Peer-to-peer group management framework and methodology

• US 20070021137A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kokkonen, Esko, Rantapuska, Olli
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• 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 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A group management framework and methodology for managing symmetric groups using peer-to-peer network communications. Group management is distributed throughout the group members of the peer-to-peer network, and group information is mirrored in each of the members of the group. The framework facilitates management of group member lists, provides group communication capabilities for external applications, and security for the group communication without the need for intermediary servers to provide services.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method, comprising:

initiating, by an initiating member of a group having a plurality of members, at least one group management function that facilitates restricting membership to the group;

transmitting, via peer-to-peer communication, group management messages associated with the group management function from the initiating member to one or more other members of the group; and

facilitating server-less management of group communications among the members of the group based on the group management message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one group management function comprises the configuration of a group access list, and wherein transmitting the at least one group management message comprises transmitting membership data associated with the group access list to the one or more other members of the group.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising maintaining a local copy of the group access list with each member of the group in response to the transmission of the membership data associated with the group access list so that the local copies of the group access lists are substantially the same.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, via the peer-to-peer communication, the at least one group management message from the initiating member to a prospective member of the group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the at least one group management message to the prospective member of the group comprises transmitting an invitation to the prospective member of the group.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

upon acceptance of the invitation by the prospective member, updating a member list at a communication device of the inviting member to include the prospective member as a new member of the group; and

transmitting group data, including the member list, via the peer-to-peer communication, from the inviting member to the new member.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a new member announcement, via the peer-to-peer communication, from the inviting member to each of the other members of the group.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting communication device for access to one or more of the group management functions available to the group;

comparing identification information of the requesting communication device with a member list of the members of the group; and

disallowing access by the requesting communication device to the requested group management function if the identification information does not correspond to any entry of the member list.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing access by the requesting communication device to the requested group management function if the identification information matches an entry of the member list.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating the identification information to the members of the group based on the identification information matching the entry of the member list.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a data processing system for performing the steps of claim 1.

12. A method, comprising:

initiating transmission of application data from a communication device of a first member of a group having a plurality of members;

identifying addresses of each of the other members of the group based on a member list locally stored at each of the communication devices of the members of the group; and

transmitting the application data via peer-to-peer connections from the first member to the other members of the group.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tagging the data with an identification of the application providing the application data; and

receiving the application data at each of the other members of the group, and

identifying a local application to utilize the application data based on the identification of the application provided by the first member.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tagging the data with an identification of an application plug-in associated with the application providing the application data; and

receiving the application data at each of the other members of the group, and identifying a local application plug-in associated with a local application to utilize the application data based on the identification of the application provided by the first member.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmission of membership data from the communication device of at least one of the members of the group;

maintaining the local member list stored at each of the communication devices in response to the transmission of the membership data so that the member lists are substantially the same.

16. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a data processing system for performing the steps of claim 12.

17. A communications device comprising:

a group management module for facilitating management of peer-to-peer communications among communication devices of members of a group, the group management module including,

a local database to store group data including at least a member list for each of one or more groups to which the apparatus is affiliated;

a member management module coupled to the local database to manage storage and retrieval of the group data;

an application programming interface configured to interface at least application content and a user interface with the member management module; and

a communication module coupled to the member management module to effect peer-to-peer communications between the apparatus and communication devices of other members of the group, wherein the peer-to-peer communications are restricted based on the group data.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the member management module transmits, via the communication module, an invitation message to a prospective member of the group.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the membership management module, upon acceptance of the invitation by the prospective member, updates the group data via the local database to include the prospective member as a new member of the group and transmits the group data, via the communication module, to the new member.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the membership management module transmits a new member announcement, via the communication module, to each of the other members of the group.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the communication module receives a request from a requesting communication device for accessing the application content, and wherein the membership management module, in response to the request, compares identification information of the requesting communication device with the member list, and wherein the membership management module disallows access by the requesting communication device to the application data if the identification information does not correspond to any entry of the member list.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the membership management module allows access by the requesting communication device to the application data if the identification information matches an entry of the member list.

23. A peer-to-peer network of communication devices comprising a group, each communication device comprising:

a user interface (UI);

an application module comprising one or more applications and associated application plug-ins; and

a group management module comprising;

a local database to store group data including at least a member list for each of one or more groups to which the communication device is affiliated;

a member management module coupled to the local database to manage storage and retrieval of the group data;

an application programming interface (API) configured to interface at least the application module and UI with the member management module; and

a communication module coupled to the member management module to effect peer-to-peer communications between the communication device and the communication devices of other members of the group.

24. The network of claim 23, wherein the member management module transmits, via the communication module, an invitation message to a prospective member of the group.

25. The network of claim 24, wherein the membership management module, upon acceptance of the invitation by the prospective member, updates the group data via the local database to include the prospective member as a new member of the group and transmits the group data, via the communication module, to the new member.

26. The network of claim 25, wherein the membership management module transmits a new member announcement, via the communication module, to each of the other members of the group.

27. The network of claim 23, wherein the communication module receives a request from a requesting communication device for accessing the application content, and wherein the membership management module, in response to the request, compares identification information of the requesting communication device with the member list, and wherein the membership management module disallows access by the requesting communication device to the application data if the identification information does not correspond to any entry of the member list.

28. The network of claim 27, wherein the membership management module allows access by the requesting communication device to the application data if the identification information matches an entry of the member list.

29. The network of claim 27, wherein the each of the communications devices communicates data related to changes in the communication device'"'"'s membership list to other communications devices of the one or more groups so that the membership lists are substantially the same in each of the communications devices of the one or more groups.