Distributed processing system and method

• US 8,167,722 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beverly, Harlan Titus
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/429,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines

Abstract

A solution for managing communicative interactions between network elements is described herein. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include a processor module that monitors communications between a program resident on a user machine and a server program resident on a computing device remote from the user. The processor module may be utilized to effectively reduce the number of communications actually transmitted between the client program and the server program. For example, the processor module may intercept certain client initiated communications intended for the server program, process those communications without server program involvement, and respond to the client program.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a housing component at least partially defining an enclosure;

a first processor located within the enclosure, the first processor operable to execute at least a portion of a locally stored game client and to communicate with a remote game server to execute an online game; and

a gaming processor module, the gaming processor module responsive to the first processor and operable to;

monitor a first communication between the game client and the remote game server;

determine if the first communication can be processed by the gaming processor module;

in response to determining the gaming processor module can process the first communication, intercept the first communication, process the first communication at the gaming processor module and provide a response to the first communication; and

in response to determining the gaming processor module cannot process the first communication, provide the first communication to one of the locally stored game client and the remote game server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming processor module is located within the enclosure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming processor module is further operable to provide a game update message to the remote game server for a processed request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming processor module comprises a second processor and a second memory, the second memory accessible to the second processor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second processor comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second processor comprises a microprocessor.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the second memory is not accessible to the first processor.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the gaming processor module further comprises firmware.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the firmware includes a digital signature.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the firmware is encrypted.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication comprises a game interaction request from the first processor to the remote game server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication comprises a game interaction request from the remote game server to the first processor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming processor module emulates one or more functions of the remote game server.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming processor module emulates one or more functions of the locally stored game client.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the gaming processor module executes one or more software programs to emulate the one or more functions of the remote game server, and further wherein the one or more software programs are encrypted.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the gaming processor module executes one or more software programs to emulate the one or more functions of the remote game server, and further wherein the one or more software programs include a digital signature.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gaming processor module executes the one or more software programs in response to authentication of the digital signature.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein a network card comprises the gaming processor module.

19. A distributed processor module, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a communication from a client;

a second interface configured to receive a different communication from a server;

a module processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the first and second interfaces and operable to;

monitor communications between the client and the server, the communications including a first communication;

determine if the first communication can be processed by the module processor;

in response to determining the module processor can process the first communication, intercept the first communication, process the first communication at the module processor and provide a response to the first communication; and

in response to determining the module processor cannot process the first communication, provide the first communication to one of the client and the server; and

a first memory to store executable instructions for emulating one or more functions of the server.

20. The distributed processor module of claim 19, wherein a network card comprises the first and second interfaces, the module processor, and the first memory.

21. The distributed processor module of claim 19, wherein the module processor and the first memory are protected from tampering.

22. The distributed processor module of claim 21, wherein the processor is disposed at a ball grid array (BGA) package.

23. The distributed processor module of claim 19, further comprising a second memory to store firmware, the firmware including a digital signature.

24. The distributed processor module of claim 19, further comprising a second memory to store encrypted firmware.

25. The distributed processor module of claim 19, wherein each of the first and the second interfaces comprise an Ethernet-compliant interconnect.

26. The distributed processor module of claim 19, further comprising a cache operable to maintain information received via the second interface.

27. The distributed processor module of claim 19, further comprising a dongle housing component at least partially defining an internal space in which the module processor and the first memory are located.

28. The distributed processor module of claim 19, further comprising an emulator operable to emulate the server or the client, the emulator further operable to initiate a sending of a trusted message to the server, wherein the trusted message is recognizable as coming from the emulator.

29. A method, comprising:

monitoring at a gaming processor module communications between a client game program and a server game program, the client game program executed at a client computer and the server game program executed at a server computer;

intercepting a communication between the client game program and the server game program;

determining if the communication can be processed by the gaming processor module;

in response to determining the gaming processor module can process the communication, processing the communication at the gaming processor module and providing a response to the communication; and

in response to determining the gaming processor module cannot process the communication, providing the communication to one of the client game program and the server game program.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing game update information based on a game event request to the server game program.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing a response to the client game program, wherein the response emulates an expected response from the server game program.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

anticipating a related game event request;

requesting from the server computer a response to the related game request; and

providing the response to the client game program.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein each of the steps is performed by a distributed processing dongle connected to the client computer.