Processing Requests

Abstract

Requests are processed at a computer server by receiving a request for service from a user terminal, the request including distress information representing a degree of failure to process at least one prior similar request from the user terminal for the service. The distress information is received from the request and the request is processed in accordance with the distress information. A user terminal provides distress information in a request, based on responses received from the server.

1 . A server comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memories comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising:
 receiving, over a network, a request identifying a user terminal, the request including distress information representing a failure to process at least one other request from the user terminal, the request and the at least one other request each requesting a same service from the server; 
 the distress information causing the request to be processed in accordance with the distress information; and 
 responsive to processing the request in accordance with the distress information, communicating a response to the request to the user terminal over the network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the request further comprises prioritizing the request ahead of one or more other requests based on the distress information. 
     
     
         3 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the request further comprises processing the request using an algorithm that is computationally cheaper than the algorithm used to process the at least one other request. 
     
     
         4 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the request further comprises processing the request based on a distress gradient of the distress information. 
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the distress information indicates a number of prior failed requests for the same service transmitted from the user terminal. 
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the distress information comprises a time since the at least one other request for the same service was transmitted from the user terminal 
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise selecting one of a set of functions for handling the request based on the distress information in the request. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method implemented at one or more servers, the method comprising:
 receiving, over a network, a request identifying a user terminal, the request including distress information representing a failure to process at least one other request from the user terminal, the request and the at least one other request each requesting a same service from the server;   the distress information causing the request to be processed in accordance with the distress information; and   responsive to processing the request in accordance with the distress information, communicating a response to the request to the user terminal over the network.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the processing the request further comprises prioritizing the request ahead of one or more other requests based on the distress information. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the processing the request further comprises processing the request using an algorithm that is computationally cheaper than the algorithm used to process the at least one other request. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the processing the request further comprises processing the request based on a distress gradient of the distress information. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the distress information indicates a number of prior failed requests for the same service transmitted from the user terminal. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the distress information comprises a time since the at least one other request for the same service was transmitted from the user terminal 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising selecting one of a set of functions for handling the request based on the distress information in the request. 
     
     
         15 . A method implemented by a client device, the method comprising:
 communicating, over a network, a first request to a server for a service;   monitoring whether a response to the first request is received at the client device within a predetermined period of time;   if the response has not been received within the predetermined period of time, generating distress information representing a failure to process the first request;   inserting the distress information with a second request for the same service; and   communicating, over the network, the second request for the same service and the distress information, the distress information configured to be read by the server to cause the server to process the second request in accordance with the distress information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the distress information comprises a number of failed requests for the service communicated from the client device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the distress information comprises a time since the first request for the service was communicated from the client device to the server. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the distress information comprises a distress gradient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to process the second request in accordance with the distress information by processing the second request using an algorithm that is computationally cheaper than the algorithm used to process the first request. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to process the second request in accordance with the distress information by prioritizing the request ahead of one or more other requests based on the distress information.