Patent ID: 6310889
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of servicing data access requests for a user accessing a network via a communications client connected to any one of two or more network regions,comprising the steps of:(i) determining at a network region a type of communications client and transferring a connection for the communications client to a bridge at said network region which is appropriate for said determined type of client;(ii) verifying the identity of said user;(iii) determining any predefined preferences of said user and services which said identified user is able to access by accessing a user profile stored for said user by said network:(iv) allowing said user to access any of said determined services, said network region converting data streams to and from said client between a format appropriate to said determined type of client and a format employed by said determined service; and(v) monitoring said connection to determine changes to the type of communications client and, upon detection of a change in the type of the communications client, re-performing steps (iii) and (iv).