Communicating messages over transient connections in a peer-to-peer network
First Claim
1. A method of transferring data on a network, comprising:
- establishing a session for data transfer, wherein the session includes plural participants;
broadcasting a message from a participant involved in the session, wherein the message includes at least;
a broadcasting participant identifier, a message identifier, session information, and a message payload;
determining whether a user that receives the broadcasted message is a participant in the session; and
when the user is a participant in the session, processing the message for the user.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods useful in communicating messages over a peer-to-peer network, optionally over transient connections to participants in a collaborative session (e.g., an “electronic whiteboard” session), are described. Examples of such systems and methods may include establishing a session for data transfer that enables participants to easily enter and leave the session without losing data or losing connections between the participants, even when participants leave the session or lose connection to the session, for example, because of the transient nature of their connection (e.g., wireless connections). These example systems and methods allow participants in a session to easily gain access to and catch up with the data previously transmitted in an ongoing session. Various disclosed data structures also are useful in various systems and methods for communicating messages. Such data structures may be used for transmitting message data to participants in a session. Other useful data structures may include data for transmitting a user'"'"'s identification data throughout a network, optionally when the user is involved in a data transfer session including plural participants. By transmitting the message data and user identification data, other users on the network can easily determine whether they are to be involved in an ongoing session and can easily join the session. By using systems and methods like those described above, peer-to-peer collaborative communications may be conducted without the need for all session participants to connect to a common server.
116 Citations
73 Claims
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1. A method of transferring data on a network, comprising:
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establishing a session for data transfer, wherein the session includes plural participants;
broadcasting a message from a participant involved in the session, wherein the message includes at least;
a broadcasting participant identifier, a message identifier, session information, and a message payload;
determining whether a user that receives the broadcasted message is a participant in the session; and
when the user is a participant in the session, processing the message for the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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accessing a network on which a session is taking place, wherein the network is accessed by a user not active in the session, and wherein the session includes plural participants capable of transmitting and receiving messages containing message data;
determining whether to add the user as a participant in the session; and
when the user is added to the session as a participant, transmitting all messages previously transmitted during the session to the user. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of communicating messages between plural participants in a session, comprising:
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connecting at least a first participant workstation and a second participant workstation in a peer-to-peer manner, wherein each participant workstation is capable of broadcasting message data to other participant workstations in the session in a peer-to-peer manner and receiving broadcast message data from other participant workstations in the session in a peer-to-peer manner;
broadcasting a first message by the first participant workstation;
receiving the first message by at least the second participant workstation; and
broadcasting the first message from the second participant workstation to at least one other participant workstation in the session that did not receive the first message when broadcast from the first participant workstation. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for processing data received over a network, wherein a session involving data transfer between plural participants is taking place on the network, wherein the system comprises:
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a receiver adapted to receive a broadcast message from a participant involved in the session, wherein the message includes at least;
a broadcasting participant identifier, a message identifier, session information, and a message payload;
a processor programmed and adapted to determine whether a user receiving the message is a participant in the session, and when the user is a participant in the session, processing the message. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A workstation comprising:
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a connection system adapted to access a network on which a session is taking place, wherein the session includes plural participants capable of transmitting and receiving message data;
a processor programmed and adapted to determine whether a user of the workstation is a participant in the session; and
a message receiving system adapted to receive message data transmitted during the session when the user is determined to be a participant in the session. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A system for communicating messages between plural participants in a session, comprising:
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a plurality of participant workstations connected in a peer-to-peer network, wherein at least some of the participant workstations are capable of broadcasting message data to other participant workstations in the session over the network and receiving broadcast message data from other participant workstations in the session over the network, wherein one of the participant workstations can freely exit the session, and the message data broadcast by the exiting participant workstation before exiting from the session can be obtained by other participant workstations, if necessary, from a remaining participant workstation that had previously received the message data broadcast by the exiting participant workstation. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for transmitting message data to participants in a session, wherein the data structure includes:
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a first data field containing data representing a message ID;
a second data field containing data representing session information; and
a third data field containing data representing a message payload. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for transmitting a user'"'"'s identification data to a network when the user is involved in a data transfer session that includes plural participants, wherein the data structure includes:
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a first data field containing data representing the user'"'"'s identity;
a second data field containing data representing identification information relating to the data transfer session; and
a third data field containing data representing the user'"'"'s history in the session. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification