Web Browser Page Load Performance Evaluation via Multi-Source Timestamps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for benchmarking web browser performance fail to accurately distinguish between different sources of lag, delays, and errors in page loading, limiting their ability to effectively evaluate and compare browser performance.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize timestamps to calculate page load performance parameters by tracking key events in the page loading process, including timestamps from both the browser and server sides, allowing for the evaluation of responsiveness and actual page load time, and incorporating checks for caching and potential errors to refine scoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional benchmarking methods are used to measure overall response time, then the measurement process is simple, but the ability to distinguish between different sources of lag and delays is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the page load process into multiple distinct phases (DNS resolution, TCP connection, SSL handshake, HTTP request, content download, rendering) and assigns specific timestamps to each phase. This segmentation allows precise identification of which phase contributes to delays, resolving the contradiction by transforming a simple overall measurement into a detailed multi-phase analysis without requiring complex additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary benchmarking application that acts as a mediator between the browser and the server. This application injects performance monitoring code into the browser, which then collects timestamps from multiple sources (browser internal clocks, server response times, network latency) and processes them to identify performance bottlenecks. The intermediary handles the complexity of coordinating multiple timestamp sources, allowing precise measurement without burdening the browser or server with complex instrumentation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple timestamps from different sources are collected to improve measurement accuracy, then the precision of performance evaluation is improved, but the complexity of the evaluation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple timestamp sources (browser start time, DNS resolution time, TCP connection time, SSL handshake time, HTTP request time, content download time, rendering completion time) into a unified performance analysis framework. All these timestamps are collected and processed together to provide a comprehensive view of page load performance, resolving the contradiction by integrating diverse measurement sources into a single coordinated evaluation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the benchmarking application sends test requests to the server, receives responses with server-side timestamps, and uses this feedback to calculate network latency and identify performance bottlenecks. The system continuously monitors and adjusts its measurements based on the feedback from each phase of the page load process, improving precision through iterative refinement of performance data.
Data Source
AI summary
A new method and computer program for evaluating page load performance of a web browser is presented. The evaluation method comprises obtaining a first browser timestamp from the web browser when the web browser starts a page process in order to load a page from the server. Further, the method comprises obtaining at least one intermediate timestamp associated with an intermediate stage during the page load. The intermediate timestamp can be for example a second browser timestamp, a first server timestamp or a second server timestamp. After that, a third browser timestamp is obtained from the web browser when the web browser completes the page load. The obtained timestamps are used for calculating a first and second page load performance parameters relating respectively to a first and second technical aspect of the page load performance.