Information processing method and apparatus

• US 20060089974A1
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toshihiro, Ohshima, Toshikazu, Fujiki, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/546 Xcast
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

In a system in which a plurality of processes connected via a network hold and use shared data to be shared by these processes, when a manipulation request of the shared data is generated, a manipulation event that represents the manipulation request is issued (T2501). Also, a flushing event is issued in response to a predetermined user'"'"'s manipulation (T2503). When a manipulation event that responds to the issued manipulation event is received from a server, manipulation of the shared data is executed in accordance with this manipulation event. At this time, issuance of manipulation events based on manipulation requests is inhibited after the flushing event is issued until a flushing event corresponding to the issued flushing event is received (T2506). With this control, in manipulations which are made for the shared data to be shared by the plurality of processes, a subsequent manipulation command is issued after the previously issued manipulation is executed. Therefore, consistency of the shared contents can be maintained.

Claims

1. An information processing method for maintaining consistency of shared data held by a plurality of processes in a system in which the plurality of processes which includes a server process and can communicate with each other, characterized by comprising:

a first issuance step of issuing a manipulation event that represents the manipulation to the shared data to the server process;

a first manipulation execution step of executing a manipulation to the shared data in response to a manipulation event received from the server process;

a second issuance step of issuing an issuance inhibition event to the server process;

a second manipulation execution step of receiving, from the server process, a response manipulation event which responds to the manipulation event issued in the first issuance step, and executing the manipulation of the shared data; and

an inhibition step of inhibiting issuance of events in the first ad second issuance steps after the issuance inhibition event is issued in the second issuance step until an event corresponding to the issuance inhibition event is received from the server process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second issuance step includes a step of issuing a synchronizing event as the issuance inhibition event, and

the inhibition step includes a step of canceling issuance inhibition of events on the basis of a reception state of a synchronizing event issued by itself and an event corresponding to a synchronizing event issued by another client process.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the inhibition step includes a step of canceling issuance inhibition of events when the number of received synchronizing events reaches a predetermined value.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising a setting step of setting the number of synchronizing events.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the manipulation event has a limit time, the second manipulation execution step includes a step of executing a manipulation corresponding to the manipulation event when the limit time has elapsed while the manipulation event remains unexecuted, and the inhibition step includes a step of canceling an inhibition state in response to execution of the manipulation event.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding step of holding, when a manipulation request is generated during a period in which issuance of manipulation events is inhibited in the inhibition step, the manipulation request in a queue, and

the first and second issuance steps includes a step of issuing, when inhibition in the inhibition step is canceled, a manipulation event corresponding to the manipulation request held in the queue or an issuance inhibition event onto the information transmission medium.

9. A control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 1.

10. A storage medium storing a control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 1.

2. (canceled)

8. An information processing apparatus for maintaining consistency of shared data held by a plurality of processes in a system in which the plurality of processes which includes a server process and can communication with each other, characterized by comprising:

first issuance unit adapted to issue a manipulation event that represents the manipulation to the shared data to the server process;

first manipulation execution unit adapted to manipulate the shared data in response to a manipulation event received from the server process;

second issuance unit adapted to issue an issuance inhibition event to the server process;

second manipulation execution unit adapted to receive, from the server process, a response manipulation event which responds to the manipulation event issued by said first issuance unit, and execute the manipulation of the shared data; and

inhibition unit adapted to inhibit issuance of events by said first and second issuance units after the issuance inhibition event is issued by said second issuance unit until an event corresponding to the issuance inhibition event is received from the server process.

11. An information processing method for sharing shared data with another process, characterized by comprising:

an issuance step of transmitting a manipulation event indicating contents of the manipulation to the shared data;

a receiving step of receiving a manipulation event;

a manipulation execution step of executing, in response to the received manipulation event, a manipulation to the shared data;

a suspension notification transmission step of transmitting a transmission suspension notification that notifies suspension of transmission of new manipulation events to the other processes upon reception of the manipulation event; and

a cancel notification transmission step of transmitting, after the execution of the received manipulation event, a suspension cancel notification that cancels transmission suspension of new manipulation events to the other processes.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a setting step of setting, upon reception of the transmission suspension notification, the self process in a state that postpones transmission of a manipulation event associated with a manipulation to the shared data, which is generated before reception of the suspension cancel notification.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the receiving step stores the received manipulation event in buffer means, and

the suspension notification transmission step includes a step of determining whether or not the transmission suspension notification is to be transmitted, on the basis of at least one of a free space of the buffer means, the type of manipulation to be executed in the manipulation execution step, the number of manipulation events received within a predetermined period of time, the number of manipulation events processed in the manipulation execution step within a predetermined period of time, and a time period from when the transmission suspension notification is transmitted until the setting step is executed in the self process.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the suspension notification transmission step includes a step of transmitting the transmission suspension notification after a predetermined period of time elapses from the beginning of the manipulation execution step.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the shared data describes a structure and property of a virtual space, and

the manipulation execution step includes a step of loading the shared data, and executing the manipulation of the loaded data.

19. A control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 11.

20. A storage medium storing a control program for making a computer execute an information processing method of claim 11.

13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. An information processing apparatus for sharing shared data with another process, comprising:

issuance unit adapted to transmit a manipulation event indicating contents of the manipulation to the shared data;

receiving unit adapted to receive a manipulation event;

manipulation execution unit adapted to, in response to the received manipulation event, execute a manipulation to the shared data;

suspension notification transmission unit adapted to transmit a transmission suspension notification that notifies suspension of transmission of new manipulation events to the other processes upon reception of the manipulation event; and

cancel notification transmission unit adapted to transmit, after the execution of the received manipulation event, a suspension cancel notification that cancels transmission suspension of new manipulation events to the other processes.