Abstract: Embodiments seek to protect privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions using crowd-disambiguation. Crowd-disambiguation machines can aggregate information about resources from multiple clients as resource fingerprints, and can use the fingerprints to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, embodiments can communicate a resource fingerprint as a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When one (or few) clients communicates the resource fingerprint, the identity of the resource remains obfuscated from the crowd-disambiguation machine. As more clients communicate fingerprints for the same resource (e.g., identified by the matching FARIs), respective, differently generated PDRIs of those fingerprints enable the crowd-disambiguation machine to resolve further portions of the resource, ultimately permitting the resource to be revealed and considered non-private (e.g.

Abstract: In anticipation of a client device establishing a connection over a network with a remote host service, a pre-connect module generates a connection request (referred to herein as a “pre-connect request”) on behalf of the client device and sends the pre-connect request to the remote host server. The remote server responds with a connection response (referred to herein as a “pre-connect response”), which is pre-positioned on the client-side of the network along with information for generating a later connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request. Then, when the client device later seeks to establish a connection with the remote host server, the client device determines whether it has in local storage generation information for generating a connection request to the remote host server. If so, the client device uses the generation information to generate a connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve prefetch hinting using time-dependent, machine-generated hints. Some embodiments operate in context of client machines in communication hinting machines that can develop information about whether and how resources are used in network transactions over time by collecting “resource samples.” Each resource sample can identify rendering status information of a resource at a sample time. The time-based samples can be used to compute time-based probabilities for the resources, indicating, for example, the likelihood of a resource being used to render a web page at some subsequent time. Time-dependent hints can be generated as a function of the time-based probabilities, and the time-dependent hints can be used to improve prefetching by optimizing the hinting information with respect to a particular request time (e.g., the prefetching hints for rendering a web page can be generated in a manner that accounts for when the web page is being rendered).

Abstract: Embodiments seek to protect privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions using crowd-disambiguation. Crowd-disambiguation machines can aggregate information about resources from multiple clients as resource fingerprints, and can use the fingerprints to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, embodiments can communicate a resource fingerprint as a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When one (or few) clients communicates the resource fingerprint, the identity of the resource remains obfuscated from the crowd-disambiguation machine. As more clients communicate fingerprints for the same resource (e.g., identified by the matching FARIs), respective, differently generated PDRIs of those fingerprints enable the crowd-disambiguation machine to resolve further portions of the resource, ultimately permitting the resource to be revealed and considered non-private (e.g.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve prefetch hinting using time-dependent, machine-generated hints. Some embodiments operate in context of client machines in communication hinting machines that can develop information about whether and how resources are used in network transactions over time by collecting “resource samples.” Each resource sample can identify rendering status information of a resource at a sample time. The time-based samples can be used to compute time-based probabilities for the resources, indicating, for example, the likelihood of a resource being used to render a web page at some subsequent time. Time-dependent hints can be generated as a function of the time-based probabilities, and the time-dependent hints can be used to improve prefetching by optimizing the hinting information with respect to a particular request time (e.g., the prefetching hints for rendering a web page can be generated in a manner that accounts for when the web page is being rendered).

Abstract: Embodiments seek to protect privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions using crowd-disambiguation. Crowd-disambiguation machines can aggregate information about resources from multiple clients as resource fingerprints, and can use the fingerprints to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, embodiments can communicate a resource fingerprint as a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When one (or few) clients communicates the resource fingerprint, the identity of the resource remains obfuscated from the crowd-disambiguation machine. As more clients communicate fingerprints for the same resource (e.g., identified by the matching FARIs), respective, differently generated PDRIs of those fingerprints enable the crowd-disambiguation machine to resolve further portions of the resource, ultimately permitting the resource to be revealed and considered non-private (e.g.

Abstract: Once resolved, a random-value universal resource locator (RV-URL) identifies a resource on a host server and constitutes an instruction to a local device executing a network transaction to fetch the resource. Embodiments of the invention resolve and pre-fetch an RV-URL from a remote host server and then pre-position, on a client-side of a communications link to the remote server, both resolution information indicating how the RV-URL was resolved and the pre-fetched resource. Later, when the client device is executing a network transaction and encounters an RV-URL, the client device determines whether resolution information for the RV-URL is locally stored. If so, the client device uses the resolution information to resolve the RV-URL to the same value that was used during pre-fetch. The client device then sends a request for the resolved RV-URL.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to prefetching dynamic URLs. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of receiving breadcrumb information from a first client device, the breadcrumb information comprising a dynamic URL, a dynamically-generated value, and an indication of a method of generating the dynamically-generated value; determining a template for the dynamic URL based on the dynamically-generated value and the method of generating the dynamically-generated value; receiving a request for a hint for the URL; and in response to receiving the request for the hint from a second client device, transmitting the template for the dynamic URL to the second client device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include methods in which a browsing assistance module receives page information regarding a prior loading of a web page by a first web browser. The first web browser can be one of a plurality of web browsers in communication with the browsing assistance module. The page information can identify child universal resource locators (URLs) fetched by the first web browser as part of the prior loading of the web page. The browsing assistance module can then generate hinting information from the page information. The hinting information can comprise page loading instructions, which can aid the web browsers shorten a load time of a future loading of the web page. The hinting information can be stored in association with an identification of the web page. The web browsers can download the hinting information in conjunction with a future loading of the web page or a related web page by the web browsers.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to protect privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions using crowd-disambiguation. Crowd-disambiguation machines can aggregate information about resources from multiple clients as resource fingerprints, and can use the fingerprints to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner For example, embodiments can communicate a resource fingerprint as a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When one (or few) clients communicates the resource fingerprint, the identity of the resource remains obfuscated from the crowd-disambiguation machine. As more clients communicate fingerprints for the same resource (e.g., identified by the matching FARIs), respective, differently generated PDRIs of those fingerprints enable the crowd-disambiguation machine to resolve further portions of the resource, ultimately permitting the resource to be revealed and considered non-private (e.g.

