Method for switching protocols transparently in multi-user applications

• US 7,197,049 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric, Eisler, Craig G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US10/215,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 370/469, 370/261, 709/203
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An application programming interface implements a method for transparently switching from one communication protocol to another and for restoring the state of a previous connection. The application programming interface executes on a local, client computer, as well as remote computers. It includes functions that multi-user application programs can call to communicate in a device independent manner with other applications executing on remote computers. To support communication on a variety of different computer communication protocols, the application programming interface accesses programs called service providers that implement the communication protocols and support the message passing model of the interface. The application programming interface can transparently switch the protocol on a remote computer by sending a system message to a compatible version of the interface on the remote computer that includes an identifier of the service provider for the new protocol. In response to the message, the application programming interface loads the new service provider and takes steps to set-up a new connection. The application programming interface can also restore the state of previous connection on a remote computer by sending a system message. In response to this message, the application programming interface on the remote computer retrieves the previous connection state from an MRU stack and loads the service provider for the previous connection.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein for causing a computer system programmed thereby to perform a method of switching communication protocols for a multi-user application, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a client computer and a remote computer according to a first communication protocol for setting up the multi-user application, wherein the first communication protocol comprises a first set of one or more protocol layers;

receiving by the client computer connectivity information from the remote computer via the connection, wherein the connectivity information includes protocol-identifying information that identifies a second communication protocol for engaging in the multi-user application, wherein the second communication protocol comprises a second set of one or more protocol layers, and wherein the second communication protocol is different than the first communication protocol in at least one of the one or more protocol layers of the second set; and

using the connectivity information to switch from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol automatically and without prompting a user for the protocol-identifying information.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the connectivity information further includes address information.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises establishing a second connection according to the second communication protocol.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the establishing the second connection occurs in response to a message from the remote computer, and wherein the message includes the connectivity information.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein a first service provider program implements the first communication protocol, wherein a second service provider program implements the second communication protocol, and wherein the protocol-identifying information comprises a service provider identifier identifying the second service provider program, the method further comprising, in response to the receiving, loading the second service provider program.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the multi-user application is an interactive multi-user game application.

7. A method of switching communication protocols for a multi-user application, the method comprising:

coordinating establishment of a connection between a client computer and a remote computer according to a first communication protocol for setting up the multi-user application, wherein the first communication protocol comprises a first set of one or more protocol layers;

receiving connectivity information from the remote computer via the connection, wherein the connectivity information includes protocol-identifying information that identifies a second communication protocol for engaging in the multi-user application, wherein the second communication protocol comprises a second set of one or more protocol layers, and wherein the second communication protocol is different than the first communication protocol in at least one of the one or more protocol layers of the second set; and

using the connectivity information when coordinating a switch from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol automatically and without prompting a user for the protocol-identifying information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the connectivity information further includes address information.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising coordinating establishment of a second connection according to the second communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein a first service provider program implements the first communication protocol, wherein a second service provider program implements the second communication protocol, and wherein the protocol-identifying information comprises a service provider identifier identifying the second service provider program.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the multi-user application is an interactive multi-user game application.

12. A method for switching communication protocols, the method comprising:

establishing a first connection between a client computer and a remote computer according to a first communication protocol;

receiving by the client computer a connectivity address from the remote computer via the first connection, wherein the connectivity address provides address information and protocol information to establish a second connection; and

using the connectivity address to establish the second connection automatically and without prompting a user for the address information and the protocol information, where the second connection employs a second communication protocol and the second communication protocol is different than the first communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 12 further including:

in response to the receiving the connectivity address, storing connectivity state of the first connection; and

when the second connection is terminated, automatically restoring the first connection using the stored connectivity state of the first connection.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein a first service provider program implements the first communication protocol, and wherein the protocol information is a service provider identifier identifying a second service provider program that implements the second communication protocol, the method further comprising, in response to the receiving the connectivity address, loading the second service provider program.

15. The method of claim 12 further including:

executing a first application program on the client computer, wherein the first application program uses the first connection;

receiving an identifier of a second application program from the remote computer;

in response to the receiving the identifier of the second application program, launching the second application program, wherein the second application program uses the second connection.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein an application programming interface program executes on the client computer, wherein the application programming interface program establishes the second connection by terminating a first service provider program that implements the first communication protocol and launching a second service provider program that implements the second communication protocol.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein for causing a computer system programmed thereby to perform the method of claim 12.

18. A method for remotely causing a client computer to switch communication protocols, the method comprising:

in a remote computer, receiving a connectivity address from a first server application, wherein the connectivity address relates to a future communication connection of the client computer, the future communication connection for communication between a client application of the client computer and a second server application; and

sending a message including the connectivity address to the client computer over a current communication connection between the client computer and the remote computer, the current communication following a first communication protocol, wherein the connectivity address supplies the client computer with address information and protocol information to establish the future communication connection without prompting a user for the address information and the protocol information, the future communication connection to follow a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first server application is a lobby server application and the second server application is a game server application.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein for causing a computer system programmed thereby to perform the method of claim 18.