Peer-To-Peer Telephone System

• US 20100177770A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Heinla, Ahti, Kasesalu, Priit
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/70 Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0063 where the network is a peer-to-peer network

Abstract

There is provided a peer-to-peer telephone system comprising a plurality of end-users and a communication structure through which one or more end-users are couplable for communication purposes. The system is distinguished in that the communication structure is substantially de-centralized with regard to communication route switching therein for connecting the one or more end-users. One or more end-users are operable to establish their own communication routes through the structure based on exchange of one or more authorisation certificates, namely User Identity Certificates (UIC), to acquire access to the structure. The structure comprises an administration arrangement for issuing said one or more certificates to said one or more end-users.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer system, comprising:

a calling end-user device;

a called end-user device;

an administration node; and

a peer-to-peer communication structure interconnecting said calling end-user device, said called end-user device, and said administration node,

wherein (a) said administration node is configured to issue at least one authorization certificate to said calling end-user device and issue at least one authorization certificate to said called end-user device, and

wherein (b) said calling end-user device is configured to receive information regarding an address of said called end-user device and verify, prior to commencing a call, an authorization certificate provided by said called end-user device, such that verifying the authorization certificate enables access to the peer-to-peer communication structure to establish a call over a communication route to said called end-user device.

2. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the administration node is configured to administer at least one of end-user sign-up and end-user payment for access to the peer-to-peer system.

3. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the administration node is configured to generate one or more private-public key pairs, maintain said one or more private keys secret, and distribute said one or more corresponding public keys within the peer-to-peer system for certificate authentication

4. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 3, wherein the administration node is configured to generate private-public key pairs using a Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) method.

5. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer system is devoid of any centralized exchange for routing calls or verifying authorization certificates.

6. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 5, further comprising interfacing nodes and storage nodes, said storage nodes being configured in one or more slots for database access purposes.

7. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the administration node is configured to perform at least one of:

(a) providing an end-user accounts database;

(b) providing a synchronizing time reference for the peer-to-peer communication structure;

(c) providing globally-configurable settings for the peer-to-peer system;

(d) providing peer discovery during bootstrap of the peer-to-peer communication structure;

(e) handling new end-user registration; and

(f) monitoring operation of the peer-to-peer communication structure for controlling desired modes of operation thereof.

8. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of end-users are operable to mutually exchange their authorization certificates prior to commencing communication therebetween, where at least one of said certificates is identified to be authentic.

9. peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, configured to operate concurrently with POTS and/or PSTN.

10. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the administration node is implemented by way of one or more computer servers.

11. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the administration node is configured to apply a heuristics fraud detection analysis of end-user registration and system usage data for detecting fraudulent access to the peer-to-peer system by end-users.

23. A computer program product, embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer code configured to implement at least a part of the peer-to-peer system according to claim 1.

25. A computer program product according to claim 23 communicable to end-users via a communication network.

27. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the communication route is for a call.

28. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the communication route is for VoIP communication.

29. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, configured to perform at least one of the following functions:

(a) administering end-user buddy lists;

(b) handling end-user preferences;

(c) providing end-user identification by way of one or more of the following;

node identification (ID), username, and end-user profile data;

(d) maintaining basic statistics; and

(e) maintaining firewall and/or “

Network Address Translation”

(NAT) traversal via random peer nodes within the network functioning as ad hoc proxies supporting communication therethrough.

30. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, in which an end user identification in the form of a user name is used as a telephone number to establish a call through the peer-to-peer communication structure.

31. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 27, wherein the call is one of a telephone call, a video call, and a conference call.

