Distributed system for communication networks in multi-user applications
First Claim
1. In a distributed system comprising a plurality of servers interconnected by a network backbone, each server hosting at least one local client, and each local client having at least one local participant, a method for allowing a plurality of participants to participate in a multi-user application, the multi-user application including a distributed global application environment comprising a plurality of local application environments, each local application environment residing on an associated server, each local application environment comprising a plurality of parameters relating to a local participant, the method for each server comprising:
- (a) receiving local participant information from a local client regarding a local participant, the local participant information comprising a change in a parameter of the local application environment;
(b) evaluating the local participant information based on relevance of the parameter to other local participants to determine the number and identity of local participants interested in the local participant information;
(c) copying the local participant information for every local participant interested in the information;
(d) copying the local participant information for every other server in the distributed system;
(e) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to every local participant interested in the information;
wherein distribution of the local participant information is restricted to local participants interested in the local participant information; and
(f) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to every other server in the distributed system, but not distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to any remote participant to thereby reduce the number of copies of local participant information being distributed to participants.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to overcoming bandwidth limitations of network backbones to allow for true national participation in multi-user applications across a large-scale network. Three techniques are used to minimize the amount of backbone loading: (1) A fully distributed system architecture is described that retains national participation in each application environment by allocating resources among responsible servers at remote locations; (2) Multiple zones of interest are defined within an application environment so that only relevant data applicable to each participant within a given application environment is transmitted across the network backbone; and (3) Seamless multi-server management is described that provides interaction across application environment regional boundaries without sacrificing continuity among participants or increasing the number of postcards transmitted. The present invention therefore provides a distributed system that offers multi-user applications nationwide interaction among participants within the present bandwidth limitations of existing network backbones.
165 Citations
54 Claims
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1. In a distributed system comprising a plurality of servers interconnected by a network backbone, each server hosting at least one local client, and each local client having at least one local participant, a method for allowing a plurality of participants to participate in a multi-user application, the multi-user application including a distributed global application environment comprising a plurality of local application environments, each local application environment residing on an associated server, each local application environment comprising a plurality of parameters relating to a local participant, the method for each server comprising:
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(a) receiving local participant information from a local client regarding a local participant, the local participant information comprising a change in a parameter of the local application environment; (b) evaluating the local participant information based on relevance of the parameter to other local participants to determine the number and identity of local participants interested in the local participant information; (c) copying the local participant information for every local participant interested in the information; (d) copying the local participant information for every other server in the distributed system; (e) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to every local participant interested in the information;
wherein distribution of the local participant information is restricted to local participants interested in the local participant information; and(f) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to every other server in the distributed system, but not distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to any remote participant to thereby reduce the number of copies of local participant information being distributed to participants.
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2. A distributed system for use in a communication network to reduce bandwidth loading along a network backbone in a multi-user application, comprising:
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(a) a communication network backbone; and (b) a local server connected to at least one remote server by the network backbone, each server having a plurality of associated participants to the multi-user application, wherein each server administers the multi-user application with respect to its associated participants by maintaining data related to the multi-user application relevant to each associated participant at the local server and communicating data to each remote server, said administration comprising; (i) receiving, at the local server, local participant information associated with participants administered by the local server; (ii) copying the local participant information for other participants administered by the local server; (iii) copying the local participant information for remote servers; (iv) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to other local participants administered by the local server; (v) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to each remote server, but not distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to any remote participant to thereby reduce the number of copies of local participant information being distributed to participants; (vi) receiving, from a remote server, remote participant information associated with participants administered by the remote server; (vii) copying the remote participant information for local participants administered by the local server; and (viii) distributing by the local server a copy of the remote participant information to each local participant administered by the local server. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. A method for allowing a plurality of participants to participate in an application environment of a distributed multi-user application in a system having at least one local server and at least one remote server interconnected by a network having a finite bandwidth, each server having at least one participant in the multi-user application for which it administers the multi-user application, comprising:
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(a) receiving, by the local server, local participant information from participants administered by the local server; (b) copying the local participant information for other participants administered by the local server; (c) copying the local participant information for remote servers; (d) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to each of the other participants administered by the local server; (e) distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to each of the remote servers, but not distributing by the local server a copy of the local participant information to any remote participant to thereby reduce the number of copies of local participant information being distributed to participants; (f) receiving, by the local server, remote participant information associated with participants administered by the remote server; (g) copying the remote participant information for participants administered by the local server; and (h) distributing by the local server a copy of the remote participant information to each participant administered by the local server. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for allowing a plurality of participants in a global application environment of a multi-user application, the global application environment defining a plurality of zones of interest, wherein the multi-user application is administered in a server connected to a plurality of participant stations by a network having a finite bandwidth, wherein the global application environment comprises a plurality of local application environments, one corresponding to each participant station, wherein each local application environment comprises a plurality of objects, each object comprising a parameter relating to a corresponding participant within the multi-user application the method comprising:
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(a) running local versions of the multi-user application at the participant stations such that users at the participant stations interact with corresponding local application environments; (b) sending, by the participant stations, participant information to the server;
wherein the participant information comprises a changed object of the local application environment;(c) receiving, by the server, participant information from the plurality of participant stations; (d) evaluating participant information according to zones of interest; (e) determining which of the other participants are interested in the participant information; (f) prioritizing participant information based on relevance of the information to the other participants; (g) filtering participant information based on priority and according to network bandwidth limitations so as to optimize network bandwidth utilization; and (h) copying the filtered participant information for interested participants; and (i) distributing the filtered participant information only to the interested participants. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification