desirable which could provide a significant performance improvement to the navigation of the Internet and websites, particularly those which are increasingly becoming enriched with associated demands on the limited Internet bandwidth. Still further, such an improvement would be highly desired which was dynamic in nature, taking into account characteristics of different types of websites and even within a particular website, the characteristics of even individual pages or subareas of the website which may have different delay characteristics associated therewith. Still further, such a system was highly sought after which could take into account delays associated not only with visual images but other attributes of websites giving rise to undesirable delays. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A CPU monitor is provided which is capable of discriminating between different data types and web functionality or activities associated with a given website or webpage. When a website homepage is accessed by the end-user and being downloaded and displayed, the CPU monitor is activated. The monitor analyzes and profiles the data transmission from the webpage, generating a report of the characteristics of the particular download. 
   More particularly, the monitor determines the relative amount of time associated with a given download corresponding to each of a plurality of website data types and functions, such as the amount of load time associated with loading text, images, Javascript programs, Java Aplets and execution of Java code. Once this profile has been generated by the monitor, it is displayed to the end-user preferably in a graphical format with each type of functionality and its associated time, corresponding to CPU activity of the client machine necessary to effect the particular webpage functionality such as display of images. By inspection of the profile, the user may then determine relatively which of these webpage functions is contributing to undesirable delays, such as execution of Java Aplets and which may be dispensed with given the end-user&#39;s immediate needs. Inasmuch as the user may desire to a further navigate through the various URLs within the given profiled website, the user may make an intelligent decision to deactivate and thereby not load selected functions or features of the website. Thus, by interacting with the display, the user may deactivate Java Aplets but desire to continue displaying images. In response to this interaction, the particular web browser will dynamically be reconfigured so that upon the end-user requesting a next URL on the currently displayed page, the selected unnecessary features of the website, such as the Java Aplets, giving rise to disproportionately large shares of CPU and download time, may thereby be deactivated so as to increase performance of the associated website navigation. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, once a given website has been visited and the profile thereby generated by the CPU monitor, such a profile associated with that particular website URL may be stored and thereafter recalled by a future access of the website, whereupon this stored profile may be utilized in subsequent more efficient navigation of the website. Alternatively, although in accordance with the invention the profiling may take place and be caused by the CPU monitor feature for conventional websites, the system contemplates the website itself being a repository of this profile data transmitted to the end-user as a data packet for use at the end-user&#39;s machine, thereby obviating the need for a real-time profiling to occur at the user&#39;s machine. Additionally, at the user&#39;s option, this profile may, as desired, be employed in navigating the entire website or, in a more granular fashion, different profiles may be generated and employed in subsections of the website or even on a per page basis as desired. 
   The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers represent like parts of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram illustrating a representative system of the invention in an Internet environment. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating in accordance with the invention the system and method implementable by program code for generating and employing the CPU monitor feature of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is illustrates a more detailed representation of the Internet system of FIG.  1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , depicted therein is a client machine  10  interconnected to a website server  14  by means of a conventional Internet connection  16 . The end-user client machine  10  in turn may be seen to include depicted as functional block diagrams, a CPU/profiler  12 , memory means for storage and retrieval of a profile  22 , a dynamic profile generator  24  which is essentially comprised of program code executing in combination with the CPU/profiler  12  so as to generate profiles in the manner hereinafter described of the operation of the various pages of the website  14 . 
   Finally, the client machine  10  will further include some form of display  18  for displaying pages of the website  14  to the end-user as well as the profiles generated by the client machine  10 . Associated with the display  18  will be some conventional pointing device such as the mouse  20 , enabling the end-user to select differing URL hotspots of a given displayed webpage. This pointing device  20  further enables the end-user to select desired aspects of a profile displayed on the display  18  in order to activate or deactivate them selectively so as to vary the resulting amount of CPU and display time which will be consumed by the client  10  in effecting the desired display of website data for a given website on the display  18 . 
   As will be described in greater detail, still referring to  FIG. 1 , in response to the data incoming from the website  14  on the Internet connection  16 , a CPU/profiler  12 , responsive to the program code providing the functionality of the dynamic profile generator  24  will control the CPU/profiler  12  so as to generate the profiles to be hereinafter described which may then be stored in the profile storage memory  22  for later recall and later use in traversing the webpage and/or website associated with the initial generation of the corresponding profile. In a subsequent instruction by the end-user conveyed through the pointing device  20  on the display  18  causing the client machine  10  to re-visit a given website or webpage for which a profile is stored, this user input will cause the CPU profiler  12  to retrieve the corresponding website or webpage profile previously stored in profile storage  22 . Thereafter, subsequent communication between the client  10  and website  14  will be controlled by this retrieved profile which influences operation of the CPU  12  so as to restrict in accordance with the end-user input the transmission and display of further website data on link  16  to only that which the end-user has indicated is desired. An illustration of this which follows may be helpful. Alternatively, of course, this profile may simply be used to limit and control processing and/or loading of data transmitted on link  16  by CPU  12  to thereby enhance performance. 
   Assuming that a given homepage URL has been downloaded from the website  14  over the Internet connection  16  and displayed or loaded on display  18 . During this activity the CPU  12  activity will be monitored. When the given webpage is thereby displayed, the CPU monitor/profiler  12  will generate and display on the display  18 , a report of the status of this particular download and loading or display process. As a representative example of what may be embodied in a given webpage, it may be assumed that the CPU/profiler  12  will cause on the display  18  the following result, which in a preferred embodiment would be presented to the user in a graphical format: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
               TABLE 1 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Loading Text 
               0.25 seconds 
             
