Directory server for providing dynamically assigned network protocol addresses

• US 6,185,184 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Straight Path IP Group, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetSpeak Corporation (IDT Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Scott Allen, Mattaway, Shane D., Strickland, Craig B., Hutton, Glenn W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US08/719,894
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/230, 370/235, 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.55, 395/200.6, 709/201, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• 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 1/2535 : adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 : by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 : Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 : associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 : associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 : storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 : Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 : User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 : with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 : Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 : Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A communication protocol for establishing real-time, point-to-point communications between computer users over a computer network includes a directory server apparatus for providing the current dynamically assigned Internet Protocol addresses of client processes currently connected to the computer network. The server maintains a list of entries, each entry including the Internet Protocol address of a user currently connected to the network. In response to identification of one of the entries by a requesting client process, the server provides the corresponding Internet Protocol address of the entry to the requesting client process. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the directory server monitors the status of client processes connected to the network via periodic notification from the client processes. The server dynamically modifies the time interval at which client processes notify the server, depending on the demand for server resources.

Claims

1. In a server process capable of responding to requests from one or more client processes operatively coupled to the server process over a computer network, a method of monitoring the status of a client process, comprising the steps of:

A. receiving notification from a client process that the client process is active;

B. determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification from the client process is not received within a predetermined time interval;

C. monitoring a number of requests from a plurality of active client processes coupled to the server over the computer network; and

D. increasing the predetermined time interval if the number of requests from the plurality of active client processes at least equals a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step A comprises the step of:

A.1 maintaining a list of client processes.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step A further comprises the step of:

A.2 associating an indicator with one of the plurality of client processes indicating that the client process is active, upon receiving notification from the client process.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step A further comprises:

A.3 associating a value with one of the plurality of client processes indicating the time at which notification was received from the client process.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

B.1 computing the difference between the time value associated with a client processes and a value representing the present time; and

B.2 comparing the difference value to the predetermined time interval.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

B.1 determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received from the client process within the modified predetermined time interval.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

E. transmitting the modified predetermined time interval to one or more of the client processes operatively coupled to the server.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step B further comprises the step of:

B.3 determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received within the modified predetermined time interval.

9. A computer program product for use with a computer server operatively coupled to one or more client processes over a computer network, the server capable of responding to requests from the client processes, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having program code embodied therein comprising:

program code for receiving notification from a client process that the client process is active;

program code for determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received within a predetermined time interval;

program code for monitoring a number of requests from a plurality of client processes operatively coupled to the server; and

program code for modifying the predetermined time interval, if the number of requests from the plurality of client processes at least equals a predetermined threshold.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the program code for determining that the client process is inactive further comprises:

program code, responsive to the modified predetermined time interval, for transmitting the modified predetermined time interval to active client processes over the computer network.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the program code for determining that the client process is inactive further comprises:

program code for determining that a client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received from the client process within the modified predetermined time interval.

12. A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled to a server process over a computer network, the computer system capable of executing one or more client processes, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having program code embodied therein comprising:

program code for connecting to the server process over the computer network;

program code for receiving from the server process data defining a predetermined time interval within which to notifying the server process that a client process is active;

program code for notifying the server process within the predetermined time interval that a client process is active; and

program code for subsequently notifying the server process at predetermined time intervals that the client process is still active; and

program code for receiving a modified predetermined time interval from the server process.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

program code, responsive to the modified predetermined time interval, for transmitting a subsequent notification to the server process within the modified predetermined time interval that the client process is still active.

14. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

program code for receiving notification from a client process that the client process is active;

program code for determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received within a predetermined time interval;

program code for monitoring a number of requests from a plurality of client processes operatively coupled to the server; and

program code for modifying the predetermined time interval, if the number of requests from the plurality of client processes at least equals a predetermined threshold.

15. The computer data signal of claim 14 wherein the program code for determining that the client process is inactive further comprises:

program code, responsive to the modified predetermined time interval, for transmitting the modified predetermined time interval to active client processes over the computer network.

16. The computer data signal of claim 15 wherein the program code for determining that the client process is inactive further comprises:

program code for determining that a client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received from the client process within the modified predetermined time interval.