Dual mode peer-to-peer link establishment for instant message video

• US 20030221009A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Standridge, Aaron, Feldis, John J. III
• Application Number:
  US10/153,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221009A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An automatic, seamless connection for transmitting video regardless of the firewall configurations. In particular, the invention marries the peer-to-peer connection with a reflector, web page configuration. The producer of a video sends its IP address to a recipient. (1) The recipient then attempts to establish a peer-to-peer connection using the producer IP address. If this is unsuccessful, the recipient passes its IP address to a designated web server, which the producer will contact after it notices that the recipient has not established a connection. The producer retrieves the recipient IP address from the designated web server and (2) attempts to establish a peer-to-peer connection using the recipient IP address. If this is unsuccessful, (3) a reflector arrangement is used by the producer sending video to a reflector server. The recipient, upon noticing that the producer has not be able to establish a peer-to-peer connection, also accesses the reflector server with the IP address previously provided by the producer in the original transmission.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a peer-to-peer connection between two computers using an instant messenger transmission, comprising:

sending a producer IP address from a producer of video to a remote recipient via an instant message;

making, at said recipient, an attempt to establish a peer-to-peer connection with said producer using said producer IP address;

if said attempt is unsuccessful, transmitting a recipient IP address of said recipient to a designated web server;

said producer contacting said designated web server to obtain said recipient IP address if a peer-to-peer connection is not established by said recipient within a predetermined time after the producer IP address is send to said recipient;

said producer attempting to establish a peer-to-peer connection with said recipient using said recipient IP address;

said producer sending video to a reflector server for viewing by said recipient if the attempt to establish a peer-to-peer connection using said recipient IP address is unsuccessful; and

said recipient contacting said reflector using an address sent by said producer to contact said reflector if said producer does not establish a peer-to-peer link.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a URL of said designated web server to said recipient along with said producer IP address in said instant message;

activating a browser at said recipient upon the clicking on said URL and transmitting said producer IP address to said designated web server;

transmitting a web page from said designated web server to said recipient, said web page including said producer IP address and a script for performing steps to establish a connection with said producer using said producer IP address;

establishing a connection with said producer using said producer IP address;

displaying video from said producer in a window of said web page at said recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said producer IP address includes an NAT address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said producer IP address includes a port.

3. The method of claim wherein said script includes a video viewer for viewing said video from said producer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said video viewer comprises an ATL viewer and a JPEG viewer.

7. A method for establishing a peer-to-peer connection between two computers using an instant messenger transmission, comprising:

sending a URL of a designated web server to a recipient along with a producer IP address in said instant message;

activating a browser at said recipient upon the clicking on said URL and transmitting said producer IP address to said designated web server;

transmitting a web page from said designated web server to said recipient, said web page including said producer IP address and a script for performing steps to establish a connection with said producer using said producer IP address;

establishing a connection with said producer using said producer IP address; and

displaying video from said producer in a window of said web page at said recipient.