On The Managed Peer-To-Peer Sharing In Cellular Networks

• US 20120215851A1
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Wei, Le, Khiem, Choi, Noun
• Granted Patent: US 9,231,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus are provided for performing peer-to-peer (P2P) data sharing operations between user equipment (UE) devices in a wireless-enabled communications environment. A first client node comprises content data and operates in a server peer mode to provide content data. A second client node submits a request to a P2P application server (P2P AS) for the content data. In response, the P2P AS provides the address of the first client node to the second client node. The second client node then uses the provided address to submit a request to the first client node to provide the content data. The first client node accepts the request and then provides the content data to the second client node.

Claims

1. A peer node, comprising:

content data information provided by a peer-to-peer (P2P) application server (P2P AS); and

processing logic for performing P2P content data sharing operations in a wireless-enabled communications environment, the processing logic used by the peer node to operate in a server peer mode to provide the content data to a second peer node operating in a client peer mode.

2. The peer node of claim 1, wherein:

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS provides the address of the peer node to the second peer node;

the second peer node uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node accepts the request; and

the peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

3. The peer node of claim 1, wherein:

a third peer node comprises the same content data as the peer node, the third peer node operating in a server peer mode;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS provides the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to the second peer node.

4. The peer node of claim 3, wherein:

the second peer node uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the second peer node subsequently uses the address of the third peer node to submit a request to the third peer node to provide the content data;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

5. The peer node of claim 4, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the target content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the content data requestor subsequently uses the address of the third peer node to submit a request to the third peer node to provide the content data;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

6. The peer node of claim 3, wherein:

the second peer node respectively uses the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

7. The peer node of claim 6, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

8. The peer node of claim 3, wherein:

the second peer node uses the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node accepts the request and the third peer node accepts the request;

the second peer node selects the third peer node to provide the content data, and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

9. The peer node of claim 8, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the first peer node accepts the request and the third peer node accepts the request;

the content data requestor selects the third peer node to provide the content data, and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

10. The peer node of claim 1, wherein the peer node provides its address to the P2P AS subsequent to the peer node connecting to the wireless-enabled communications environment.

11. A method for using a peer node to perform peer-to-peer content data sharing operations, comprising:

using content data information provided by a P2P application server (P2P AS); and

using processing logic to perform P2P content data sharing operations in a wireless-enabled communications environment, the processing logic used by the peer node to operate in a server peer mode to provide the content data to a second peer node operating in a client peer mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS provides the address of the peer node to the second peer node;

the second peer node uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node accepts the request; and

the peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

a third peer node comprises the same content data as the peer node, the third peer node operating in a server peer mode;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS provides the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to the second peer node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second peer node uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the second peer node subsequently uses the address of the third peer node to submit a request to the third peer node to provide the content data;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node to submit a request to the peer node to provide the target content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the content data requestor subsequently uses the address of the third peer node to submit a request to the third peer node to provide the content data;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second peer node respectively uses the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node rejects the request;

the third peer node accepts the request; and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second peer node uses the addresses of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the peer node accepts the request and the third peer node accepts the request;

the second peer node selects the third peer node to provide the content data, and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the P2P AS comprises a content data requestor;

the second peer node submits a request to the P2P AS for the content data;

the P2P AS submits the request to the content data requestor with the address of the peer node and the third peer node;

the content data requestor uses the address of the peer node and the third peer node to concurrently submit a request to the peer node and the third peer node to provide the content data;

the first peer node accepts the request and the third peer node accepts the request;

the content data requestor selects the third peer node to provide the content data, and

the third peer node provides the content data to the second peer node.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the peer node provides its address to the P2P AS subsequent to the peer node connecting to the wireless-enabled communications environment.

21. A peer-to-peer (P2P) application server (P2P AS), comprising:

a database comprising address data corresponding to a first peer node operating in a server peer mode and a second peer node operating in a client peer mode; and

processing logic used to perform P2P content data sharing operations in a wireless-enabled communications environment, the processing logic used by the P2P AS to receive a request from the second peer mode for content data and to subsequently provide the address data corresponding to the first peer node, the first peer node comprising the content data.

22. The P2P AS of claim 21, wherein the P2P AS further comprises peer mode data used by the P2P AS to assign the server peer mode to the first peer node and the client peer mode to the second peer node.

23. The P2P AS of claim 22, wherein the P2P AS further uses the peer mode data to assign a server peer mode to a third peer node comprising the same content data as the first peer node.

24. The P2P AS of claim 23, wherein the P2P AS further uses the peer mode data to respectively assign a first preference priority to the first peer node and a second preference priority to the third peer node.

25. The P2P AS of claim 24, wherein:

the first peer node comprises a first set of cellular state data and the second peer node comprises a second set of cellular state data; and

the P2P AS uses the first set of cellular state data and the second set of cellular state data to respectively assign a first preference priority to the first peer node and a second preference priority to the third peer node.

26. The P2P AS of claim 25, wherein the first set of cellular state data and the second set of cellular state data respectively comprise one of the set of:

a static cellular state;

a slow changing cellular state; and

a fast changing cellular state.

27. The P2P AS of claim 26, wherein the cellular state data is provided to the P2P AS by a preference level conversion function (PLCF).

28. The P2P AS of claim 27, wherein the PLCF is implemented with the first UE device and the third UE device, wherein the PLCF:

receives peer mode policy data from the P2P AS;

receives cellular state data from the first peer node and the third peer node;

processes the peer mode policy data and the cellular state data to generate preference level data for the first peer node and the third peer node; and

provides the preference level data to the P2P AS, wherein the P2P AS processes the preference level data to assign the preference priority to the first peer node and to the third peer node.

29. The P2P AS of claim 27, wherein the PLCF is implemented with the P2P AS, wherein the PLCF:

receives peer mode policy data from the P2P AS;

receives cellular state data from the first peer node and the third peer node;

processes the peer mode policy data and the cellular state data to generate preference level data for the first peer node and the third peer node; and

provides the preference level data to the P2P AS, wherein the P2P AS processes the preference level data to assign the preference priority to the first peer node and to the third peer node.

30. The P2P AS of claim 21, wherein the wireless-enabled communications environment comprises an Internet protocol (IP) services domain and the P2P AS is implemented therein.