Patent ID: 7610376

Claim:
A method in a computer for providing information about a current state that is modeled with multiple attributes, the method comprising: receiving from a first source a first value for a first attribute for the state attributes of the modeled current state; receiving from a second source, different from the first source, a second value for the first attribute of the state attributes of the modeled current state, the second value being different from the first value; determining that first and second values exist for the first attribute; in response to the determining, mediating the first and second values supplied from the first and second source based on the first and second values to derive a mediated value for the first attribute; after mediating the mediated value for the first attribute, supplying to the client the mediated value for the first attribute; after the supplying of the mediated value, receiving from the first source an indication of an inability to supply values for the first attribute; and after receiving the indication from the first source, supplying to the client a third value for the first attribute received from the second source.