Peer-to-peer service designer

• US 20040205168A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qnext Corp.
• Original Assignee: Oren Asher
• Inventors: Asher, Oren
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A peer-to-peer communication system, including a service manager for managing peer-to-peer services, a zone manager for managing zones, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor, and a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a service manager for managing peer-to-peer services;

a zone manager for managing zones, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor; and

a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users.

2. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer services include a group chat service.

3. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer services include a file exchange service.

4. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer services include a photo sharing service.

5. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer services include a video conference service.

6. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer services include a private e-mail service.

7. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a zone builder for defining a zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor; and

a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users.

8. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a user manager for managing users and groups of users, and for identifying users who are currently on-line;

a zone manager for managing zones belonging to users, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

a zone navigator for identifying a zone belonging to a user who is on-line; and

a service activator for activating the at least one peer-to-peer service included within the identified zone, and for displaying the at least one peer-to-peer service according to the window layout therefor.

9. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a user manager for managing users and groups of users, and for identifying users who are currently on-line;

a zone manager for managing zones belonging to users, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users; and

a zone navigator for identifying zones accessible to a given user, and belonging to users who are currently on-line.

10. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a user manager for managing users and groups of users, and for identifying users who are currently on-line;

a zone manager for managing zones belonging to users, each zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

a privacy manager for restricting access to a zone, to a select group of users; and

a zone navigator for identifying zones accessible to a given user, and belonging to users who are currently on-line.

11. A peer-to-peer communication system, comprising:

a service manager for managing peer-to-peer services;

a zone builder for defining a zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor; and

a zone activator for activating the at least one peer-to-peer service within a zone, and for displaying the at least one peer-to-peer service according to the window layout therefor.

12. A method for peer-to-peer communication, comprising:

identifying a user who is currently on-line;

identifying a zone belonging to the user who is currently on-line, the zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

activating the at least one peer-to-peer service within the identified zone; and

displaying the at least one peer-to-peer service according to the window layout therefor.

13. A method for peer-to-peer communication, comprising:

selecting at least one peer-to-peer service;

generating a zone including the selected at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

activating the at least one peer-to-peer service within the identified zone; and

displaying the at least one peer-to-peer service according to the window layout therefor.

14. A method for peer-to-peer communication, comprising:

selecting at least one peer-to-peer service;

generating a zone including the selected at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor;

selecting at least one user; and

restricting access to the generated zone, to the at least one user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one peer-to-peer service includes a group chat service.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one peer-to-peer service includes a file exchange service.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one peer-to-peer service includes a photo sharing service.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one peer-to-peer service includes a video conference service.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one peer-to-peer service includes a private e-mail service.

20. A method for peer-to-peer communication, comprising:

managing a plurality of users;

associating to each individual user, a group of users from among the plurality of users, designated as friends of the individual user;

further associating to each individual user, at least one zone belonging to the individual user, each such zone including at least one peer-to-peer service and a window display layout therefor; and

associating to each zone belonging to each individual user, a group of users from among the friends of the individual user, entitled to access the zone.