A Generic Late-Joint Serivice for Distributed Interactive Media

摘要

In this paper we present a generic late-joint service for distributed interactive media, i.e., networked media which involve user inter-actions. Examples for distributed interactive media are shared whiteboards, networked computer games and istribted virtual enivornemtns. The generic later-joint service allows a lateromer to joint an ongoning session. This requires that the shared state of the medium is transmitted from the old participants of the session to the latercomer in an efficent and scalable way. In ordr to be generic and useful for a broad tange of distributed interactive generic and useful for a broad range of distribted interactive media, we have implemented the late-join service based on the Real Time Application Level Protocol for Distributed Interactive Media (RTP/I). All paplications whic employ this protocol can also use be adapted to the specific needs of a given applicationby specifying policies for the late-join process. Applications whic hdo use a different application level protocol than RTP/I may still use the concepts presented in this work. However, they will not be able to profit frm our RTP/I based implementation.