             
                 
               Loading Images 
               1.15 seconds 
             
             
                 
               Loading Javascript programs 
               0.35 seconds 
             
             
                 
               Loading Java Aplets 
               14.65 seconds  
             
             
                 
               Java Execution 
               0.15 seconds 
             
             
                 
               Total CPU Time 
               16.55 seconds  
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   The user, in seeing this profile of Table 1 displayed on the display  18  can immediately determine that of the 16.55 seconds involved in the total CPU time processing and displaying the particular webpage, that an inordinate amount of time, 14.65 seconds to be exact, is associated with loading Java Aplets imbedded in the webpage. The user may make a determination at this point that he or she really does not need any information conveyed by the Java Aplets, whereupon in response to user input on the profile through pointing device  20  on display  18 , this feature of Java Aplets may be deactivated in subsequent traversals through URLs associated with this website. In this manner, nominally 89% of the total CPU time may thereby be saved which was associated with loading these unneeded Java Aplets. This new profile with deactivated Java Aplets will be stored in the profile storage  22  by the CPU  12  to control which features will be utilized in subsequent navigation of the website pages. 
   It will be readily appreciated that at some point if the end-user thereafter for some reason desires availability of these Java Aplets and, on the contrary, may determine that the images thereafter may not be needed, the end-user may thereafter recall the profile stored in the profile storage  22  by activating for example a right mouse click utilizing the mouse  20 . Upon doing so, this profile will be retrieved from the storage  22  by the CPU  12  and again displayed on the display  18 , whereupon the user may then indicate with the pointing device  20  a desire to reactivate the Java Aplets and deactivate the image loading. This newly revised profile with thereafter, in like manner to the prior profile, be stored in the profile storage  22 , and this new profile employed thereafter in interfacing the website  14 . 
   Turning now to  FIG. 2 , depicted therein is a flow diagram which may be implemented in program code for providing the profile generator function  24  of FIG.  1 . First, as represented at box  30 , the end-user may be queried to determine desired options. For example, the end-user may indicate whether the profiling function will be applied on a per webpage basis or on an overall basis to all of the pages on the website. Similarly, the end-user may be queried to determine whether he or she desires to alter any profiles or to simply employ those either already stored in the profile storage  22  or provided by the website  14 . 
   The process then queries whether the profiling is to be applied on a per page or per website basis at decision block  32 . If on a website basis, flow exits to the right whereupon the initial URL desired by the end-user is input,  56 . The profile subsystem then queries at block  58  whether a profile exists corresponding to this URL, which may either be stored in the profile storage  22  or provided by the website  14  in a transmission over the Internet  16 . If a corresponding profile to this initial web URL is found to exist by the query at block  58 , the flow continues to the right whereupon this profile is retrieved,  60 . Next, a query is made at decision block  62  as to whether the user had desired to alter any profiles. If so, flow exits to the right of block  62  to cause the display and permit user alteration of the profile either retrieved from the storage  22  or from the transmission from the website  14 , shown at block  64 . 
   Next, the page associated with this altered profile is displayed,  66 , and this altered profile stored,  68 , in the storage  22 . Next, at block  70 , a loop is entered waiting to determine if the end-user will continue navigating the website,  70 . If the user desires to quit, the process loops to the left back to block  32  to again determine for a next upcoming website whether profile utilization is desired on a per page or overall website basis. If, on the other hand, the query at block  70  indicates the user is continuing with this particular website, a next page URL is invoked,  72 , whereupon the process loops back again to block  62  to determine whether the end-user had set an option at block  30  to alter any profiles or simply to use those previously stored. The process then continues through block  62 - 66  for this next page URL in a manner previously described. 
   Returning to block  58 , if program code implementing this block has determined that a profile does not exist for the URL input at block  56 , the process exits to the left of block  58 , whereupon a profile is generated and displayed,  74 , either by monitoring and profiling the type of data incoming on link  16  ( FIG. 1 ) or looking for a pre-existing profile header or a profile dataset stored in profile storage  22  or incoming on line  16 . At block  76 , the user may then select which features are desired to be activated or deactivated or altered, block  76  (such as those shown in Table 1). This new or altered profile is thereafter stored, block  68  and the process continues to block  70  as previously described. 
