Master/slave architecture for a distributed chat application in a bandwidth constrained network

• US 6,499,053 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marquette, Brian N., Stevens, Mark B., Williams, Michael Lindsey, Wilson, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILEY, DAVID ARMAND
• Application Number:
  US09/345,183
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/208, 709/209, 709/211, 709/218, 705/26, 704/3
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A chat system includes a chat server and a plurality of chat clients in a network that may be bandwidth constrained. Each chat client is configurable, in response to instructions from the chat server, to operate in either a master mode or a slave mode. In the master mode, a chat client is capable of initiating a chat session. In the slave mode, a chat client is incapable of initiating a chat session and may participate only in a chat session initiated by another chat client operating in the master mode. An invitor user initiates, or adds a member to, a chat session by sending an invitation to an invitee user name at a proxy address at the chat server. If the chat server determines that the invitee is logged on, the chat server forwards the invitation to the invitee at the invitee'"'"'s network address. If the invitee user accepts the invitation, the invitee client sends a join message to the invitor client, and the invitor client adds the invitee'"'"'s user name and client network address to a chat member list. Then, the chat session proceeds with the chat member client sending chat input to the master client and the master client sending chat session updates to the member client.

Claims

1. A chat system, which comprises:

a chat server;

a chat client,

said chat client being configurable in response to instructions from said chat server to operate in a master mode which is capable of initiating a chat session,

said chat client being configurable in response to instructions from said chat server to operate in a slave mode which is capable of participating only in a chat session initiated by another chat client operating in said master mode.

2. The chat system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user of said chat client has an identity, and said chat server includes means for is issuing configuration instructions to run in either said master mode or said slave to said chat client based upon the identity of said user.

6. The chat system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chat server includes means for issuing said configuration instructions in response to receipt of a logon request from said chat client.

7. The chat system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said chat server includes means for maintaining logon status for a user of said chat client.

8. The chat system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chat client is configured in said master mode to send chat invitations to a proxy address for invitee users at said chat server.

9. The chat system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said chat server is configured to forward said chat invitations to said invitee users at network addresses for said invitee users.

3. The chat system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for issuing configuration instructions includes means for determining if said user is a master user.

4. The chat system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for determining if said user is a master user includes a list of master users.

5. The chat system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said chat client is identified by a network address, and said logon request includes said network address.

10. A method of managing chat sessions in a network, which comprises the steps of:

receiving at a chat server a logon request from a user of a chat client, said user being identified by a user name, and said chat client being identified by a network address;

determining at said chat server if said user name identifies a master user or slave user; and

,

issuing configuration instructions according to the identity of said user name from said chat server to said chat client to run in a master mode wherein said user is capable of initiating a chat session; and

alternatively

issuing configuration instructions according to the identity of said user name from said chat server to said chat client to run in a slave mode wherein said user is capable of participating only in a chat session initiated by another chat client operating in said master mode.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of determining if said user is a master user or a slave user includes the steps of determining if said user is listed in a list of master users maintained by said chat server.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, including the step of:

logging said user onto said network at said chat server.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of logging said user onto said network includes the step of:

entering the user name and network address of said user in a logon table.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, including the steps of:

receiving from an invitor user a chat invitation for an invitee user at said chat server; and

,

determining if said invitee user is logged onto said network.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, including the step of:

forwarding said chat invitation to said invitee user at the network address of said invitee user if said invitee user is logged onto said network.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said step of forwarding said chat invitation to said invitee user includes the step of including the network address of said invitor user with said chat invitation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, including the step of prompting said invitee user to accept or decline said chat invitation.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, including the step of informing said invitor user that said invitee user has declined said chat invitation.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said step of informing said invitor user that said invitee user has declined said chat invitation includes the step of sending a message from said invitee user to said invitor user at the network address of said invitor user.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, including the step of informing said invitor user that said invitee user has accepted said chat invitation.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said step of informing said invitor user that said invitee user has accepted said chat invitation includes the step of sending a message from said invitee user to said invitor user at the network address of said invitor user.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, including the step of:

informing said invitor user that said invitee user is not logged onto said network if said invitee user is not logged onto said network.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step of informing said invitor user that said invitee is not logged onto said network includes the step of sending a message from said chat server to said invitor user at the network address of said invitor user.