Application programming interface for discovering endpoints in a serverless peer to peer network

• US 20060239234A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tao, Kevin R., Anirudh, Anirudh, Weisberg, Tomer, Thaler, David G., Flannery, Eliot John, Rao, Ravi, Parks, Upshur Warren III, Classen, Andre R., Gupta, Rohit
• Application Number:
  US11/112,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Methods are described that facilitate presence publication which may include authorizing publication of presence at a first endpoint, if the publication is authorized, assembling a presence data structure, and broadcasting the presence data structure from the first endpoint. The method may also include the presence structure including a friendly name, contact information, and endpoint information. The method further including contact information in at least one of XML format, vCard format, and the endpoint information obtained from a peer name resolution protocol. The method may additionally include the presence data structure encoded as at least one of a generic discovery protocol message, a simple service discovery protocol message, and associating a globally unique identifier with the discovery protocol messages. The method may include a user entity authorizing presence publication, the user entity setting at least one of a default parameter authorizing publication of all presence, some presence, or no presence.

Claims

1. A method of presence publication, comprising:

authorizing publication of presence at a first endpoint;

if the publication is authorized, assembling a presence data structure;

broadcasting the presence data structure from the first endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence data structure comprises a friendly name, contact information, and endpoint information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact information is in at least one of an XML format or a vCard format.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the endpoint information is obtained from a peer name resolution protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence data structure is encoded as at least one of a generic discovery protocol message or a simple service discovery protocol message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising associating a globally unique identifier with the discovery protocol messages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a user entity authorizes presence publication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user entity sets at least one of a default parameter authorizing publication of all presence, some presence, or no presence.

9. A method of discovering user entities, comprising:

registering a first user entity at a first endpoint;

receiving messages identifying a second user entity;

validating the received messages;

storing the validation results in a discovery cache.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein registering comprises publishing simple service discovery protocol messages.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising enumerating results of the discovery cache.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising querying for a second user entity.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the received messages are in XML format.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the received messages comprise presence information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein presence information comprises status of a second endpoint of the second user entity, contact identity information of the second user entity, and contact metadata of the second user entity.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein validation comprises identifying messages that indicate at least one of available user entities, or unavailable user entities.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adding available user entities to the discovery cache and removing unavailable user entities from the discovery cache.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the messages are encoded as a simple service discovery protocol messages.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising associating a globally unique identifier with the simple service discovery protocol messages.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein registering comprises permitting the first user entity to participate in message reception.