Peer-to-peer message chaining for initiating a data exchange with a server

• US 20070076646A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Foster, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 7,298,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards enabling a server to activate a plurality of peer devices. The server may send a notification to a first peer device and employ subsequent peer devices to send further notifications to other peer devices in a sequence of peer devices, thereby reducing a number of notifications sent by the server. The peer devices may be mobile devices. In one embodiment, the notification indicates that data is available for download to the peer devices. In one embodiment, the sequence is dynamically determined by the server. In one embodiment, an instruction to send a notification to another peer device is provided to a peer device in the sequence along with the downloaded data. In another embodiment, the instruction is provided with the notification. In one embodiment, a notification may be sent using a hidden message mechanism of Short Message Service (SMS), or the like.

Claims

1. A method for providing data to a plurality of mobile devices, comprising:

determining a sequence of mobile devices from at least a portion of the plurality of mobile devices;

selecting a first mobile device from the sequence of mobile devices;

sending a first notification of an availability of data to the first mobile device; and

instructing the first mobile device to send another notification of the availability of data to a next mobile device in the sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first notification or the other notification comprises sending at least one of the first notification or the other notification as a hidden message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence is dynamically updated based, at least in part, on an availability of a mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the next mobile device to send another notification to another mobile device in the sequence of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first notification further comprises, including the instruction to send another notification with the first notification.

6. The method of claim 1, instructing the first mobile device further comprises:

downloading the available data onto the first mobile device; and

receiving with the available data the instruction to send the other notification.

7. A server for providing data to a plurality of devices over a network, comprising:

a memory for use in storing data and instructions; and

a processor, in communication with the memory, for use in enabling actions based on the stored instructions, the actions comprising;

determining a sequence of devices from at least a portion of the plurality of devices;

selecting a first device from the sequence of devices;

sending a notification of an availability of data to the first device; and

instructing at least one device in the sequence to send another notification of the availability of data to a next device in the sequence.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the sequence is based on at least one of a geographic location, a network type, a user preference, or a usage limit.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein the plurality of devices include at least one mobile device.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein at least one of the notification or the other notification is sent using a hidden message mechanism.

11. The server of claim 7, wherein sending the notification or the other notification further comprises sending at least a portion of the sequence of devices with the notification or the other notification.

12. The server of claim 7, where sending the notification or the other notification further comprises sending instructions with the notification or the other notification, wherein the instructions direct at least two devices in the sequence to send notifications.

13. The server of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of devices are configured to operate as peer devices.

14. A peer device for enabling data to be provided over a network, comprising:

a memory for use in storing data and instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory and for enabling actions based on the stored instructions, the instructions arranged to perform actions comprising;

receiving a first notification indicating an availability of data;

receiving the available data;

receiving an instruction to notify another peer device in a sequence of peer devices of the availability of the data; and

sending a second notification to the other peer device, wherein the other peer device is further instructed to send a third notification to a third peer device.

15. The peer device of claim 14, wherein receiving the instruction further comprises receiving the instruction with at least one of the first notification or the available data.

16. The peer device of claim 14, where the sequence of peer devices is determined dynamically based, in part, on an availability of peer devices in a plurality of peer devices.

17. The peer device of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the sequence of peer devices with at least one of the available data or the first notification; and

receiving a plurality of instructions with the instruction, wherein each of the instructions in the plurality of instructions is configured to direct one of the peer devices in at least the portion of the sequence to send a notification of availability of the data to a subsequent peer device in the sequence.

18. A mobile device for enabling data to be provided over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a component that is programmed to perform actions comprising;

receiving a first hidden notification indicating an availability of data;

accessing the available data; and

providing a second hidden notification to another device that is identified in a sequence of mobile devices, wherein the second notification is based on an instruction that is included with at least one of the first notification or the available data.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the sequence of mobile devices is dynamically determined by other than the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the available data includes at least one of an electronic mail message, an address book, an instant message, a content item, an update, data for synchronization, or data associated with a remote event.

21. A modulated data signal for managing a communication over a network, the modulated data signal comprising:

enabling a server to dynamically determine a sequence of devices from at least a portion of a plurality of device for which data is available;

sending, by the server, a hidden notification that data is available to a first device in the dynamic sequence of devices; and

enabling each device in the dynamic sequence to send another hidden notification to a subsequent device in the dynamic sequence of devices.

22. An apparatus for use in communicating an availability of data to a plurality of devices over a network, comprising:

means for determining a notification sequence for devices from at least a portion of the plurality of devices;

means for providing a notification indicating the availability of the data to one of the devices in the notification sequence; and

means for employing subsequent devices in the notification sequence to send further notifications to other devices in the notification sequence.