   It will be recalled that in accordance with options set at block  30 , the end-user might desire more granularity to the profiling and may have set an option to employ profiling on a per page or subsection of the website basis rather than an overall website profile. In this case, the process exits to the left of block  32 , whereupon an initial website homepage URL is entered by the user,  34 . Hereafter, a similarity will be seen to the operation of the profiler shown in the branches on the right of FIG.  2 . Thus, the profile generator  24  will first again determine if a pre-existing profile exists,  36 , whether in the profile storage  22  or incoming from the website  16 . If such a profile exists, flow exits to the right of block  36  whereupon this pre-existing profile is retrieved,  38 . Next, a query is made as to whether the user in the option block  30  had desired to alter a profile, such query shown at block  40 . If the end-user does desire to alter the profile, flow exits to the right of block  40  whereupon the profile is displayed and altered as desired,  42 . The corresponding webpage is then displayed per this altered profile, block  44 , and the altered profile stored,  46 , in the profile storage  22 . 
   A determination is then made at block  48  whether the end-user desires to continue navigating the website. If not, flow exits to the left of block  48  back to decision block  32 . On the other hand, if the navigation of the website is continuing, flow exits to the right of block  48 , a next page URL is invoked in response to user input,  50 , and the process loops back to determine whether a profile exists for this next page URL,  36 . After exiting block  34 , if a profile did not exist for the initial URL input at block  34 , flow exits to the left of block  36 , whereupon a profile is generated for this initial URL page and displayed,  52 . The user may then select desired functions from the profile or alter them, block  54 , whereupon these altered profiles are stored at block  46 . Finally, the query is once again made at block  48  of whether the user desires to continue navigating this website. If the desire is to quit, flow exits to the left of block  48  and the flow loops back to block  32 . 
   Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a representative computer system is shown in which the system and method for more efficient Internet navigation may be implemented effectively in accordance with the invention. This system may be seen as a more detailed version of the client  10  of FIG.  1 . The system comprises a CPU  60 A, read only memory (ROM)  62 A, random access memory (RAM)  64 A, I/O adapter  66 A, user interface adapter  68 A, communications adapter  70 A, and display adapter  72 A, all interconnected via a common address/data/and control path or bus  74 A. Each of the above components accesses the common bus utilizing conventional techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and includes such methods as dedicating particular address ranges to each component in the system, with the CPU being the busmaster. Other conventional techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art employed in the system of  FIG. 1  include direct memory access (DMA) used to transfer data at high speed from external devices such as DASD  22  to the network  16  or from the network shown to the data processing system&#39;s RAM  64 A. As is further shown in  FIG. 3 , these external devices such as DASD  22  interface to a common bus  74 A through respective adapters such as I/O adapter  66 A. Other external devices, such as the display  18 , similarly use their respective adapter such as display adapter  72 A to provide data flow between the bus  74 A and the display  18  or other device. Various user interface means are provided for interconnection and use with the user interface adapter  68 A, which, in the figure has attached thereto representative user input devices such as a joy stick  82 A, mouse  20 , keyboard  86 A, and speaker  88 A. Each of these units is well known in as such and accordingly will not be described in detail herein. 
   The invention admits to implementation on essentially any computer system and corresponding microprocessor, such as the RS/6000™, RISC-based workstations and personal computers of the IBM Corporation executing the AIX ™ and OS/2™ operating systems, respectively, or similar machines of other vendors, which include for example in the case of an RS/6000 workstation a 604 PowerPC (TM) RISC chip. (RS/6000, IBM AIX OS/2 and PowerPC are trademarks of the IBM Corporation). 
   Contained with the CPU  60 A of  FIG. 3 , typically is one or more microprocessors which performs the system address, data, and control processing functions necessary for correction operation of the of FIG.  3 . Although the invention admits to application to various microprocessor designs, in the embodiment disclosed herein, the microprocessor preferably takes the form of a PowerPC 604 microprocessor manufactured by the IBM Corporation, which is a species of microprocessor known as a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. Further details regarding the architecture and operation of such a microprocessor may be obtained from the PowerPC 604 RISC Microprocessor Users Manual, Document #MPC604UM/AD, November, 1994, copyright IBM Corporation, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   In the context of the invention, the user will view the various web pages and icons displayed on the display  18 . He or she will further interact with these pages and icons by means of the various user input devices  20 ,  82 A,  86 A,  88 A, as desired. This user input, in turn, may cause signals in well known signal protocol formats such as TCP/IP to be impressed upon the network  16  and generated by the system of  FIG. 3  so as to cause a dialogue between the communications adapter  70 A and the worldwide web connected through network  16 . Information will return on the network  16  concerning the various web pages as directed by the user input. This information, including URLs such as those which may be buried in HTML source parsed through this network connection  16  will be analyzed by the system of  FIG. 3  so as to generate the desired profile and display on display  18 . Moreover, the system of  FIG. 3  including the CPU  60 A and the computer programs resident in ROM and RAM  62 A- 64 A will effect the desired hierarchical constructs, construction and storage of user profiles, and the like as hereinbefore detailed. 
   It will be understood from the foregoing description that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. It is intended that this description is for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of this invention should be limited only by the language of the following claims.