COLLABORATIVE SHARING OF CONTEXTUALLY SIMILAR CACHE DATA TO REDUCE NETWORK USAGE

摘要

Wireless user devices can independently download and cache data from websites over a wireless communications network. In response to a request for data, a first user device may receive data directly from a second user device instead of receiving data over the communications network, if the data satisfies the request. Near field communications may be used for direct communication between user devices within range of the near field communication. Metadata describing the cached data may be stored in association with the cached data. Each user device may advertise its metadata and allow it to be searched by another user device that is requesting data. If the request can be satisfied with cached data stored by a selected user device, then the cached data is received directly from the selected user device, but the data is otherwise received over the communications network.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
a plurality of user devices independently downloading data from websites over a communications network in response to user-entered requests for data; each of the plurality of user devices caching the data that the user device has downloaded over the communications network; and a first one of the plurality of user devices, in response to a first user entering a request for data, receiving data directly from a second one of the plurality of user devices instead of receiving data over the communications network, wherein the data received from the second user device satisfies the request.