Incorporating a Mobile Device Into a Peer-to-Peer Network

• US 20080256263A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zilberman, Boaz, Nerst, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A system and a method enabling a mobile user-terminal (16) to participate as a peer in a peer-to-peer network (10) The system containing a mobile user-terminal (16) and a network device The network device containing a peer-communication module operative to communicate as a peer in a peer-to-peer network (10), a terminal-communication module operative to communicate with a user-terminal device, and a proxy module operative to perform peer operations in the peer-to peer network on behalf of the user-terminal device (16).

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a peer-communication module operative to communicate as a peer in a peer-to-peer network;

a terminal-communication module operative to communicate with a user-terminal device; and

a proxy module operative to perform peer operations in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user-terminal device.

2. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to initiate said peer operations.

3. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to register as a peer in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user-terminal device.

4. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to provide call progress functionality on behalf of said user-terminal device.

5. A network device according to claim 4 additionally operative to provide said call progress functionality for at least one of incoming calls and outgoing calls.

6. A network device according to claim 4 additionally operative to provide ring-back signal to a calling party calling said user-terminal device on behalf of said user-terminal device.

7. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to selectively forward to said user-terminal device information received on behalf of said user-terminal device.

8. A network device according to claim 7 additionally operative to selectively forward information on behalf of said user-terminal device according to rules.

9. A network device according to claim 8 additionally operative to receive updates of said rules.

10. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to selectively accumulate information on behalf of said user-terminal device.

11. A network device according to claim 10 additionally operative to selectively accumulate information on behalf of said user-terminal device according to rules.

12. A network device according to claim 10 additionally operative to selectively forward said accumulated information to said user-terminal device.

13. A network device according to claim 12 additionally operative to selectively forward said accumulated information to said user-terminal device according to rules.

14. A network device according to claim 13 additionally operative to receive updates for said rules.

15. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to perform peer operations on behalf of said user-terminal device when said user-terminal device is offline.

16. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to perform peer operations on behalf of said user-terminal device when said user-terminal device is in stand-by mode.

17. A network device according to claim 1 wherein said network is an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

18. A network device according to claim 1 wherein said network is the Internet.

19. A network device according to claim 1 additionally operative to perform said peer-to-peer operations on behalf of a plurality of user-terminal devices, wherein said peer-to-peer operations are performed independently of each of said user-terminal devices.

20. A network device comprising:

a peer communication module operative to communicate as a peer in a plurality of peer-to-peer networks;

a terminal communication module operative to communicate with a user-terminal device; and

at least one proxy module to perform peer operations in said plurality of peer-to-peer networks on behalf of said user-terminal device;

wherein said peer operations enable said user-terminal device to access said plurality of peer-to-peer networks as a unified network.

21. A network device according to claim 20 additionally operative to perform said peer-to-peer operations on behalf of a plurality of user-terminal devices, wherein said peer-to-peer operations are performed independently of each of said user-terminal devices.

22. A network device comprising:

a peer-server communication module operative to communicate with a peer server; and

a peer-to-peer communication module operative to perform peer-to-peer communication in a peer-to-peer network;

wherein said peer-to-peer communication comprises peer operations, and wherein said network device is operative to delegate at least some of said peer operations to said peer server.

23. A network device according to claim 22 wherein said peer-server is operative to communicate as a peer in said peer-to-peer network and to perform peer operations in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said network device.

24. A network device according to claim 22 wherein said peer operations delegated to said peer server comprise registration as a peer in said peer-to-peer network.

25. A network device according to claim 22 additionally operative to selectively receive from said peer-server information received on behalf of said network device.

26. A network device according to claim 22 wherein said peer-to-peer network comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

27. A network device according to claim 26 wherein said IP network comprises the Internet.

28. A network device according to claim 22 additionally being at least one of a portable network device, a mobile network device and a battery operated network device.

29. A network device according to claim 22 additionally operative to communicate with said peer server device via a wireless network

30. A network device according to claim 29 wherein said wireless network comprises at least one of a cellular network a wireless local area network, a wireless metropolitan area network, a personal area network, a WiFi network, a WiMAX network, a Bluetooth network, a Zigbee network and a UWB network.

31. A method for connecting a user terminal to a peer-to-peer network via a network device, wherein said network device performs peer operations in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user terminal.

33. A method according to claim 31 wherein said user terminal is at least one of a portable device, a mobile device and a battery operated device.

34. A method according to claim 31 wherein said peer operations comprise registration as a peer in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user terminal.

35. A method according to claim 31 wherein said peer operations comprise providing call progress functionality on behalf of said user terminal.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein said call progress functionality affects at least one of incoming calls and outgoing calls.

37. A method according to claim 35 wherein said call progress functionality comprises providing ring-back signal to a calling party calling said user terminal on behalf of said user terminal.

38. A method according to claim 31 additionally comprising selectively forwarding information received by said network device on behalf of said user terminal to said user terminal.

39. A method according to claim 38 additionally performing said selective forwarding according to predefined rules.

40. A method according to claim 39 additionally providing updates for said rules.

41. A method according to claim 31 additionally performing selective accumulation of information at said network device on behalf of said user terminal.

42. A method according to claim 41 additionally performing said selective accumulation according to rules.

43. A method according to claim 41 additionally performing selective forwarding of said accumulated information to said user-terminal device.

44. A method according to claim 43 additionally performing said forwarding of said accumulated information according to rules.

45. A method according to claim 44 additionally providing updates for said rules.

46. A method according to claim 31 additionally performing said peer operations by said network device when said user-terminal is offline.

