Online waiting room system, method & computer program product

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method and computer program product which may include providing an online waiting room and gatekeeper for controlling access to users in a plurality of tiered classification standby lines, seeking access to an online event.

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         21 . An online access method comprising:
 providing by a processor an online waiting room for an online event;   placing users in at least one of a plurality of standby lines, wherein each of the plurality of standby lines is associated with a corresponding user classification tier of access to the online event wherein the user classification tier of access comprises at least one of a standard access (SA), a premier access (PA), and a guaranteed access (GA);   controlling the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for a content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for:
 guaranteed access reserved network resources; 
 an error buffer; and 
 any remaining bandwidth capacity of the content distribution network. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the user classification tier of access further comprises at least one of a reputation based access and a status based access. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising controlling the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for premier access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising controlling the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for standard access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising controlling the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for reputation based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising controlling the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for status based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising adjusting the bandwidth settings such that there is no waiting room and all users are sent through to the online event. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising adjusting the bandwidth settings such that all guaranteed access (GA) users have access to the online event. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising adjusting the bandwidth settings to control how quickly premier access (PA) users move through a standby line as compared with standard access (SA) users. 
     
     
         30 . A system comprising:
 an online waiting room server adapted to communicate with a network for communication with a plurality of user devices, the server adapted to:   manage a plurality standby lines of users in an online waiting room, wherein each of the plurality of standby lines is associated with a corresponding user classification tier of access to the online event in which the user classification tier of access comprises at least one of a standard access (SA), a premier access (PA), and a guaranteed access (GA);   control access by the users to an online event; and   control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for a content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for:
 guaranteed access reserved network resources; 
 an error buffer; and 
 any remaining bandwidth capacity of the content distribution network. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the user classification tier of access further comprises at least one of a reputation based access and a status based access. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for premier access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for standard access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for reputation based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for status based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event such that there is no waiting room and all users are sent through to the online event. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event such that all guaranteed access (GA) users have access to the online event. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , the server further adapted to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event to control how quickly premier access (PA) users move through a standby line as compared with standard access (SA) users. 
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to:
 provide by a processor an online waiting room for an online event;   place users in at least one of a plurality of standby lines, wherein each of the plurality of standby lines is associated with a corresponding user classification tier of access to the online event wherein the user classification tier of access comprises at least one of a standard access (SA), a premier access (PA), and a guaranteed access (GA);   control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for a content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for guaranteed access reserved network resources, an error buffer, and any remaining bandwidth capacity of the content distribution network.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein the user classification tier of access further comprises at least one of a reputation based access and a status based access. 
     
     
         41 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for premier access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         42 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for standard access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         43 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for reputation based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         44 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to control the behavior of the online waiting room by adjusting the bandwidth settings for the content distribution network allocated to the online event including the bandwidth settings for status based access reserved network resources. 
     
     
         45 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to adjust the bandwidth settings such that there is no waiting room and all users are sent through to the online event. 
     
     
         46 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to adjust the bandwidth settings such that all guaranteed access (GA) users have access to the online event. 
     
     
         47 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 40  embodying logic which when executed causes a computer to adjust the bandwidth settings to control how quickly premier access (PA) users move through a standby line as compared with standard access (SA) users.