1. In a network device, a method for responding to a request for a dynamically generated object from a plurality of clients, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, by a cache manager operating on a network device, from a first client a first request for a dynamically generated object from an originating server;
transmitting, by the cache manager, the first request to the originating server;
receiving, by the cache manager, the response to the first request from the originating server, the response comprising the dynamically generated object;
initiating transmission, by the cache manager, of the dynamically generated object to the first client in response to the first request, the dynamically generated object stored in a transmission buffer of a network stack of the network device while waiting to be transmitted;
receiving, by the cache manager, from a second client a second request for the dynamically generated object prior to completing transmission of the response to the first request of the first client;
determining, by the cache manager, that the dynamically generated object is currently in the transmission buffer of the network stack of the network device;
transmitting, by the cache manager and responsive to the determination that the dynamically generated object is currently in the transmission buffer, the dynamically generated object to the second client from the transmission buffer in response to the second request; and
flushing, by the cache manager, the dynamically generated object from the transmission buffer, responsive to completion of transmission of the dynamically generated object to the first client and the second client.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving from a plurality of clients a plurality of requests for the dynamically generated object prior to completing transmission of the dynamically generated object to the first client and the second client, and
transmitting the dynamically generated object to the plurality of clients from the transmission buffer in response to each client’s request.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
receiving a third request for the dynamically generated object from a third client prior to completing transmission of the dynamically generated object to the second client; and
transmitting the dynamically generated object to the third client in response to the third request.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the first request and the second request nearly simultaneously.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising queuing the second request.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated object is identified as non-cacheable.
7. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the second request is for the dynamically generated object of the first request via an object determinant associated with the second request.
8. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying the response to include one of an entity tag header or a cache-control header and transmitting the modified response to one of the first client or the second client.
9. A network device for responding to a request for a dynamically generated object from a plurality of clients, the network device comprising:
means for receiving, by a cache manager operating on a network device, from a first client a first request for a dynamically generated object from an originating server;
means for transmitting, by the cache manager, the first request to the originating server;
means for receiving, by the cache manager, the response to the first request from the originating server, the response comprising the dynamically generated object;
means for initiating transmission, by the cache manager, of the dynamically generated object to the first client in response to the first request, the dynamically generated object stored in a transmission buffer of a network stack of the network device while waiting to be transmitted;
means for receiving, by the cache manager, from a second client a second request for the dynamically generated object prior to completing transmission of the response to the first request of the first client;
means for determining, by the cache manager, that the dynamically generated object is currently in the transmission buffer of the network stack of the network device;
means for transmitting, by the cache manager and responsive to the determination that the dynamically generated object is currently in the transmission buffer, the dynamically generated object to the second client from the transmission buffer in response to the second request; and
means for flushing, by the cache manager, the dynamically generated object from the transmission buffer, upon and responsive to completion of transmission of the dynamically generated object to the first client and the second client.
10. The network device of claim 9, further comprising means for receiving from a plurality of clients a plurality of requests for the dynamically generated object prior to completion of transmission of the dynamically generated object to the first client and the second client, and transmitting the dynamically generated object to the plurality of clients from the transmission buffer in response to each client’s request.
11. The network device of claim 9, further comprising means for receiving a third request for the dynamically generated object from a third client prior to completing transmission of the dynamically generated object to the second client; and
means for transmitting the dynamically generated object, to the third client in response to the third request.
12. The network device of claim 9, further comprising means for receiving the first request and the second request nearly simultaneously.
13. The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device queues the second request.
14. The network device of claim 9, wherein the dynamically generated object is not identified as cacheable.
15. The network device of claim 9, further comprising means for determining the second request is for the dynamically generated object of the first request via an object determinant associated with the second request.
16. The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises one of an appliance or a computing device in communication between the client and the originating server.
17. The network device of claim 9, further comprising means for modifying the response to include one of an entity tag header or a cache-control header and transmitting the modified response to one of the first client or the second client.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated object transmitted to the first client and the second client is not served from a cache of the network device.
19. In a network device, a method for responding to a request for a dynamically generated object from a plurality of clients, the method comprising:
receiving from a first client, by a network device deployed as an intermediary between a plurality of clients and at least one server, a first request for a dynamically generated object from an originating server;
forwarding, by the network device, the first request to the originating server, responsive to a response to the first request not existing in a cache of the network device or transmission buffer of a network stack of the network device;
receiving, by the network device, the response to the first request from the originating server, the response comprising the dynamically generated object;
queuing, by the network device, the dynamically generated object for transmission in the transmission buffer of the network stack, the transmission buffer provided by a packet processing engine of the network device;
initiating transmission of the dynamically generated object to the first client from the transmission buffer of the network stack in response to the first request;
receiving from a second client, by the network device, a second request for the dynamically generated object, prior to completing transmission of the response to the first request of the first client;
determining, by the network device, that the dynamically generated object is currently in the transmission buffer used for the first response; and
transmitting, by the network device in response to the second request, the dynamically generated object to the second client from the same transmission buffer used for the first response.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A method for trading a digital marketing instrument between a first user and a second user in a computer network, said computer network comprising a managing server accessing an assignment database, said digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said first user in said assignment database, wherein the association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database is removed and said digital marketing instrument is associated with said second user in said assignment database.
