Delivering a file

摘要

A method and apparatus delivers a file from a content provider to a requesting client. A request from a client to access a file is received, a common file that is common to all requesting clients is identified in a first storage location, in a second storage location a personalized file that is unique to said client is identified, the common file and are personalized file are analyzed to find their differences, the shared data and the unique data are delivered to the client and the client is instructed to stitch the shared data and the unique data together.

主权项

1. A method comprising delivering a file from a content provider to any one of a plurality of clients, said method including steps of:
receiving a request from a first one of said plurality of clients to access a file; identifying in a first storage location a common file that is common to each one of said plurality of clients; identifying in a second storage location a personalized file that is unique to said first one of said plurality of clients, wherein said personalized file is a personalized version of said common file that differs in a number of portions from said common file; analyzing said common file and said personalized file to identify their differences, thereby identifying portions of shared data that are common to both said common file and said personalized file, and portions of unique data that are found only in said personalized file; selecting said portions of shared data from said common file and said portions of unique data from said personalized file; subsequent to said analyzing and selecting steps, delivering to said first one of said plurality of clients said shared data and said unique data; and instructing said first one of said plurality of clients to stitch said shared data and said unique data together, so as to create a local personal file for use only by said first one of said plurality of clients, wherein said local personal file is identical to said personalized file.