RIM Adding Proxy to BlackBerry Devices to Speed Up Internet
We all want faster internet on our BlackBerry right? RIM has filed a new patent with the US Patent and Trademark office aspires to speed up the internet on your BlackBerry by setting up a proxy server on it. The title of the patent is "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING NETWORK BROWSING SPEED BY SETTING A PROXY SERVER ON A HANDHELD DEVICE."
The current problem is that data is sent across the air uncompressed. The result is increased traffic and slower browsing. Also, the browser may make multiple requests for data when loading a single page, thus prolonging the time it takes for the page to finish loading.
To help remedy these issues, a proxy server set up on a device would compress and transcode the requests before it gets sent to the wireless gateway.
Here is a more detailed explanation on how this would work according to the patent's inventors.
"A system for enhancing network-browsing speed by setting a proxy server on a handheld device comprises a browser for sending a request for requesting a message from a website and receiving a response in response to the request, a proxy server for transcoding and compressing the request, and transcoding and decompressing the response including the requested message in response to the request, a wireless network communicably linked to the proxy server, Mobile Data Service (MDS) gateway for transcoding and decompressing the request, and transcoding and compressing the response including the requested message from the website."
If this sounds confusing, the closest thing I can think of that would be like this, is Opera Mini. Not exactly but similar in that Opera Mini also has a proxy set up and compresses data. Though not in the same fashion as described in this patent. This is a very welcomed idea in my opinion and needed. Couple this with the possibility of a WebKit browser, and we may just start drooling a little.