Method and device for configuring a user agent to operate as a web server

• US 20100198938A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Original Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Inventors: MOLLAND, Håvard, Bersvendsen, Arve
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a computer implemented method and device for configuring a user agent (e.g., a web browser) to act as a web server, and host services to be available to the end users of other user agents (e.g., web browsers) acting as clients. Such services may be provided by executing web widgets written in a scripting language, or provided as simple HTML services. The present invention further provides various techniques (e.g., Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal) for allowing requests for a service to pass to the user agent acting as a server, by making such requests appear to a firewall as responses to an initial request made by the user agent.

Claims

1. A computer device comprising:

computer-readable storage equipment on which is stored;

computer code for a user agent, and

a script for implementing a service; and

at least one processor configured to execute the user agent in order to;

conduct communications with an external server to establish a communicative link to a remote device executing another user agent via the Internet; and

perform a push operation via the communicative link to transmit content associated with the script to the remote user agent.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the communicative link is a peer-to-peer connection.

3. The computer device of claim 2, wherein the communicative link is a TCP connection.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the execution of the user agent further causes the at least one processor to:

perform NAT traversal based on the communications with the external server, the NAT traversal being performed in order to open the TCP connection.

5. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the execution of the user agent further causes the at least one processor to:

perform NAT traversal to open a TCP connection to the external server; and

register the service with the external server via the TCP connection, such that the registered service is listed in a web page transmitted to the remote user agent.

6. A method comprising:

storing a script for implementing a service in a computer device;

utilizing at least one computer processor to execute a user agent on the computing device in order to perform the following;

conduct communications with an external server to establish a communicative link to a remote device executing another user agent via the Internet; and

perform a push operation via the communicative link to transmit content associated with the script to the remote user agent.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising utilizing the at least one computer processor to establish the communicative link as a peer-to-peer connection.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising utilizing the at least one computer processor to establish the communicative link as a TCP connection.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising utilizing the at least one computer processor to perform NAT traversal based on the communications with the external server, the NAT traversal being performed in order to open the TCP connection.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising utilizing the at least one computer processor to:

perform NAT traversal to open a TCP connection to the external server; and

register the service with the external server via the TCP connection, such that the registered service is listed in a web page transmitted to the remote user agent.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the process further comprises:

performing NAT traversal to open a TCP connection to the external server; and

registering the service with the external server via the TCP connection, such that the registered service is listed in a web page transmitted to the remote user agent.

11. A computer readable storage device on which are stored computer instructions which, when executed by a computer, executes a user agent which performs the following process:

conducting communications with an external server to establish a communicative link to a remote device executing another user agent via the Internet; and

performing a push operation via the communicative link to transmit content to the remote user agent, the content being associated with a script which is stored in the computer for implementing a service.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the communicative link is a peer-to-peer connection.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the communicative link is a TCP connection.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the process further comprises performing NAT traversal based on the communications with the external server, the NAT traversal being performed in order to open the TCP connection.