32. A peer-to-peer system according to claim 1, wherein the communication route is established for text messaging.

12. A method of establishing a call in a peer-to-peer communication structure, comprising:

(a) receiving, at a calling end-user device, at least one authorization certificate from an administration node;

(b) receiving, at the calling end-user device, information regarding the address of a called end-user device;

(c) verifying, at the calling end-user device and prior to commencing a call, an authorization certificate provided by the called end-user device, such that verifying the authorization certificate enables access to the peer-to-peer communication structure; and

(d) establishing, based on verifying the authorization certificate provided by the called end-user device, the call over a communication route in the peer-to-peer communication structure to said called end-user device.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the administration node is configured to administer at least one of end-user sign-up and end-user payment for access to the peer-to-peer communication structure.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the administration node is configured to generate one or more private-public key pairs, maintain said one or more private keys secret, and distribute said one or more corresponding public keys to end-user devices for certificate authentication purposes.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the administration node is configured to generate private-public key pairs using a Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) method.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the peer-to-peer communication structure is devoid of any centralized exchange for routing calls or verifying authorization certificates.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the peer-to-peer communication structure comprises interfacing nodes and storage nodes, said storage nodes being configured in one or more slots for database access purposes.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the administration node is configured to perform at least one of:

(a) providing an end-user accounts database;

(b) providing a synchronizing time reference for the peer-to-peer communication structure;

(c) providing globally-configurable settings for the peer-to-peer communication structure;

(d) providing peer discovery during bootstrap of the peer-to-peer communication structure;

(e) handling new end-user registration; and

(f) monitoring operation of the peer-to-peer communication structure for controlling desired modes of operation thereof.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of end-users are configured to mutually exchange their authorization certificates prior to commencing communication therebetween, where at least one of said certificates is identified to be authentic.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein the peer-to-peer communication structure is arranged to be configurable to operate concurrently with POTS and/or PSTN.

21. A method according to claim 12, wherein the administration node is implemented by way of one or more central computer servers.

22. A method according to claim 12, wherein the administration node is configured to apply an heuristics fraud detection analysis of end-user registration and system usage data for detecting fraudulent access to the peer-to-peer communication structure by end-users.

24. A computer program product, embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer code configured to perform the processes of claim 12.

26. A computer program product according to claim 24 communicable to end-users via a communication network.

33. An administration node for use in a peer-to-peer communication structure, said administration node configured to issue one or more authorization certificates to one or more end-user devices to allow the end-user devices to acquire access to the peer-to-peer communication structure based on verification of said authorization certificates at the end-user devices and establish their own calls over communication routes through the peer-to-peer communication structure, said administration node further configured to record at least an identity of a calling end-user device and a called end-user device.

34. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium for establishing a peer-to-peer call between a calling end-user device and a called end-user device in a communication structure, comprising:

computer code for accessing a global index to locate the called end-user;

computer code for receiving information regarding the address of the called end-user;

computer code for receiving information regarding one or more pathways for communicating with the called end-user;

computer code for receiving an authorization certificate from the called end-user device;

computer code for verifying, prior to commencing a call, the authorization certificate presented by the called end-user device to acquire access to the communication structure; and

computer code for establishing a call over a communication route based on verification of the authorization certificate presented to it by the called end-user device.

35. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium for establishing a call, comprising:

computer code for obtaining an authorization certificate from an administration node;

computer code for presenting the authorization certificate to an end-user device;

computer code for obtaining information regarding an address of the end-user device;

computer code for obtaining an authorization certificate from the end-user device;

computer code for verifying, prior to commencing a call, the authorization certificate presented by the end-user device to acquire access to a peer-to-peer communication structure based on verification of the authorization certificate presented to it by the end-user device; and

computer code for establishing a call over a communication route through the peer-to-peer communication structure.

36. A peer-to-peer system, comprising:

a calling end-user device;

a called end-user device;

an administration node; and

a peer-to-peer communication structure interconnecting said calling end-user device, said called end-user device, and said administration node,

wherein (a) said administration node is configured to issue at least one authorization certificate to said calling end-user device and issue at least one authorization certificate to said called end-user device,

wherein (b) said calling end-user device is configured to receive information regarding an address of said called end-user device and verify, prior to commencing a call, an authorization certificate provided by said called end-user device, such that verifying the authorization certificate enables access to the peer-to-peer communication structure to establish a call over a communication route to said called end-user device, and

wherein (c) said administration node is also configured to handling new end-user registration.