System and method for ensuring client access to messages from a server

• US 20020133563A1
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yuan, Jack Chiu-Chiu, Kuo, Steve T., Morrison, Thomas Clarke, Davis, James Robert, Hughes, Gerald Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for ensuring client access to paired and unpaired response messages. In the method, the server detects one or more unpaired message which are stored in a data structure on the server. The data structure may be created when the server is started or automatically when the first unpaired message is identified. The method then uses a communications protocol between the client and server which allows the client to request one or more of the stored unpaired messages. The system of the present invention uses a request module configured to receive a client request and prepare the client request for a response generator. The response generator receives the client request from the request module and generates an appropriate response. Next, an unpaired message module analyzes the response message generated by the response generator and distinguishes a paired message from an unpaired message. Then, the unpaired message module stores paired messages in a paired response data structure and unpaired messages in an unpaired response data structure. Finally, a response module communicates paired and unpaired messages to the client.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring client access to unpaired messages from a server, comprising:

the server detecting at least one unpaired message to be stored in a data structure;

creating the data structure in a server, the data structure configured to store a plurality of unpaired messages intended for a client;

utilizing a protocol which allows the client to request at least one unpaired message stored in the data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the server dynamically creating the data structure in response to the server detecting at least one unpaired message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the server of a client request to enable dynamic creation of the data structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein notifying the server occurs during establishment of communications between the client and the server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the server notifying the client when the data structure contains an unpaired message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a request message to be sent from the client to the server; and

storing an indicator in the request message to enable the client to distinguish between unpaired messages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the protocol further comprises allowing the client to request automatic transmission of unpaired messages stored in the data structure.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing a method for ensuring client access to unpaired messages from a server, the method comprising:

the server detecting at least one unpaired message to be stored in a data structure;

creating the data structure in a server, the data structure configured to store a plurality of unpaired messages intended for a client;

utilizing a protocol which allows the client to request at least one unpaired message stored in the data structure.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprising the server dynamically creating the data structure in response to the server detecting at least one unpaired message.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprising notifying the server of a client request to enable dynamic creation of the data structure.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein notifying the server occurs during establishment of communications between the client and the server.

12. The computer readable medium claim 8, wherein the method further comprising the server notifying the client when the data structure contains an unpaired message.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprising:

generating a request message to be sent from the client to the server;

storing an indicator in request message to enable the client to distinguish between unpaired messages.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein utilizing the protocol further comprises allowing the client to request automatic transmission of unpaired messages stored in the data structure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the unpaired message module is further configured to dynamically create the unpaired response data structure in response to a first unpaired response message.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the response module is configured to automatically send all unpaired messages stored in the unpaired response data structure.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the response module is configured to send all unpaired messages stored in the unpaired response data structure in response to a request from the client.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is activated upon the server receiving an activation request from the client.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the response module notifies the client when the unpaired response data structure contains at least one unpaired message.

15. A system for ensuring client access to unpaired messages from a server comprising:

a request module configured to receive a client request;

a response generator which receives the client request from the request module and generates an appropriate response;

an unpaired message module which analyzes the response message generated by the response generator and configured to distinguish a paired message from an unpaired message and to store paired messages in a paired response data structure and unpaired messages in an unpaired response data structure; and

a response module which communicates paired and unpaired messages to a client.