Storage of content data in a peer-to-peer network

• US 20060085385A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Foster, Richard, Delacour, Isabel, Gugenheim, Paul Maurice Otto
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• 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

Abstract

In a peer-to-peer network of peers 10 which are interconnected for sharing content data, the peers 10 store content files of content data in a file structure comprising a plurality of content folders 21, 22, 23, each content folder 21, 22, 23 containing any number of content files 24 of related content data, and a description file 26 containing both unique identification information and descriptive information in XML format describing the content file or files 24 stored in the same content folder 21. Requesting peers 10 transmit search query messages which specify search criteria for passage through the network. Peers 10 receiving a search query message compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files in each of their plurality of content folders 21, 22, 23, and in the event of there being a matching content folder transmit a hit message including the identification information to identify the matching content folder for passage back through the network to the respective requesting peer 10.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer network of peers which are interconnected so as to allow sharing of content data, wherein

respective peers in the network are arranged to store content files of content data in a file structure comprising a plurality of content folders, each content folder containing

any number of content files of related content data, and

a description file containing descriptive information describing the content file or files stored in the same content folder.

2. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 1, wherein

the peers are arranged to pass through the network messages which originate from respective requesting peers;

said respective requesting peers are arranged to transmit a search query message which specifies search criteria for passage through the network; and

said respective peers storing content files are arranged, after receipt of a search query message which specifies search criteria, to compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files in each of said plurality of content folders; and

in the event of there being a matching content folder to transmit a hit message identifying the matching content folder for passage back through the network to the respective requesting peer.

3. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 2, wherein each description file further contains identification information and the hit message identifies the matching content folder by including the identification information of the description file which contains the descriptive information matching the search criteria.

4. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 1, wherein the identification information contained in each description file is unique within the peer-to-peer network.

5. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 1, wherein the content data includes image data and the descriptive information includes information specifying the nature of the image data.

6. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 1, wherein said file structure comprises said plurality of content folders arranged within in a common folder.

7. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 1, wherein said respective peers storing content files are arranged to store the content files in respective content folders by a process comprising:

accepting, in respect of a respective content folder, inputs from the user specifying the content file or files to be stored and inputs from the user of at least part of the descriptive information;

generating a description file including the descriptive information input by the user; and

storing the generated description file and the content file or files specified by the user in the respective content folder.

8. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 2, wherein the description file contains the descriptive information in XML format.

9. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 8, wherein the search criteria is in XML format and said respective peers storing content files are arranged to compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files by parsing the descriptive information with respect to the search criteria.

10. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 2, wherein said respective requesting peers are arranged, after receipt of a hit message, to connect directly to the respective peer which generated the hit message and download the content file or files in the matching content folder.

11. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 2, wherein

said respective requesting peers are arranged to transmit, after receipt of a hit message, a file list query message identifying the matching content folder for passage to the respective peer which generated the hit message;

and

said respective peers storing content files are arranged, after receipt of a file list query message, to transmit for passage back through the network to the requesting peer a file list response message which identifies the content file or files in the matching content folder.

12. A peer-to-peer network according to claim 11, wherein said respective requesting peers are arranged, after receipt of a file list response message, to accept inputs from a user specifying any content file or files specified in the file list response message and to connect directly to the respective peer which generated the hit message and download the files specified by the user.

13. A peer arranged to connect into a peer-to-peer network of peers which are interconnected so as to allow sharing of content data, wherein

the peer is arranged to store content files of content data in a file structure comprising a plurality of content folders, each content folder containing

any number of content files of related content data, and

a description file containing descriptive information describing the content file or files stored in the same content folder.

14. A peer according to claim 13, wherein

the peer is arranged to pass through the network messages which originate from respective requesting peers, said messages including a search query message which specifies search criteria;

the peer is arranged, after receipt of a said search query message which specifies search criteria, to compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files in each of said plurality of content folders, and in the event of there being a matching content folder to transmit a hit message identifying the matching content folder for passage back through the network to the respective requesting peer.

15. A peer according to claim 14, wherein each description file further contains identification information and the hit message identifies the matching content folder by including the identification information of the description file which contains the descriptive information matching the search criteria.

16. A peer according to claim 13, wherein the identification information contained in each description file is unique within the peer-to-peer network.

17. A peer according to claim 13, wherein content data includes image data and descriptive information includes information specifying the nature of the image data.

18. A peer according to claim 13, wherein said file structure comprises said plurality of content folders arranged within in a common folder.

19. A peer according to claim 13, wherein the peer is arranged to store the content files in respective content folders by a process comprising:

accepting, in respect of a respective content folder, inputs from the user specifying the content file or files to be stored and inputs from the user of at least part of the descriptive information;

generating a description file including the descriptive information input by the user; and

storing the generated description file and the content file or files specified by the user in the respective content folder.

20. A peer according to claim 14, wherein the description file contains the descriptive information in XML format.

21. A peer according to claim 20, wherein the search criteria is in XML format and the peer is arranged to compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files by parsing the descriptive information with respect to the search criteria.

22. A peer according to claim 13, wherein said messages which the peer is arranged to pass through the network include a file list query message identifying a content folder, and the said peer is arranged, after receipt of a file list query message identifying a content folder, to transmit for passage back through the network to the respective requesting peer a file list response message which identifies the content file or files in the identified content folder.

23. A peer according to claim 13, wherein the said peer is arranged to transmit a search query message which specifies search criteria for passage through the network for causing other peers in the peer-to-peer network to compare the search criteria with the descriptive information contained in the description files in each of said plurality of content folders, and in the event of there being a matching content folder to transmit a hit message identifying the matching content folder for passage back through the network to the said peer.

24. A peer according to claim 23, wherein the said peer is arranged, after receipt of a hit message identifying a content folder stored in one of the other peers in the peer-to-peer network, to connect directly to the said one of the other peers and to download the content file or files in the identified content folder

25. A peer according to claim 23, wherein the said peer is arranged, after receipt of a hit message identifying a content folder stored in one of the other peers in the peer-to-peer network, to transmit a file list query message identifying the same content folder for passage to the said one of the other peers, for causing the said one of the other peers to transmit for passage back through the network to the said peer a file list response message which identifies the content file or files in the identified content folder.

26. A peer according to claim 25, wherein the said peer is arranged, after receipt of a file list response message, to accept inputs from a user specifying any content file or files specified in the file list response message and to connect directly to the said one of the other peers and download the files specified by the user.

27. A method of storing content data in a peer-to-peer network of peers which are interconnected for sharing the content data, the method comprising:

storing content files of content data on respective peers in a file structure comprising a plurality of content folders, each content folder containing

any number of content files of related content data, and

a description file containing descriptive information describing the content file or files stored in the same content folder.

28. A computer readable storage medium storing a peer-to-peer application which, when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method, comprising:

storing content files of content data on respective peers in a file structure comprising a plurality of content folders, each content folder containing

any number of content files of related content data, and

a description file containing descriptive information describing the content file or files stored in the same content folder.