COMMUNICATING IN A PEER-TO-PEER COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110173259A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TangoMe Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TangoMe Incorporated
• Inventors: ANDREWS, Barry, DORSO, Gregory, SETTON, Eric E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Communicating in a peer-to-peer computer environment. A request is received from a user at a peer provider node computer system, wherein the request is signed by a private key. Provided a public key verifies the private key, providing potential peers to the user from the peer provider node computer system such that the user is enabled to utilize the peer-to-peer computer environment for a communication according to user requirements.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for communicating in a peer-to-peer computer environment, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a user at a peer provider node computer system, wherein said request is signed by a private key; and

provided a public key verifies said private key, providing potential peers to said user from said peer provider node computer system such that said user is enabled to utilize said peer-to-peer computer environment for a communication according to user requirements.

2. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from said user at a storage peer, wherein said storage peer is one of said potential peers and wherein said request is signed by a private key; and

provided a public key verifies said private key, providing encrypted profile information to said user.

3. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a portion of said communication from said user at a relay peer, wherein said relay peer is one of said potential peers; and

sending said portion of said communication to at least one other user from said relay peer.

4. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

terminating said receiving said portion of said communication from said user at said relay peer during said communication;

receiving said portion of said communication from said user at a second relay peer; and

sending said portion of said communication to at least one other user from said second relay peer.

5. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 3 wherein said relay peer replicates said portion of said communication and sends said replicated said portion to a plurality of other users.

6. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

sending feedback to said user from said relay peer regarding said communication during said communication; and

wherein said receiving said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted parameter of said communication.

7. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 6 wherein said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted encoding rate of said portion.

8. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 6 wherein said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted resolution of said portion.

9. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 6 wherein said portion of said communication is received with a different codec for said portion.

10. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 6 wherein said portion of said communication is received with a different error protection scheme for said portion.

11. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of portions of said communication from said user at a plurality of relay peers, wherein said plurality of relay peers are said potential peers and wherein each of said plurality of relay peers each receives a different portion of said plurality of portions of said communication; and

sending said plurality of portions of said communication to at least one other user from said plurality of relay peers.

12. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communication is an audio communication.

13. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communication is a video communication.

14. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communication is a multi-party communication.

15. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user requirement is to reduce the estimated geographical length of a path taken by said communication through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

16. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user requirements is to reduce a number of hops taken by said communication sent through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

17. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user requirements is to reduce a round trip time of said communication sent through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

18. A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform the steps of communicating in a peer-to-peer computer environment:

receiving a request from a user at a peer provider node computer system, wherein said request is signed by a private key; and

provided a public key verifies said private key, providing potential peers to said user from said peer provider node computer system such that said user is enabled to utilize said peer-to-peer computer environment for a communication according to user requirements.

19. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a request from said user at a storage peer, wherein said storage peer is one of said potential peers and wherein said request is signed by a private key; and

provided a public key verifies said private key, providing encrypted profile information to said user.

20. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a portion of said communication from said user at a relay peer, wherein said relay peer is one of said potential peers; and

sending said portion of said communication to at least one other user from said relay peer.

21. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

terminating said receiving said portion of said communication from said user at said relay peer during said communication wherein said relay peer is no longer available for said receiving;

receiving said portion of said communication from said user at a second relay peer; and

sending said portion of said communication to at least one other user from said second relay peer.

22. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20 wherein said relay peer replicates said portion of said communication and sends said replicated said portion to a plurality of other users.

23. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20 further comprising:

sending feedback to said user from said relay peer regarding said communication during said communication; and

wherein said receiving said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted parameter of said communication.

24. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 23 wherein said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted encoding rate of said portion.

25. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 23 wherein said portion of said communication is received with an adjusted resolution of said portion.

26. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 23 wherein said portion of said communication is received with a different codec for said portion.

27. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 23 wherein said portion of said communication is received with a different protection scheme.

28. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of portions of said communication from said user at a plurality of relay peers, wherein said plurality of relay peers are said potential peers and wherein each of said plurality of relay peers each receives a different portion of said plurality of portions of said communication; and

sending said plurality of portions of said communication to at least one other user from said plurality of relay peers.

29. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said communication is an audio communication.

30. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said communication is a video communication.

31. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said communication is a multi-party communication.

32. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said user requirements is to reduce an estimated geographical length of a path taken by said communication through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

33. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said user requirements is to reduce a number of hops taken by said communication sent through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

34. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 18 wherein said user requirements is to reduce a round trip time of said communication sent through said peer-to-peer computer environment.

35. A system for communicating in a peer-to-peer computer environment:

a peer provider node configured to receive a request from a user wherein said request is signed by a private key and provided that a public key verifies said private key, said peer provider node is further configured to provide potential peers to said user such that said user is enabled to utilize said peer-to-peer computer environment for a communication according to user requirements; and

at least one relay peer configured to receive a portion of said communication from said user and configured to send said portion of said communication to a second user, wherein said at least one relay peer is one of said potential peers.

36. The system as recited in claim 35 further comprising:

a plurality of relay peers each configured to receive a different portion of said communication and further configured to send said portions of said communication to said second user.

37. The system as recited in claim 35 wherein said at least one relay peer is further configured to replicate said portion of said communication and send said replicated portions of said portion to a plurality of other users in a multi-party communication.