Environment information server
First Claim
1. A network of one or more interconnected computer systems forming an environment information server, the server comprising:
- a server controller;
a network connection connected to said server controller;
an environment information database connected to said server controller configured to store data for one or more network environments; and
a request handler connected to said server controller configured to process user requests received through said network connection,wherein the environment information server (1) periodically polls the one or more network environments (2) maintains the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment, and (3) updates the environment information database with changes in the available network environments,wherein said request handler exchanges data with said environment information database and returns, in response to a received request, an environment report,wherein the environment report comprises;
information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment;
client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, andlatency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus implementing techniques for providing network environment information. In one implementation, a environment information server includes: a server controller; a network connection connected to said server controller; an environment information database connected to said server controller for storing data for one or more network environments; and a request handler connected to said server controller for processing requests received through said network connection; wherein said request handler exchanges data with said environment information database in the course of processing a received request.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A network of one or more interconnected computer systems forming an environment information server, the server comprising:
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a server controller; a network connection connected to said server controller; an environment information database connected to said server controller configured to store data for one or more network environments; and a request handler connected to said server controller configured to process user requests received through said network connection, wherein the environment information server (1) periodically polls the one or more network environments (2) maintains the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment, and (3) updates the environment information database with changes in the available network environments, wherein said request handler exchanges data with said environment information database and returns, in response to a received request, an environment report, wherein the environment report comprises; information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment; client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, and latency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for use in providing environment information, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
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periodically poll one or more network environments; maintain the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment; update an environment information database with information regarding each of the one or more network environments and with changes in the available network environments, process an environment information request from a client; retrieve environment information for the one or more environments from the environment information database; generate an environment report according to said retrieved environment information; and send, in response to the client request, the environment report of network environments selectable by the client, wherein the environment report comprises; information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment; client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, and latency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user.
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for use in accessing environment information, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
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send an environment information request from a client to an environment information server; receive from said environment information server, in response to the environment information request, an environment report of network environments selectable by the client for connection, wherein the environment information server (1) periodically polls the one or more network environments (2) maintains the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment, and (3) updates the environment information database with changes in the available network environments, wherein the environment information server comprises a request handler that exchanges data with said environment information database and returns, in response to a received request, the environment report of network environments, and wherein the environment report comprises; information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment; client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, and latency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user.
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18. A method of providing environment information, comprising:
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periodically polling one or more network environments; maintaining the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment; updating an environment information database with information regarding each of the one or more network environments and with changes in the available network environments, receiving a request from a user; retrieving environment information for the one or more environments from the environment information database; generating an environment report according to said retrieved environment information; and sending, in response to the user request, the environment report of network environments selectable by the user, wherein the environment report comprises; information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment; client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, and latency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of accessing environment information, comprising:
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sending an environment information request from a client to an environment information server; receiving from said environment information server, in response to the environment information request, an environment report of network environments selectable by the client for connection, wherein the environment information server (1) periodically polls the one or more network environments and (2) maintains the environment information database with a list of available network environments and network information for connecting to each network environment, and (3) updates the environment information database with changes in the available network environments, exchanging data with said environment information database to return to the client, in response to a received request, the environment report, wherein the environment report comprises; information characterizing the one or more network environments selectable by the user for connection, the information characterizing each network including user count information that indicates the current number of clients connected to the environment and the maximum number of clients allowed to be connected to the environment; client system dependent data derived by applying information from the environment information database to network information received from the client system, and latency information for a particular network environment estimated relative to a sample user to estimate latency relative to the requesting user. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification