Apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling remote interactive systems

(54) APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR

MONITORING AND CONTROLLING
REMOTE INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS

(75) Inventors: Timothy L. Jones, Austin, TX (US);

Jeffrey D. Travis, Austin, TX (US)

(73) Assignee: Nacimiento Software Corporation,

Austin, TX (US)

( * ) Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions ol 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).

Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/282,232

(22) Filed: Mar. 31, 1999

(51) Int. CI. ( 061 15/38

(52) U.S. CI 709/236; 709/231

(58) Field of Search 434/276; 463/1;

709/203, 205, 227, 230, 238, 236, 231

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,964,660 A * 10/1999 James et al 463/1

6,085,224 A * 7/2000 Wagner 709/203

6,112,246 A * 8/2000 Horbal et al 709/230

6,115,744 A * 9/2000 Robins et al 709/227

6,240,462 Bl * 5/2001 Agraharam et al 709/238

6,261,103 Bl * 7/2001 Stephens et al 434/276

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

"LabVIEW for Everyone: Graphical Programming Made Even Easier" K. Wells et al, Prentice Hall, 1997.*

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Christine Oda
Assistant Examiner—-Walter Benson

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—J. Nevin Shaffer, Jr.; Shaler & Culbertson, LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling remote interactive systems includes a client, a client computer, and a client server for a computer network. A bidirectional data stream ol information about a remote interactive instrument/game is provided on the server. A communication socket, creating a connection-oriented communication path between the client computer and the server is provided for enabling transler ol the bidirectional data stream between the client computer and the server. A detachable header is provided on the server which describes and identifies the data stream, separate and apart from the bidirectional data stream, and provides access to the bidirectional data stream by the client.

20 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets