Method and system for managing data transmission between devices behind network address translators (NATs)

• US 20090024762A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vvond, Inc.
• Inventors: Ganesan, Prasanna
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

Techniques for managing direct communication between two devices are disclosed. Each of the device is behind a network address translator. According to one embodiment, a server, in responding to a request from a requesting device for needed data, is configured to determine some of devices in service to be candidates from a database, where the database has many entries, each of the entries pertaining to one of the devices. The candidates are determined in accordance with at least compatibility of respective network address translators with a network address translator of the requesting device. Among the candidates, the server then designates a finalist that is preferably not designated to be a supplying device more often than it should be on average. The server then notifies either the requesting device or the supplying device so that the requesting device can get the needed data directly from the supplying device.

Claims

1. A method for managing peer-to-peer communication among a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

in responding to a request from one of the devices (hereinafter “

requesting device)”

for needed data, determining some of the devices to be candidates from a database with many entries, each of the entries pertaining to one of the devices, wherein the determining of the some of the devices is conducted in accordance with at least compatibility of respective network address translators with a network address translator of the requesting device;

among the candidates, designating a finalist that is deemed most appropriate to be a supplying device according to predefined criteria; and

notifying either the requesting device or the supplying device so that the requesting device can get the needed data directly from the supplying device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database is updated periodically or according to a predefined time by receiving a probing message from a device newly put into service or returned into service.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the criteria include compatibility of a NAT with a NAT of the requesting device, and the supplying device is not too often designated than it should be on average.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the request indicates that there are more than one devices needed to supply the needed data collectively at similar time.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the designating of the finalist comprises, till there are a sufficient number of supplying devices to the requesting device, keeping designating another finalist that is not designated to be a supplying device more often than it should be on average.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

notifying the requesting device which ones are to supply the needed data collectively;

or

causing each of the supplying devices to start contacting the requesting device to initiate transmission of the needed data collectively.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the supplying devices locally caches one or more segments of the needed data.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein each of the segments is non-consecutive in a sense that data from all of the segments must be streamed in at similar time to be useful.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the data from the segments streamed in from the supplying device and any locally cached in the requesting device is multiplexed to recover original data in the requesting device.

10. A method for managing peer-to-peer communication among a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

initiating a request to receive needed data from at least one supplying device, wherein the request causes a server to determine some of the devices to be candidates from a database with many entries, each of the entries pertaining to one of the devices, wherein the determining of the some of the devices is conducted in accordance with at least compatibility of respective network address translators with a network address translator of the requesting device, among the candidates, the server is configured to designate a finalist that is not designated to be a supplying device more often than it should be on average; and

receiving from the server a message including necessary information to initiate a request to the supplying device to download the needed data;

or

causing to accept the needed data from the supplying device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the database is updated periodically or according to a predefined time by receiving a probing message from a device newly put into service or returned into service.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the request indicates that there are more than one devices needed to supply the needed data collectively at similar time.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein, till there are a sufficient number of supplying devices, the server keeps designating another finalist that is not designated to be a supplying device more often than it should be on average.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the message includes information respectively identifying the supplying devices, and further comprising:

initiating a request to each of the supplying devices to download the needed data collectively;

or

causing to accept the needed data from the supplying devices collectively.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the supplying devices locally caches one or more segments of the needed data.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the segments is non-consecutive in a sense that data from all of the segments must be streamed in at similar time to be useful.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the data from the segments streamed in from the supplying device and any locally cached in the requesting device is multiplexed to recover original data in the requesting device.

18. A system for managing peer-to-peer communication, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices in service; and

a server coupled to a database with many entries, each of the entries pertaining to one of the devices, wherein, upon receiving a request from one of the devices (hereinafter “

a requesting device”

), the server is configured to determine some of the devices to be candidates from the database in accordance with at least compatibility of respective network address translators with a network address translator of the requesting device, among the candidates, the server is configured to further designate a finalist that is not designated to be a supplying device more often than it should be on average, and

wherein the requesting device receives from the server a message including necessary information to initiate a request to the supplying device to download the needed data, or is caused to accept the needed data from the supplying device.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the request indicates that there are more than one devices needed to supply the needed data collectively at similar time, and each of the supplying devices locally caches one or more segments of the needed data.

20. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein each of the segments is non-consecutive in a sense that data from all of the segments must be streamed in at similar time to be useful.