Method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions

• US 6,651,118 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudd, Michael L, Jensen, Philip E, Carau, Frank P Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US10/327,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 710/36, 710/268, 710/3, 710/37, 710/39, 709/227, 709/228, 709/238, 709/244, 709/252
• US Class Current: 710/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions wherein an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances receives a connection request from a source appliance. A phonebook having a plurality of phonebook entries, and stored in the appliance communications manager, is then accessed. Each of the phonebook entries includes a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information. A user of the source appliance is presented with a list having a plurality of the phonebook entries. The appliance communications manager receives the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list and, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link is established with the selected destination appliance. When a communication message is received from the source appliance, the communication message is sent to the selected destination appliance.

Claims

1. A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions, said method comprising:

receiving at an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances, a connection request from a source appliance;

accessing a phonebook stored in the appliance communications manager, the phonebook comprising a plurality of phonebook entries, wherein each of the phonebook entries comprises a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information;

presenting to a user of the source appliance, a list comprising a plurality of said phonebook entries;

receiving at the appliance communications manager, the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list;

establishing, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link with said selected destination appliance; and

transferring a communication message from said source appliance to said selected destination appliance via said communication link.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said list is presented to said user via said source appliance.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said list is presented to said user via said appliance communications manager.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said list is presented to said user via a user interface that allows said user to input a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

temporarily storing said communication message received from said source appliance until said communication link is established and said communication message is sent to said destination appliance.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a first input/output (IO) communication module to receive a connection request and a communication message from a source appliance;

data memory to store a phonebook including a plurality of phonebook entries, each of the phonebook entries comprising a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information;

a processor to access the phonebook, to present to a user of the source appliance a list comprising a plurality of said phonebook entries, to receive a destination appliance identifier selected from the list and to establish a communication link with the selected destination appliance; and

a second I/O communication module to transfer the communication message received from the source appliance to the destination appliance via the communication link.

7. The apparatus of 6, further comprising a user interface for displaying said list to the user.

8. A system comprising:

a source appliance to transmit a connection request and a communication message to an appliance communications manager;

the appliance communications manager including a phonebook having a plurality of phonebook entries, each of the phonebook entries comprising a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information, the appliance communications manager to present to a user of the source appliance a list comprising a plurality of the phonebook entries, to receive a destination appliance identifier selected from the list, to establish a communication link with the destination appliance, and to transfer the communication message received from the source appliance to the destination appliance; and

the destination appliance to receive the communication message from the appliance communications manager.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the source appliance includes a user interface to present the list to the user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the appliance communication manager includes a user interface to present the list to the user.