System and Method for Improving Internet Communication by Using Intermediate Nodes

摘要

A method for fetching a content from a web server to a client device is disclosed, using tunnel devices serving as intermediate devices. The client device access an acceleration server to receive a list of available tunnel devices. The requested content is partitioned into slices, and the client device sends a request for the slices to the available tunnel devices. The tunnel devices in turn fetch the slices from the data server, and send the slices to the client device, where the content is reconstructed from the received slices. A client device may also serve as a tunnel device, serving as an intermediate device to other client devices. Similarly, a tunnel device may also serve as a client device for fetching content from a data server. The selection of tunnel devices to be used by a client device may be in the acceleration server, in the client device, or in both. The partition into slices may be overlapping or non-overlapping, and the same slice (or the whole content) may be fetched via multiple tunnel devices.

主权项

1. A method for fetching over the Internet a first content, identified by a first content identifier, by a first device, identified in the Internet by a first identifier, from a second server identified in the Internet by a third identifier via a second device identified in the Internet by a second identifier, using a first server, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving the second identifier from the second device; (b) in response to receiving the second identifier, storing the second identifier; (c) receiving a first request from the first device; and (d) in response to receiving a first request, sending the second identifier to the first device.