Peer-to-peer communication system

• US 20070061476A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Bruce, Demsey, Seth, Zintel, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A peer-to-peer communication system that transmits application data from an application component on one network peer to an application component on another network peer. A programming interface is provided to the communication system to facilitate programming of applications that rely on peer-to-peer communications. The communication system uses messaging providers to which each peer may be connected for purposes other than communications between peer-to-peer application components, thereby reducing the resources a peer-to-peer application requires for communication and making the system advantageous for use in portable electronic devices. Additionally, the communication system uses addresses already assigned in each messaging provider, allowing peer-to-peer communication between peers that may otherwise have been non-addressable.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising:

(a) a communication component for sending and receiving messages using at least one of a plurality of messaging providers;

(b) a data store comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising a field for storing an indication of an addressee, a field for storing an indication of a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers, and an address associated with the addressee in the indicated messaging provider;

(c) a routing component for associating an application with a message received using one of the plurality of messaging providers and providing the message to the associated application; and

(d) a programming interface through which an application may specify a communication related command that causes an interaction between the communication component and the data store for performing a communication function relating to the transmission or receipt of data.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the programming interface is adapted to perform a communication function comprising making an entry in a registry.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the programming interface is adapted to perform a communication function comprising sending a message using a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the programming interface is adapted to perform a communication function comprising altering an entry in the data store.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer readable-medium is installed in a portable electronic device.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, additionally comprising

(e) a component for sending messages that poll addressees indicated by entries in the data store to identify an addressee willing to receive communications relating to a peer-to-peer application.

7. A method of communicating between an application having a first component on a first peer and a second component on a second peer, comprising the acts:

(a) providing data from the first component to a first store-and-forward messaging client on the first peer;

(b) selecting with the first store-and-forward messaging client at least one messaging provider from a plurality of messaging providers;

(c) transmitting the data using the at least one selected messaging provider to a second store-and-forward messaging client on the second peer; and

(d) providing the data from the second store-and-forward messaging client to the second component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the application is a multiplayer game and the act (a) of providing data comprises providing data representing a player action in the game.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the act (c) of transmitting the data comprises transmitting the data from the first store-and-forward messaging client to a relay server and from the relay server to the second store-and-forward messaging client.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the act (b) of selecting comprises selecting a messaging provider operating according to a protocol in the set consisting of IMAP, POP3, SMTP, SMS, HTTP, TCP/IP and MMS.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the act (a) of providing data comprises providing data through a defined interface.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first store-and-forward messaging client comprises an e-mail program and the method further comprises the acts:

(e) receiving user input with the first store-and-forward messages client to send a text-based message; and

(f) sending the text-based message over one of the plurality of messaging providers.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the act (d) comprises selectively routing at least one message received by the second store-and-forward messaging client to the second application component based on an identification that the data relates to the second application.

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

(a) a plurality of messaging providers;

(b) a first peer coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of messaging providers comprising computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising;

(i) a first communication component for transmitting or receiving data using at least a portion of the plurality of messaging providers, the first communication component having a first programming interface through which data may be provided for transmission using a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers and through which information from a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers may be passed to an application;

(ii) a first application for generating and processing application data, the first application adapted to pass generated application data through the first programming interface and to receive application data for processing through the first programming interface;

(c) a second peer, coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of messaging providers comprising computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising;

(i) a second communication component for transmitting or receiving data using at least a portion of the plurality of messaging providers, the second communication component having a second programming interface through which data may be provided for transmission using a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers and through which data from a messaging provider of the plurality of messaging providers may be passed to an application;

(ii) a second application for generating and processing application data, the second application adapted to pass generated application data through the second programming interface and to receive application data for processing through the second programming interface.

15. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 14, wherein first peer and the second peer are non-addressable computing devices in at least one of the plurality of messaging providers.

16. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of messaging providers is a store-and-forward messaging provider.

17. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of messaging providers is a realtime messaging provider.

18. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one realtime transport messaging provider uses the SMS protocol.

19. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 18, additionally comprising a web service connected to the at least one messaging provider using the SMS protocol, whereby said messaging provider is coupled to the first peer and the second peer through the web service.

20. The peer-to-peer communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one realtime messaging provider uses an IM protocol.