2. The method of claim 1,
wherein said digital marketing instrument of said first user is exchanged for at least one other digital marketing instrument of said second user, said at least one other digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said second user in said assignment database, wherein the association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database is removed and said at least one other digital marketing instrument is associated with said first user in said assignment database.
3. The method of claim 2,
wherein said step of associating said digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database includes said step of removing said association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database, and wherein said step of associating said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database includes said step of removing said association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database.
4. The method of claim 1,
further comprising the step of receiving a first trading demand from one of said first user and said second user, and the step of entering said first trading demand into a trade offer database.
5. The method of claim 4,
further comprising the step of receiving a second trading demand from the other one of said first user and said second user, and the step of matching said first trading demand contained in said trade offer database and said second trading demand.
6. The method of claim 1,
wherein said computer network further comprises a first client for use by said first user and a second client for use by said second user, said first and second clients each communicating with said managing server, and wherein each digital marketing instrument is associated with representation data for representing said digital marketing instrument at least to its respective owner at the respective client.
7. The method of claim 1
wherein each user has an assigned user identifier, and each digital marketing instrument comprises an identifier that at least specifies the family of the digital marketing instrument, and wherein said digital marketing instrument is associated with a user by associating said user identifier and said identifier of said digital marketing instrument in said assignment database.
8. The method of claim 1,
wherein said digital marketing instrument is a virtual coupon.
9. The method of claim 1,
wherein said digital marketing instrument represents at least one of a commercial value and an exchange value and an aesthetic value and a social recognition value and a collector’s value.
10. A digital marketing instrument that is adapted to be traded between a first user and a second user in a computer network, said computer network comprising a managing server accessing an assignment database, said digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said first user in said assignment database, wherein, when the digital marketing instrument is traded between said first user and said second user, the association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database is removed and said digital marketing instrument is associated with said second user in said assignment database.
11. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein said digital marketing instrument of said first user is adapted to be exchanged for at least one other digital marketing instrument of said second user, said at least one other digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said second user in said assignment database, wherein the association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database is removed and said at least one other digital marketing instrument is associated with said first user in said assignment database.
12. The digital marketing instrument of claim 11,
wherein associating said digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database includes removing said association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database, and wherein associating said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database includes said removing said association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database.
13. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein a first trading demand is received from one of said first user and said second user, and said first trading demand is entered into a trade offer database.
14. The digital marketing instrument of claim 13,
wherein a second trading demand is received from the other one of said first user and said second user, and said first trading demand contained in said trade offer database is matched with said second trading demand.
15. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein said computer network further comprises a first client for use by said first user and a second client for use by said second user, said first and second clients each communicating with said managing server, and wherein each digital marketing instrument is associated with representation data for representing said digital marketing instrument at least to its respective owner at the respective client.
16. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein each user has an assigned user identifier, and each digital marketing instrument comprises an identifier that at least specifies the family of the digital marketing instrument, and wherein said digital marketing instrument is associated with a user by associating said user identifier and said identifier of said digital marketing instrument in said assignment database.
17. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein said digital marketing instrument is a virtual coupon.
18. The digital marketing instrument of claim 10,
wherein said digital marketing instrument represents at least one of a commercial value and an exchange value and an aesthetic value and a social recognition value and a collector’s value.
19. An apparatus for trading a digital marketing instrument between a first user and a second user, said apparatus comprising a managing server accessing an assignment database, said digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said first user in said assignment database, wherein said apparatus is adapted to remove the association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database and to associate said digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database when the digital marketing instrument is traded from said first user to said second user.
20. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein said apparatus supports exchanging said digital marketing instrument of said first user for at least one other digital marketing instrument of said second user, said at least one other digital marketing instrument initially being associated with said second user in said assignment database, wherein the association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database is removed and said at least one other digital marketing instrument is associated with said first user in said assignment database.
21. The apparatus of claim 20,
wherein associating said digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database includes removing said association of said digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database, and wherein associating said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said first user in said assignment database includes removing said association of said at least one other digital marketing instrument with said second user in said assignment database.
22. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein said apparatus is adapted to receive a first trading demand from one of said first user and said second user, and to enter said first trading demand into a trade offer database.
23. The apparatus of claim 22,
wherein said apparatus is further adapted to receive a second trading demand from the other one of said first user and said second user, and to match said first trading demand contained in said trade offer database with said second trading demand.
24. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein said computer network further comprises a first client for use by said first user and a second client for use by said second user, said first and second clients each communicating with said managing server, and wherein each digital marketing instrument is associated with representation data for representing said digital marketing instrument at least to its respective owner at the respective client.
25. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein each user has an assigned user identifier, and each digital marketing instrument comprises an identifier that at least specifies the family of the digital marketing instrument, and wherein said digital marketing instrument is associated with a user by associating said user identifier and said identifier of said digital marketing instrument in said assignment database.
26. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein said digital marketing instrument is a virtual coupon.
27. The apparatus of claim 19,
wherein said digital marketing instrument represents at least one of a commercial value and an exchange value and an aesthetic value and a social recognition value and a collector’s value.