Method and apparatus for controlling communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application by associating each of the ports with a protocol and designating an active port

• US 7,606,920 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Harris, Adam, Van Datta, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US10/211,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/51 Server architecture
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A network application operates in a multi-user environment and in various network communication configurations. The application controls the selection of communication ports and associated communication protocols for a network computer that is participating in an online session of the multi-user application. A network computer running the application opens multiple communication ports through which the application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session. The network computer then associates each of the opened communication ports with a communication protocol, such that communication signals that the application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of the communication port. The network computer then designates an active communication port through which the application will send and receive communication signals for the first computer. The network computer then sends a communication signal to the other network computers participating in the online session identifying the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first computer.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, comprising:

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports, wherein the multi-user application performs the associating;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer; and

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising changing the active communication port for the first network computer based upon a change in a communication configuration of the online session, wherein the multi-user application performs the changing.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the communication configuration changes from a peer-to-peer configuration to a client-server configuration.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the communication configuration changes from a client-server configuration to a peer-to-peer configuration.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, additionally comprising sending a communication configuration change signal to another one of the network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication configuration change signal includes a notification that the communication configuration of the online session has changed.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising receiving a communication signal from a second network computer participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the second network identifies an active communication port and an associated communication protocol for the second network computer.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the sending the communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session comprises appending active port and protocol data to the communication signal received from the second network computer to form a new communication signal and then sending the new communication signal to another one of the network computers that is participating in the online session.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising maintaining a record that identifies an active communication port and associated protocol for the other network computers that are participating in the online session.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the designating further comprises determining at the first network computer which of the multiple communication protocols associated with the multiple open communication ports is best suited for a communication configuration of the online session; and

the selecting further comprises selecting the one of the multiple open ports associated with the best suited communication protocol as the active port.

10. A method of controlling switching of communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, comprising:

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session, wherein the other network computers store the multi-user application;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports, wherein the multi-user application performs the associating;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer;

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer;

receiving a configuration change message from another one of the other network computers participating in the online session, the configuration change message indicating that a communication configuration of the online session has changed; and

designating a new active communication port based upon the changed communication configuration of the online session, wherein the multi-user application performs the designating.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, additionally comprising receiving a communication signal from a second network computer participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the second network computer identifies an active communication port and an associated communication protocol for the second network computer.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the sending the communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session comprises appending active port and protocol data to the communication signal received from the second network computer to form a new communication signal and then sending the new communication signal to another one of the network computers that is participating in the online session.

13. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the configuration change message includes a notification that the communication configuration changed from a peer-to-peer configuration to a client-server configuration.

14. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the configuration change message includes a notification that the communication configuration changed from a client-server configuration to a peer-to-peer configuration.

15. A method as defined in claim 10, additionally comprising forwarding the configuration change message to another one of the network computers participating in the online session.

16. A method as defined in claim 10, additionally comprising maintaining a record that identifies an active communication port and associated protocol for the other network computers that are participating in the online session.

17. A system that controls switching of communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, the system comprising one or more processors that execute program instructions of the multi-user application and receive a data set, wherein the program instructions are recorded in a computer-readable media and cause the system to perform operations including:

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer; and

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein the program instructions of the multi-user application cause the system to perform operations further including receiving a communication signal from a second network computer participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the second network computer identifies an active communication port and an associated communication protocol for the second network computer.

19. A system as defined in claim 18, wherein sending the communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session comprises appending active port and protocol data to the communication signal received from the second network computer to form a new communication signal and then sending the new communication signal to another one of the network computers that is participating in the online session.

20. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein the program instructions of the multi-user application cause the system to perform operations further including changing the active communication port for the first network computer based upon a change in a communication configuration of the online session.

21. A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a method of controlling communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, the program product comprising:

a media that can store program instructions; and

a plurality of computer-readable instructions of the multi-user application that are stored on the media and are executable by the computer to perform a method comprising;

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer; and

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer.

22. A system that controls switching of communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, the system comprising one or more processors that execute program instructions of the multi-user application and receive a data set, wherein the program instructions are recorded in a computer-readable media and cause the system to perform operations including:

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session, wherein the other network computers store the multi-user application;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer;

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer;

receiving a configuration change message from another one of the other network computers participating in the online session, the configuration change message indicating that a communication configuration of the online session has changed; and

designating a new active communication port based upon the changed communication configuration of the online session.

23. A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a method of controlling communication ports for an online session of a multi-user application, the program product comprising:

a media that can store program instructions; and

a plurality of computer-readable instructions of the multi-user application that are stored on the media and are executable by the computer to perform a method comprising;

opening multiple communication ports on a first network computer executing the multi-user application, through which the multi-user application can send communication signals to other network computers that are participating in the online session, wherein the other network computers store the multi-user application;

associating each of the communication ports of the first network computer with a protocol such that communication signals that the multi-user application sends and receives will conform to the protocol of each of the communication ports;

designating an active communication port through which the multi-user application will send and receive communication signals for the first network computer, wherein the designating comprises selecting one of the multiple open communication ports on the first network computer;

sending a communication signal from the first network computer to one or more of the other network computers participating in the online session, wherein the communication signal from the first network computer identifies the active communication port and the associated protocol for the first network computer;

receiving a configuration change message from another one of the other network computers participating in the online session, the configuration change message indicating that a communication configuration of the online session has changed; and

designating a new active communication port based upon the changed communication configuration of the online session.