Proxy Server Content Adaptation for Multi-Device Payload Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-device authoring approaches for web content delivery, such as Responsive Design, often result in higher payload sizes due to the inclusion of multiple CSS and instructions for various devices, leading to performance issues as desktop-sized content is pushed to mobile devices, increasing processing burdens and last-mile transfer times.
Innovation Solution
An intermediary device, like a proxy server, determines client device characteristics and removes irrelevant content, such as CSS media queries and HTML elements, to create a customized version of the page, reducing payload size and processing load, thereby enhancing delivery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multi-device authoring approaches (Responsive Design) are used to deliver content to various devices, then content adaptability is improved, but payload size increases due to inclusion of multiple CSS and instructions
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server performs preliminary actions by evaluating CSS media queries and removing inapplicable code blocks before content is delivered to the client device. This pre-processing reduces the payload size that would otherwise be transmitted over the network, while still maintaining content adaptability through device-specific optimizations.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server extracts and removes irrelevant CSS code blocks that are not applicable to the specific client device characteristics. By taking out only the necessary portions of code that will actually be used, the system reduces payload size while preserving content adaptability for the target device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If desktop-sized content is pushed to mobile devices, then content compatibility is improved, but processing burden on client device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server acts as an intermediary between the content source and the client device. It mediates the content delivery process by evaluating media queries and removing inapplicable code blocks, thereby reducing the processing burden on mobile devices while maintaining content compatibility through server-side optimizations.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server performs preliminary content optimization by removing irrelevant CSS blocks before delivery to the client device. This pre-processing reduces the complexity of content that reaches mobile devices, decreasing client-side processing requirements while maintaining compatibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple CSS media queries are included for various devices, then device adaptability is improved, but last-mile transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server extracts and removes CSS media query blocks that are not applicable to the specific client device characteristics. By eliminating unnecessary code blocks before transmission, the system reduces the amount of data that must be transferred over the last-mile connection, thereby reducing transfer time while preserving device adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server performs preliminary evaluation and removal of inapplicable media queries before content delivery. This pre-processing reduces the payload size that must be transmitted over the network, directly reducing last-mile transfer time while maintaining the ability to adapt content to the target device.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for improving the delivery of web content that has been authored for multiple devices. In certain embodiments, an intermediary device such as a proxy server determines the characteristics of a client device requesting multi-device content, obtains and examines the multi-device content, and in view of the particular requesting client device removes portions that are irrelevant for that device. Doing so can accelerate delivery of the content by reducing payload and relieving the client device of the processing burden associated with parsing the content to make that determination itself, among other things.