47. A method according to claim 31 additionally performing said peer operations by said network device when said user-terminal device is in stand-by mode.

32. A method for connecting a user terminal to a peer-to-peer network comprising:

providing a network device operative to communicate with said user terminal and to communicate as a peer device in said peer-to-peer network;

providing said network device with identification parameters of said user terminal as a peer in said peer-to-peer network; and

performing peer operations in said peer-to-peer network, by said network device, on behalf of said user terminal, using said identification parameters.

48. A method for connecting a user terminal to a plurality of peer-to-peer networks, the method comprising:

providing a network device operative to communicate with said user terminal and to communicate as a peer device in said plurality of peer-to-peer networks; and

providing said network device with identification parameters of said user-terminal as a peer in each of said peer-to-peer networks;

performing peer operations, in each of said peer-to-peer network, by said network device, on behalf of said user terminal, using said identification parameters.

wherein said peer operations enable said user-terminal device to access said plurality of peer-to-peer networks as a unified network.

49. A method for connecting a plurality of user terminals to a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

providing a network device operative to communicate with said user terminals and to communicate as a peer device in at least one peer-to-peer network;

providing said network device with identification parameters of each of said user terminals as a peer in said peer-to-peer network; and

performing peer operations, in said peer-to-peer network, by said network device, on behalf of each of said user terminals, using said identification parameters.

50. A computer program product, stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprising instructions operative to cause a programmable processor of a network device to:

communicate as a peer in a peer-to-peer network;

communicate with a user-terminal device, and to

perform peer operations in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user-terminal device.

51. A computer program product according to claim 50 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to register as a peer in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said user-terminal device.

52. A computer program product according to claim 50 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to provide call progress functionality on behalf of said user-terminal device.

53. A computer program product according to claim 52 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to provide said call progress functionality for at least one of incoming calls and outgoing calls.

54. A computer program product according to claim 52 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to provide ring-back signal to a calling party calling said user-terminal device on behalf of said user-terminal device.

55. A computer program product according to claim 50 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively forward information received on behalf of said user-terminal device to said user-terminal device.

56. A computer program product according to claim 55 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively forward information on behalf of said user-terminal device according to rules.

57. A computer program product according to claim 56 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to receive updates of said rules.

58. A computer program product according to claim 50 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively accumulate information on behalf of said user-terminal device.

59. A computer program product according to claim 58 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively accumulate information on behalf of said user-terminal device according to rules.

60. A computer program product according to claim 58 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively forward said accumulated information to said user-terminal device.

61. A computer program product according to claim 60 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to selectively forward said accumulated information to said user-terminal device according to rules.

62. A computer program product according to claim 61 additionally comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to receive updates of said rules.

63. A computer program product according to claim 50 comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to perform said peer operations on behalf of said user-terminal device when said user-terminal device is offline.

64. A computer program product according to claim 50 comprising instructions operative to cause said programmable processor of said network device to perform said peer operations on behalf of said user-terminal device when said user-terminal device is in stand-by mode.

65. A computer program product according to claim 50 wherein said peer-to-peer network is available over an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

66. A computer program product according to claim 50 wherein said peer-to-peer network is available over the Internet.

67. A computer program product according to claim 50 wherein said network device is operative to communicate with said user-terminal device via a wireless network

68. A computer program product according to claim 67 wherein said wireless network is one of a cellular network a wireless local area network, a wireless metropolitan area network, a personal area network, a WiFi network, a WiMAX network, a Bluetooth network, a Zigbee network and a UWB network.

69. A computer program product, stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor of a network device to:

communicate as a peer in a plurality of peer-to-peer networks;

communicate with a user-terminal device; and

perform peer operations in said peer-to-peer networks on behalf of said user-terminal device;

wherein said peer operations enable said user-terminal device to access said plurality of peer-to-peer networks as a unified network.

70. A computer program product, stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor of a network device to perform peer-to-peer communication in a peer-to-peer network, and to communicate with a peer server;

wherein said peer-to-peer communication comprises peer operations, and wherein said computer program product enables said network device to delegate at least some of said peer operations to said peer server.

71. A computer program product according to claim 70 wherein said peer operations delegated to said peer server comprise registration as a peer in said peer-to-peer network.

72. A computer program product according to claim 70 additionally operative to selectively receive from said peer-server information received on behalf of said network device.

73. A computer program product according to claim 70 wherein said network device is operative to communicate with said peer server device via a wireless network

74. A computer program product according to claim 73 wherein said wireless network is one of a cellular network a wireless local area network, a wireless metropolitan area network, a personal area network, a WiFi network, a WiMAX network, a Bluetooth network, a Zigbee network and a UWB network.

75. A peer-to-peer communication network comprising:

at least one peer-server; and

a plurality of peer-devices,

wherein at least one of said plurality of peer-devices, being a first peer-device, communicates with at least another one of said plurality of peer-devices, being a second peer device, via at least one of said peer-servers, being a first peer-server, and wherein said first peer-server performs peer operations in said peer-to-peer network on behalf of said first peer-device.

76. A service comprising:

registering a plurality of peer devices at a registration server; and

registering at least one peer server at said registration server;

wherein at least one of said plurality of peer-devices, being a first peer-device, communicates with at least another one of said plurality of peer-devices, being a second peer device, via at least one of said peer-servers, and wherein said peer-server performs peer operations in a peer-to-peer network on behalf of said first peer-device.