System and computer program product for modulating the transmission frequency in a real time opinion research network

• US 20070260680A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Austen Services LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Strum, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A computer-implemented transmission scheme is provided to control client-server interchanges within a distributed communications network, such as a real time opinion research system. Interchanges include transmitting media streams between one or more clients to a server over a network. Periodic interchanges can be simultaneously or staggeredly transmitted to a sampling pool of active clients. A transmission mode unit implements the transmission scheme. A parameter selector establishes the transmission interval and transmission period used to trigger each interchange. A client assignor creates one or more sampling classes from the sampling pool by applying a sampling quotient generated by the parameter selector. A schedule editor produces a transmission schedule for the active clients. If more than one sampling class has been created, each sampling class would receive a separate transmission schedule for providing staggered transmissions at designated transmission intervals. The transmission schedule can include other data preparation and formatting instructions for compression, aggregation and packetization.

Claims

1. A system for interchanging communications between a server and one or more clients over a computer network, comprising:

a registering unit to maintain a current log of one or more clients having active sessions with the server; and

a transmission mode unit to generate a transmission schedule to instruct the clients to staggeredly interchange communications at the last transmission interval within a transmission period.

2. A system of claim 1, further comprising:

a parameter selector to determine said transmission period for interchanging communications with the clients, wherein said transmission period is divided into a plurality of transmission intervals.

3. A system of claim 1, further comprising:

a client assignor to create one or more sampling classes, each sampling class staggeredly interchanging communications at a designated transmission interval.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein said transmission mode unit includes a schedule editor to prepare a Java applet to be sent to the clients to implement said transmission schedule.

5. A system of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes the global Internet.

6. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embedded in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that interchanges communications with one or more clients over a computer network, said computer readable program code means comprising:

a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to maintain a current log of one or more clients having active sessions with the computer; and

a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate a transmission schedule to instruct the clients to staggeredly interchange communications at the transmission interval within a transmission period.

7. A computer program product according to claim 6, further comprising a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine said transmission period for interchanging communications with the clients, wherein said transmission period is divided into a plurality of transmission intervals.

8. A computer program product according to claim 6, further comprising a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to create one or more sampling classes, each sampling class staggeredly interchanging communications at a designated transmission interval.

9. A computer program product according to claim 6, wherein said second computer readable program code means includes a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to prepare a Java applet to be sent to the clients to implement said transmission schedule.

10. A computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the computer network includes the global Internet.