Phased Web Page Generation Reducing Perceived Rendering Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for serving structured documents, such as web pages, often result in prolonged perceived rendering times due to the sequential generation and transmission of entire web pages, which can delay the rendering process at client devices.
Innovation Solution
A phased generation and delivery approach where a server transmits an initial response with a skeletal structured document and placeholders, allowing the client to start rendering and downloading resources while the server generates and transmits secondary portions of the page in parallel, reducing the overall rendering time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the server generates and transmits the entire structured document before the client begins rendering, then the document structure and content are complete and accurate, but the perceived rendering time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the structured document into multiple segments or portions that can be generated and transmitted separately. The server generates and transmits initial portions of the document first, allowing the client to begin rendering before the entire document is ready. This segmentation enables parallel processing where document generation and client-side rendering occur simultaneously, reducing the perceived rendering time while maintaining complete document functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the server generate and transmit portions of the structured document in advance, before the complete document is ready. The initial document portions include placeholders and skeletal structures that allow the client to start rendering immediately. This preliminary transmission of essential document framework enables the client to begin processing while the server continues generating the remaining content in parallel.
2Speed
If the server transmits the complete structured document in one response, then all content and resources are available for rendering, but the initial response size is large and transmission time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the structured document into multiple transmitable portions, sending an initial response that contains only the essential skeletal structure and placeholders. This initial segment is smaller and transmits faster, allowing the client to begin rendering immediately. Subsequent segments or portions are transmitted asynchronously as they become available, ensuring complete document content is eventually delivered without requiring a large initial response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and transmits only the essential skeletal structure and critical elements of the structured document in the initial response, removing non-essential content that can be added later. This extraction approach allows the initial response to be small and fast-transmitting while still providing enough information for the client to begin rendering. The extracted framework includes placeholders that will be populated by subsequent transmissions of additional content.
3Loss of time
If the client waits for the complete document generation before starting to render, then rendering accuracy is ensured, but the overall page loading time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary rendering action by providing the client with a skeletal document structure and placeholders that allow immediate rendering to begin. The client renders the available framework and placeholder content while the server continues generating the complete document in parallel. This preliminary rendering maintains reliability because the skeletal structure accurately represents the final document layout, and placeholders ensure proper positioning even before full content is available.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or skeletal representation of the complete structured document that can be transmitted and rendered immediately. This copied framework includes the essential document structure, styling information, and placeholder elements that replicate the final document's layout and appearance. The copied skeletal structure allows the client to render a visually accurate representation while the server generates the complete content, ensuring rendering accuracy is maintained through the copy.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a web page; sending a first response portion for generating the requested web page to a client computing device that includes a structured document place-holder code segments and executable code for implementing a page-assembling process; generating second response portions each for generating a corresponding portion of the requested web page that each include a call to a function of the page-assembling process; determining relative priorities of the second response portions; sending the second response portions to the client computing device in an order based on the determined relative priorities; and wherein the page-assembling process is configured to insert, or cause to be inserted, at a location determined by a corresponding one of the place-holder code segments, the second portions of content into a model representation of the structured document generated by a client rendering application.