System and method of dynamic online session caching

• US 6,640,284 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Mardian, Van, Dimitry, Charles M., Hussain, Syed A., Shaw, Venson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peugh, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US09/745,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 711/122, 711/127, 711/129, 711/130, 711/133, 711/137, 711/173, 711/134, 711/136, 711/154, 711/159, 711/160, 711/118, 711/153, 209/213, 209/215, 209/216, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 711/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that includes a plurality of cache engines coupled to a computer network such as the Internet, and a cache memory associated with each of the plurality of cache engines. The cache memory is allocated to store information of a plurality of users participating in an online communication session. Each user is allocated a normal section and an exception section in the cache memory, the normal section storing predictable behavior of the user and the exception section storing unpredictable behavior of the user. All users'"'"' session environment is updated by sending information on whether a specific user'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable and by retrieving the appropriate user behavior from the normal or exceptions sections in the local cache memory.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of cache engines coupled to a computer network;

a cache memory associated with each of the plurality of cache engines, the cache memory being allocated to store information of a plurality of users participating in an online communication session, each user being allocated a normal section and an exception section in the cache memory, the normal section storing predictable behavior of the user and the exception section storing unpredictable behavior of the user.

2. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each cache engine comprises a dynamic size allocator operable to determine the sizes of each user'"'"'s normal section and exception section.

3. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each cache engine comprises a normal/exception handler operable to determine whether a user'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable and which cached user behavior is to be multicasted to the other users.

4. The system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the normal/exception handler sends the user'"'"'s identity and whether the behavior was predictable or unpredictable.

5. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each cache engine comprises a memory manager operable to determine the sizes of each user'"'"'s normal section and exception section, and determine whether a user'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable and which cached user behavior is to be multicasted to the other users.

6. A cache engine, comprising:

a cache memory being allocated to store information of a plurality of users participating in an online communication session, each user being allocated a normal section and an exception section in the cache memory, the normal section storing predictable behavior of the user and the exception section storing unpredictable behavior of the user; and

a normal/exception handler operable to determine whether a user'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable and which cached user behavior is to be multicasted to the other users.

7. The cache engine, as set forth in claim 6, comprising a dynamic memory size allocator operable to determine the sizes of each user'"'"'s normal section and exception section in the cache memory.

8. The cache engine, as set forth in claim 6, wherein the cache engine synchronizes with cache engines associated with the plurality of users participating in the online communication session.

9. A method comprising:

allocating cache memory space for each of a plurality of users participating in an online communication session;

dividing the allocated cache memory space for each user into a normal section for storing predictable user behavior and an exception section for storing unpredictable user behavior; and

synchronizing the online communication session for all the users by sending information regarding whether a specific user'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable and retrieving appropriate cached user behavior.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein synchronizing the online communication session comprises:

receiving the information that the specific user'"'"'s behavior is predictable;

retrieving the specific user'"'"'s predictable behavior from the normal section of the cache memory; and

updating the online communication session by updating a current state of the specific user by the retrieved predictable behavior.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein synchronizing the online communication session comprises:

receiving the information that the specific user'"'"'s behavior is unpredictable;

retrieving the specific user'"'"'s unpredictable behavior from the exceptions section of the cache memory; and

updating the online communication session by updating a current state of the specific user by the retrieved unpredictable behavior.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising determining each user'"'"'s predictable and unpredictable behavior based on monitored past user behavior.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising determining each user'"'"'s predictable and unpredictable behavior based on the user'"'"'s profile information.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring at least one user'"'"'s behavior during the online communication session;

determining whether it is a predictable behavior or an unpredictable behavior; and

multicasting the predictable or unpredictable information to other users also participating in the online communication session.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein multicasting the predictable or unpredictable information comprises multicasting the specific user'"'"'s identifier to the other users.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 9, dynamically adjusting the cache memory space allocated for each user participating in the online communication session.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 9, further comprising downloading a gaming software for an online gaming session from the cache engine.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

launching a game server by a user;

inviting other users to the online gaming session; and

receiving user profiles from participating users in the cache engine.

19. A computer-readable medium storing a method comprising:

determining in a cache memory space a normal section memory size for storing predictable player behavior and an exception section memory size for storing unpredictable player behavior for each player participating in an online gaming session;

dynamically allocating the cache memory space for each of a plurality of players;

synchronizing the online gaming session display for all the players by sending information regarding whether a specific player'"'"'s behavior is predictable or unpredictable, multicasting this information, and retrieving appropriate locally cached player behavior in response to the multicasted information.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein synchronizing the online gaming session comprises:

receiving the information that the specific player'"'"'s behavior is predictable;

retrieving the specific player'"'"'s predictable behavior from the normal section of the cache memory; and

updating the online communication session by updating a current state of the specific player by the retrieved predictable behavior.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein synchronizing the online gaming session comprises:

receiving the information that the specific player'"'"'s behavior is unpredictable;

retrieving the specific player'"'"'s unpredictable behavior from the exceptions section of the cache memory; and

updating the online communication session by updating a current state of the specific player by the retrieved unpredictable behavior.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 19, further comprising determining each player'"'"'s predictable and unpredictable behavior based on monitored past player behavior.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 19, further comprising determining each player'"'"'s predictable and unpredictable behavior based on the player'"'"'s profile information.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 19, further comprising:

monitoring at least one player'"'"'s behavior during the online communication session;

determining whether it is a predictable behavior or an unpredictable behavior; and

multicasting the predictable or unpredictable information to other players also participating in the online communication session.

25. The method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein multicasting the predictable or unpredictable information comprises multicasting the specific player'"'"'s identifier to the other players.

26. The method, as set forth in claim 19, dynamically adjusting the cache memory space allocated for each player participating in the online communication session.

27. The method, as set forth in claim 19, further comprising downloading a gaming software for an online gaming session from the cache engine.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 27, further comprising:

launching a game server by a player;

inviting other players to the online gaming session; and

receiving user profiles from participating players in the cache engine.