Patent ID: 7523393

Claim:
A computer-implemented system for asynchronously reloading Web page content from a server to a client in a computer networking environment, comprising a processor and a memory coupled thereto, the memory storing instructions configured to: respond to receiving, at the server from the client over a first network connection, a request for displayable Web page content to display on a display device coupled to the client, at least a portion of the displayable Web page content comprising dynamic content, by: generating the requested displayable Web page content using markup language notation and embedding, in the markup language notation, a reference to a stored image, wherein the reference specifies that the stored image is to be rendered with a height of zero and a width of zero and that the client is to automatically re-issue a request for the stored image if the client detects an error condition during loading of the stored image; and sending the generated Web page content and the embedded reference from the server to the client over the first network connection, the reference configured to cause the client to automatically issue a request, without input from a user of the client, for the stored image upon rendering the markup language notation and detecting the embedded reference therein; respond to receiving, at the server from the client over a second network connection, a request for the stored image by starting delivery of the stored image from the server to the client over the second network connection, the stored image sized as to require relatively longer transmission time, from the server to the client over the second network connection, as compared to transmission time for the sending of the generated Web page content over the first network connection; detect, by the server without input from the client or the user, that the displayable Web page content that was sent to the client over the first network connection needs to be updated; update the displayable Web page content and close the second network connection, by the server responsive to the detection, while the stored image is still being delivered to the client over the second network connection, thereby causing the client to detect the error condition and to automatically respond to the detected error condition by sending a new request for reloading of the displayable Web page content; and respond to receiving, at the server from the client, the new request from the client by repeating the generating and the sending, wherein the generating uses the updated Web page content.