Method and Apparatus for Filtering Peer-to-Peer Network Searches for Limited Capability Devices

• US 20100198842A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Giraudon, Caroline, Ehrhart, Francois-Xavier, Pince, Julien
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for filtering a peer-to-peer (P2P) search query in a P2P network (100) is provided. A P2P-enabled device (102) generates a P2P search query (404) and appends device capability information to the P2P search query to generate a device-specific P2P search query (412). The device-specific P2P search query is provided (414) to the P2P network (100) and search query results are remotely filtered in response to the device-specific P2P search query to generate filtered search query results for providing to the P2P-enabled device (416).

Claims

1. A method for filtering a peer-to-peer (P2P) search query in a P2P network comprising the steps of:

generating a P2P search query by a P2P-enabled device in the P2P network;

appending device capability information to the P2P search query to generate a device-specific P2P search query;

providing the device-specific P2P search query to the P2P network; and

remotely filtering search query results in response to the device-specific P2P search query to generate filtered search query results for providing to the P2P-enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the P2P search query is a Gnutella2 formatted search query and wherein the device capability information is a Gnutella2 formatted subpacket.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of the P2P-enabled device integrating metadata comprising the device capability information into the P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising, before the step of generating the P2P search query, the step of sending a local node information (LNI) message to a P2P hub in response to connecting to the P2P hub, the LNI message including the device capability information, and wherein the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of the P2P hub integrating metadata comprising the device capability information into each P2P search query from the P2P-enabled device to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of filtering the search query results comprises the step of the hub filtering search query results in response to the device-specific P2P search query to generate filtered search query results for providing to the P2P-enabled device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of remotely filtering the search query results comprises the steps of:

propagating the device-specific P2P search query to remote peers in the P2P network; and

the remote peers filtering the search query results in response to the device-specific P2P search query to generate the filtered search query results for providing to the P2P-enabled device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the device capability information is a capabilities description file locatable at a uniform resource locator (URL) address and the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of appending the URL address to the P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query and wherein the step of filtering the search query results comprises the steps of:

retrieving the device capability information in response to the URL address to generate retrieved device capability information;

creating a revised device-specific P2P search query comprising the P2P search query and the retrieved device capability information; and

filtering the search query results in response to the revised device-specific P2P search query to generate filtered search query results for providing to the P2P-enabled device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating the P2P search query comprises the step of generating the P2P search query including a user device capability information selection input, and wherein the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of selectively appending or not appending the device capability information to the P2P search query in response to the user device capability information selection input to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the device capability information comprises stored information selected from the group of device specific data including codec information, screen size information, color depth information, maximal image size information, maximal bit rate information, JAVA version information, operating system information, input device type information, camera resolution information, vibrator activation information, global positioning system (GPS) capability information, and Digital Rights Management version information.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of storing hard-coded device capability information comprising the stored information in the P2P enabled device, and wherein the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of appending the hard-coded device capability information to the P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of generating the P2P search query comprises the step of generating the P2P search query including a stored information selection input, and wherein the step of appending device capability information comprises the step of appending selected ones of the device specific data to the P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query, the selected ones of the device specific data selected in response to the stored information selection input.

12. An apparatus comprising:

peer-to-peer (P2P) communication circuitry providing a device-specific P2P search query to a P2P network; and

a controller coupled to the P2P communication circuitry and providing the device-specific P2P search query thereto, the controller including a P2P client for appending device capability information to a generated P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query, and

wherein the P2P communication circuitry receives filtered search query results generated by remotely filtering search query results in response to the device-specific P2P search query.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the P2P search query is a Gnutella2 formatted search query and wherein the device capability information is a Gnutella2 formatted subpacket.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the P2P client integrates metadata comprising the device capability information into the P2P search query to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a P2P hub connection detector coupled to the P2P communication circuitry and the controller and providing a P2P hub connection detect signal to the controller in response to the P2P communication circuitry receiving information indicating that the apparatus is connected to a P2P hub, and

wherein the P2P client generates and provides a local node information (LNI) message to the P2P communication circuitry for transmission to the P2P hub in response to the P2P hub connection detect signal, the LNI message including the device capability information.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the device capability information is a capabilities description file locatable at a uniform resource locator (URL) address and wherein the P2P client generates the device-specific P2P search query by appending the URL address to the P2P search query.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising user interface circuitry receiving a user device capability information selection input, and wherein the P2P client selectively appends or does not append the device capability information to the P2P search query in response to the user device capability information selection input to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a memory storing stored information comprising the device capability information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the stored information is selected from the group of device specific data including screen size information, color depth information, maximal image size information, input device type information, camera resolution information and vibrator activation information, the apparatus further comprising user interface circuitry including one or more of a keypad input device operating in accordance with the input device type information, a display touchscreen input device operating in accordance with the input device type information, a camera input device operating in accordance with the camera resolution information, a vibrator output device operating in accordance with the vibrator activation information, and a display output device, the display output device operating in accordance with the screen size information, the color depth information and the maximal image size information.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the stored information is selected from the group of device specific data including codec information and maximal bit rate information, and wherein the P2P communication circuitry operates in accordance with the codec information and the maximal bit rate information.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the stored information is selected from the group of device specific data including JAVA version information, operating system information and Digital Rights Management version information, and wherein the controller operates in accordance with the JAVA version information, the operating system information and the Digital Rights Management version information.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to the controller and receiving GPS signals, the GPS receiver providing location information to the controller, the location information determined in response to the GPS signals, and wherein the stored information includes device specific data comprising GPS capability information indicating that the apparatus includes the GPS receiver.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory device and wherein the stored information comprises hard-coded device capability information.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising user interface circuitry receiving a user stored information selection input, and wherein the stored information comprises one or more device specific data, and wherein the P2P client appends selected ones of the one or more device specific data to the P2P search query in response to the user stored information selection input to generate the device-specific P2P search query.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is a P2P-enabled portable wireless communication unit and wherein the P2P communication circuitry is a transceiver for encoding and transmitting wireless signals and for receiving and decoding wireless signals.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the P2P-enabled portable wireless communication unit is a P2P-enabled local area WiFi communication device and wherein the P2P communication circuitry is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver for encoding, modulating and transmitting local area WiFi RF signals and for receiving, demodulating and decoding WiFi RF signals.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the P2P-enabled portable wireless communication unit is a P2P-enabled cellular telephone and wherein the P2P communication circuitry is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver for encoding, modulating and transmitting cellular RF signals and for receiving, demodulating and decoding cellular RF signals.