Abstract: Examples for acceleration of online certificate status checking with an Internet hinting service are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving, by a computing device from a hinting server, hint information comprising certificate information; receiving, from a remote computing device, a certificate in response to a request to establish secure communications with the remote computing device; and determining a validity of the certificate based on the certificate information.

Abstract: Embodiments use crowd disambiguation techniques to protect the privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions. Crowd disambiguation servers can aggregate information about resources, such as URLs, accessed by clients, in the form of resource fingerprints submitted by the clients. Said resource fingerprints can be used to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, in some embodiments a fingerprint of a URL visited by a client can be communicated to the server as both a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When only one client, or a limited number of clients, has communicated a certain resource fmgerprint, the underlying identity of the resource, in this case the URL, remains obfuscated from the crowd disambiguation server, which lacks sufficient information to reconstruct it.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve prefetch hinting by using automated browsing clusters to generate and update hinting models used for machine-generated hints. For example, hinting machines can include browsing clusters that autonomously fetch web pages in response to update triggers (e.g., client web page requests, scheduled web crawling, etc.) and generate timing and/or other hinting-related feedback relating to which resources were used to load the fetched web pages. The hinting machines can use the hinting feedback to generate and/or update hinting models, which can be used for machine-generation of hints. Some embodiments can provide preliminary hinting functionality in response to client hinting requests, for example, when hinting models for a requested page are insufficient (e.g., unavailable, outdated, etc.). For example, without having a sufficient hinting model in place, the hinting machine can fetch the page to generate preliminary hinting feedback, which it can use to machine-generate preliminary hints.

Abstract: Examples for acceleration of online certificate status checking with an Internet hinting service are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving, by a computing device from a hinting server, hint information comprising certificate information; receiving, from a remote computing device, a certificate in response to a request to establish secure communications with the remote computing device; and determining a validity of the certificate based on the certificate information.

Abstract: In anticipation of a client device establishing a connection over a network with a remote host service, a pre-connect module generates a connection request (referred to herein as a “pre-connect request”) on behalf of the client device and sends the pre-connect request to the remote host server. The remote server responds with a connection response (referred to herein as a “pre-connect response”), which is pre-positioned on the client-side of the network along with information for generating a later connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request. Then, when the client device later seeks to establish a connection with the remote host server, the client device determines whether it has in local storage generation information for generating a connection request to the remote host server. If so, the client device uses the generation information to generate a connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to prefetching dynamic URLs. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of receiving bread-crumb information from a first client device, the bread-crumb information comprising a dynamic URL, a dynamically-generated value, and an indication of a method of generating the dynamically-generated value; determining a template for the dynamic URL based on the dynamically-generated value and the method of generating the dynamically-generated value; receiving a request for a hint for the URL; and in response to receiving the request for the hint from a second client device, transmitting the template for the dynamic URL to the second client device.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve prefetch hinting using time-dependent, machine-generated hints. Some embodiments operate in context of client machines in communication hinting machines that can develop information about whether and how resources are used in network transactions over time by collecting “resource samples.” Each resource sample can identify rendering status information of a resource at a sample time. The time-based samples can be used to compute time-based probabilities for the resources, indicating, for example, the likelihood of a resource being used to render a web page at some subsequent time. Time-dependent hints can be generated as a function of the time-based probabilities, and the time-dependent hints can be used to improve prefetching by optimizing the hinting information with respect to a particular request time (e.g., the prefetching hints for rendering a web page can be generated in a manner that accounts for when the web page is being rendered).

Abstract: Embodiments use crowd disambiguation techniques to protect the privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions. Crowd disambiguation servers can aggregate information about resources, such as URLs, accessed by clients, in the form of resource fingerprints submitted by the clients. Said resource fmgerprints can be used to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, in some embodiments a fingerprint of a URL visited by a client can be communicated to the server as both a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When only one client, or a limited number of clients, has communicated a certain resource fmgerprint, the underlying identity of the resource, in this case the URL, remains obfuscated from the crowd disambiguation server, which lacks sufficient information to reconstruct it.

Abstract: Examples for acceleration of online certificate status checking with an Internet hinting service are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving, by a computing device from a hinting server, hint information comprising certificate information; receiving, from a remote computing device, a certificate in response to a request to establish secure communications with the remote computing device; and determining a validity of the certificate based on the certificate information.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve prefetch hinting by using automated browsing clusters to generate and update hinting models used for machine-generated hints. For example, hinting machines can include browsing clusters that autonomously fetch web pages in response to update triggers (e.g., client web page requests, scheduled web crawling, etc.) and generate timing and/or other hinting-related feedback relating to which resources were used to load the fetched web pages. The hinting machines can use the hinting feedback to generate and/or update hinting models, which can be used for machine-generation of hints. Some embodiments can provide preliminary hinting functionality in response to client hinting requests, for example, when hinting models for a requested page are insufficient (e.g., unavailable, outdated, etc.). For example, without having a sufficient hinting model in place, the hinting machine can fetch the page to generate preliminary hinting feedback, which it can use to machine-generate preliminary hints.