Communication system

• US 20080165790A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaal, Madis
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A method of transmitting messages from a network node in a communication network to a first user device wherein the network node transmits to a second user device a message-waiting notification, identifying the first user device and optionally identifying a node holding the message, and in response to that notification, the second user device transmits a connection request to the first user device, said connection request being acted on by said first user device to establish a connection, optionally with the identified node, whereby said message can be transmitted to said first user device.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting messages from a network node in a communication network to a first user device wherein the network node transmits to a second user device a message-waiting notification, identifying the first user device and optionally identifying a node holding the message, and in response to that notification, the second user device transmits a connection request to the first user device, said connection request being acted on by said first user device to establish a connection, optionally with the identified node, whereby said message can be transmitted to said first user device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network node is arranged to transmit messages to a plurality of user devices including at least said first user device and said second user device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of user devices are arranged to establish a connection with the network node at predetermined intervals.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least some of said plurality of devices are located within a first network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the predetermined interval that the said at least some of the plurality of devices are required to establish a connection with the network node is dependent on the number of said plurality of user devices located within the first network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the network node is located within a second network.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising determining that the first user device and the second network device are located in the first network.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the second user device transmits a connection request to the first user device via a connection established within the first network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a connection between the network node and the first user device can only be established by the first user device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first network and the second network are connected via a restrictive gateway.

11. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the message is received at the network node from the second network.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network node is the identified node.

13. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second network is a public network.

14. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second network is a communication system operating on the Internet.

15. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first network is a private network.

16. A user terminal for communicating with a plurality of peer user terminals and a network node, said user terminal having means responsive to a message-waiting notification from said network node identifying at least one of said peer user terminals to transmit a connection request to said at least one identified peer user terminal for connection to the or another network node.

17. A network node in a communication network comprising means for generating packets for communicating with a plurality of user terminals using a communications protocol wherein one of said packets comprises:

a header identifying one of said user terminals to receive said packet; and

an identifier of another of said user terminals to indicate said other user terminal has a message waiting at the network node.