Patent · US Expired

Latency server and matchmaker

US6038599A · kind A · utility

128Cited by
41References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 1997
Grant dateMar 14, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L67/10015
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus to efficiently and effectively ensure that the quality of the data communications links are adequate for digital electronic game playing is provided. A number of servers are connected to the Internet. The servers periodically perform communications link quality measurements among themselves. At least one of the servers is designated as a matchmaker. When a game is requested by clients, the matchmaker acts as a game coordinator and compiles the results of the measurements. Based on the compilation and other information from its database, the matchmaker selects a few servers as candidate servers. These candidates perform data communications link quality measurements with the requesting clients. Based on these measurements, the matchmaker selects a server as the server for the requested game.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.