Object-oriented method for matching clients together with servers according to attributes included in join request

Abstract

A network match making system and method is used to match users of a multi-user networked application. Each user is associated with a client computer connected to the network. Clients are selected based on attributes of their users, the clients, servers, and/or communication links. The network match maker works with three different forms of network applications: peer-to-peer, multiple clients to a single server, and multiple clients to multiple servers. In one late server binding method, a set of computer objects is created. The set of computer objects has a plurality of client instances of client computer programs together with a server instance of a server computer program selected from a set of server instances. A match maker receives from a first client instance a first request to be joined into the set of computer objects. The first request has first client attributes associated with the first client instance. The match maker selects a first server subset of the set of server instances in response to the first request based on the first client attributes and creates the set of computer objects consisting of the first client instance. The match maker augments the set of computer objects with a second client instance of a client computer program. In particular, the match maker receives from the second client instance a second request to be joined into the set of computer objects. The second request has second client attributes associated with the second client instance. The match maker removes a second server subset from the first server subset in response to the second request based on the second client attributes and adds the second client instance to the set of computer objects. Finally, a member of the second server subset is added to the set of computer objects based on attributes associated with each member of the set of computer objects.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.