Virtual private network software system
First Claim
1. A computer network communication system comprising:
- a client computer system;
a first computer network; and
a server computer system comprising;
a storage device, with VPN software being stored on the storage device, and VPN server software for communicating the VPN software to the client computer system over the first network, with the VPN software being executable by the client computer system;
wherein the VPN software comprises machine readable instructions and data for;
restructuring first-network-unready machine readable data at the client computer system into corresponding first-network-ready machine readable data, and sending the first-network-ready data from the client computer system to a destination computer system over the first computer network.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual private network service provider, wherein virtual private network (“VPN”) software for setting up a virtual private network connection is delivered from a server computer to one or more client computers over a computer network, such as the Internet. Once the VPN software is delivered to the client computers, it can be executed so that data communications are made as virtual private network communications under control of the VPN software. Because the VPN software is stored and maintained on a server computer, and preferably delivered to the various client computers on an as-needed basis, the distribution, integrity and updating of the VPN software is improved because the “master” version of the VPN software can be controlled and revised by merely accessing the server computer system, rather than by attempting to control and revise numerous copies of the VPN software resident on various, scattered client computers.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A computer network communication system comprising:
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a client computer system;
a first computer network; and
a server computer system comprising;
a storage device, with VPN software being stored on the storage device, and VPN server software for communicating the VPN software to the client computer system over the first network, with the VPN software being executable by the client computer system;
wherein the VPN software comprises machine readable instructions and data for;
restructuring first-network-unready machine readable data at the client computer system into corresponding first-network-ready machine readable data, and sending the first-network-ready data from the client computer system to a destination computer system over the first computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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14. A computer network communication system comprising:
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a client computer system;
a first computer network; and
a server computer system comprising;
a storage device, VPN software stored on the storage device, and VPN server software for communicating the VPN software to a client computer system over the first network, with the VPN software being executable by the client computer system;
wherein the VPN software comprises machine readable instructions and data for causing the client computer to set up an unsolicited-input connection with the first network such that the client computer will receive first-network-ready machine readable data from the first network over the unsolicited-input connection, regardless of whether the first-network ready data has been requested by the client computer system.
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22. A computer network communication system comprising:
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a private computer network;
a proxy client computer;
a source computer in data communicative connection with the proxy client computer over the private computer network, with the source computer being structured to send a first data communication over the private computer network, with the first data communication including destination data indicative of the intended destination of the first data communication, and with the destination being a location that is not present on the private network;
a public computer network;
a server computer system in data communicative connection with the proxy client computer over the public computer network, with the server computer system comprising;
a storage device, proxy software stored on the storage device, and proxy server software for communicating the proxy software to the proxy client computer system over the public network;
wherein the proxy software is executable by the proxy client computer system, the proxy software comprises machine readable instructions and data for proxying the first data communication to allow the first data communication to be sent from the source computer to the proxy client computer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 50)
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24. A method of communicating machine readable data over a computer network comprising the steps of:
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storing and maintaining VPN software on a VPN server computer system, with the server computer system being in data communication with a public computer network;
downloading a copy of the VPN software from the VPN server computer system to a first client computer system over the public computer network;
downloading a copy of the VPN software from the VPN server computer system to a second client computer system over the public computer network;
restructuring, at the first client computer system under the control of the downloaded VPN software, a first data communication of machine readable data structured according to a first protocol into a corresponding second data communication of machine readable data structured according to a second protocol, with the first protocol being unsuitable for communication over the public network, and with the second protocol being suitable for communication over the public computer network;
sending the second data communication from the first client computer system to the second client computer system over the computer network;
restructuring, at the second client computer system under the control of the downloaded VPN software, the second data communication into a corresponding third data communication of machine readable data structured according to a third protocol, with the third protocol being unsuitable for communication over the public network.
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34. A method of making network communications comprising the following steps:
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providing network communication software at a first computer;
downloading the communication software from the first computer to a second computer, which is remote from the first computer, over a computer network; and
executing the communication software at the second computer to make a network data communication.
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45. A computer network communication system comprising:
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a client computer system;
a first computer network; and
a server computer system comprising;
a storage device, with communication software being stored on the storage device, and communication server software for communicating the communication software to the client computer system over the first network, with the communication software being executable by the client computer system;
wherein the communication software comprises machine readable instructions and data for;
restructuring first-network-unready machine readable data at the client computer system into corresponding first-network-ready machine readable data, sending the first-network-ready data from the client computer system to a destination computer system over the first computer network, and downloading a copy of the communication software from the server computer system to the client computer system, wherein the downloading is first type automatic.
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47. A computer network communication system comprising:
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a client computer system;
a first computer network; and
a server computer system comprising;
a storage device, with communication software being stored on the storage device, and communication server software for communicating the communication software to the client computer system over the first network, with the communication software being executable by the client computer system;
wherein the communication software comprises machine readable instructions and data for;
restructuring first-network-unready machine readable data at the client computer system into corresponding first-network-ready machine readable data, sending the first-network-ready data from the client computer system to a destination computer system over the first computer network, and downloading a copy of the communication software from the server computer system to the client computer system, wherein the downloading is third type automatic.
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Specification