Patent ID: 7831666
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: A63F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of managing participants in an online session, comprising: participating in an online session including a plurality of participants communicatively linked to one another via a gaming network, wherein each of the participants includes a computing device; detecting that a first participant responsible for certain managerial functionality associated with the online session has disconnected from the online session, wherein detecting that the first participant has disconnected from the online session occurs when an update message periodically broadcast by the first participant is not received within a predetermined amount of time; broadcasting a notification to the remaining participants from the plurality of participants in the online session that the first participant has disconnected from the online session, wherein the notification is broadcast following detection of the first participant having disconnected from the online session; and accepting a new participant to the online session to replace the disconnected first participant.