Method and system for providing communications services

Abstract

A method for providing interactive communications services to a plurality of users using a corresponding plurality of communications devices via a wireless network which may degrade performance of the communications services including initiating the communications services. State information is requested from at least two of the communications devices indicative of whether the wireless network is degrading the initiated communications services after a predetermined temporal period. Data indicative of the requested state information is received and tested for differences. Smoothing the communications services occurs using at least one of the communications devices if differences detected exceed a given threshold.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing interactive communications services to a plurality of users using a corresponding plurality of communications devices via a wireless network that may degrade performance of said communications services, said method comprising: 
 requesting state information from at least two of said communications devices indicative of degradation of said initiated communications services after a predetermined temporal period;    receiving data indicative of said requested state information and detecting differences between said at least two communications devices using said requested state information; and,    alleviating a perception of said degradation by smoothing said communications services using at least one of said communications devices if differences detected exceed a given threshold.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising logging at least one of said users on to said wireless communications network.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving requests for said communications services.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising identifying at least one of said plurality of users logged on.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising identifying a skill level associated with said communications services of at least one of said identified users.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising communicating said identified skill level to at least one other of said users logged on.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising retrieving data associated with said identified at least one other logged on user.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising retrieving data associated with said communications services.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said smoothing comprises adjusting a state of at least one of said communications devices.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising querying at least one of said communications devices to determine at least one capability.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining locations respectively associated with said at least two of said communications devices.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said determining locations comprises receiving data indicative of said locations from said at least two communications devices.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising establishing a peer-to-peer communications session associated with said communications services between said at least two communications devices if said locations associated with said at least two communications devices are within a given threshold.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising terminating said peer-to-peer communications session and uploading data indicative of said interactive communications services via said wireless communications network.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of at least one capability.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one capability comprises a processing capability.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one capability comprises a display capability.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining at least one capability common to said queried communications devices and using said common capability for said communications services.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of respective signal strengths.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said requesting state information comprises querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of at least one latency associated with said wireless communications network, respectively.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said smoothing comprises adjusting a state of at least one of said at least two communications devices to substantially match that of at least one other of said at least two communications devices.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said adjusting comprises snapping.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating said communications services.