Patent ID: 6415317
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: A63F,H04L

Abstract:
A computer system used for transmission of information between multiple users interacting on a distributed computer network comprising at least one server computer connected to a plurality of client computers, said clients and servers computers providing related models of a state of virtual environment in which users interact utilizing said models to compensate for any inherent latency in transmissions, said latency being compensated by each client providing a predictive model of said virtual environment which is updated to reflect the effects of the commands issued by a user of said client before said client is provided access by said server to commands issued by any other user, one of said servers providing a master model reflective of the true state of the virtual environment which is updated to reflect the effects of the commands issued by said clients, and wherein the client and server each provide synchronous models which remain consistent with each other to provide a best nonpredictive information available to the client so that said server identifies errors within the synchronous model and transmits corrections to said errors to the client, such that the server and client may apply said corrections to said synchronous models and said predictive model to resolve any inconsistencies that may exist between said predictive model and said master model, said models being maintained by execution of a method that compensates for latency comprising:a. said server performing a comparison of the contents of said master model to a client synchronized model and generating a list of corrections if said synchronized model does not match said master model in some relevant aspect; b. said server transmitting said corrections to said client to allow application of said corrections to said synchronized model at said server and said client; c. said client sending a user command to said server to be applied to said master model and said synchronized model by said server; d. said client applying said sent user command to said predictive model and adding said sent command to a list of not-yet-acknowledged commands; e. said server receiving and applying said sent user command to said master model and said synchronized model and sending a positive acknowledgement thereof to said client to enable application of said acknowledged command to said synchronized model at said client; f. said client receiving said positive acknowledgement and applying said acknowledged command to said synchronous model and removing said acknowledged command from the not-yet-acknowledged list; g. said client receiving and applying said correction to said synchronized model to recompute said predictive model by copying the contents of said synchronized model to said predictive model; h. said client re-applying all remaining commands in said not-yet-acknowledged list to said predictive model.