Mechanism for implementing cloud local area network party service for multi-player content/game environment

• US 9,381,436 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Calippe, Joel, Somadder, Gurudas
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US14/203,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for implementing a cloud local area network (C-LAN) for providing a multi-player environment for servicing content to a plurality of client devices including determining a location of a blade for each client device of the plurality of client devices, configuring a service access point for each client device of the plurality of client devices, and initializing the C-LAN using the service access points for each client device of the plurality of client devices, wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with a same local area network based on their respective internet service providers.

Claims

1. A method employed by a device including a processor for implementing a cloud local area network (C-LAN) providing a multi-player environment for servicing content to a plurality of client devices, the method comprising:

determining, for each client device of the plurality of client devices, by a cloud local area network party service (CLAPS) manager in communication with the plurality of client devices, a data center assigned to the client device and a location of a blade within the data center assigned to the client device;

configuring, by the CLAPS manager, a service access point for each client device of the plurality of client devices, based on the data center and the location of the blade assigned to the client device; and

initializing, by the CLAPS manager, the C-LAN, including each client device of the plurality of client devices, using the service access points for each client device of the plurality of client devices,

wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with a same local area network based on remote access environments provided by respective internet service providers of the first and second client devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the service access point for each client device comprises:

locating a switch associated with the blade assigned to the client device to act as the service access point for the client device; and

configuring parameters associated with the service access point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, parameters associated with the service access point includes configuring quality of service (QoS) characteristics for the service access point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, parameters associated with the service access point includes providing access control lists (ACLs) to the service access point.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, parameters associated with the service access point includes assigning a C-LAN identifier to the service access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, parameters associated with the service access point further comprises assigning a port number to the service access point.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, parameters associated with the service access point includes configuring at least one of maximum transmission unit, traffic encapsulation, speed, or routing protocol information for the service access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices are assigned to different blades of the same data center, wherein the different blades are not in close proximity to each other.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices are assigned to blades of different data centers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with a same local area network because they belong to different internet service providers.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having executable code to execute a method for implementing a cloud local area network (C-LAN) for providing a multi-player environment for servicing content to a plurality of client devices, the method comprising:

determining, for each client device of the plurality of client devices, by a cloud local area network party service (CLAPS) manager in communication with the plurality of client devices, a data center assigned to the client device and a location of a blade within the data center assigned to the client device;

configuring, by the CLAPS manager, a service access point for each client device of the plurality of client devices, based on the data center and the location of the blade assigned to the client device; and

initializing, by the CLAPS manager, the C-LAN, including each client device of the plurality of client devices, using the service access points for each client device of the plurality of client devices;

wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with a same local area network based on remote access environments provided by respective internet service providers of the first and second client devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein configuring, by the CLAPS manager, the service access point for each client device comprises:

locating a switch associated with the blade for the client device to act as the service access point for the client device; and

configuring parameters associated with the service access point.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein configuring parameters associated with the service access point includes configuring quality of service (QoS) characteristics for the service access point.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein configuring parameters associated with the service access point includes providing access control lists (ACLs) to the service access point.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein configuring parameters associated with the service access point includes assigning a C-LAN identifier to the service access point.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with the same local area network because they are assigned to different blades of the same data center, and the different blades are not in close proximity to each other.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with the same local area network because they are assigned to blades of different data centers.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with the same local area network because they belong to different internet service providers.

19. A system for implementing a cloud local area network (C-LAN) for providing a multi-player environment for servicing content to a plurality of client devices, comprising:

the plurality of client devices;

a plurality of internet service providers associated with the plurality of client devices;

a plurality of data centers connected to the plurality of internet service providers, wherein each data center comprises a plurality of blades for servicing content to the plurality of client devices;

a cloud local area network party service (CLAPS) manager in communication with the plurality of client devices, wherein the CLAPS manager is configured to;

determine, for each client device of the plurality of client devices, a data center assigned to the client device and a location of a blade within the data center assigned to the client device;

configure a service access point for each client device of the plurality of client devices based on the data center and the location of the blade assigned to the client device; and

initialize the C-LAN, including each client device of the plurality of client devices, using the service access points for each client device of the plurality of client devices,

wherein at least two client devices of the plurality of client devices cannot be associated with a same local area network based on remote access environments provided by respective internet service providers of the first and second client devices.