Method and system for automating node configuration to facilitate peer-to-peer communication
First Claim
1. A method of setting up a prospective-participant node as a participant node in a peer-to-peer network to enable the prospective-participant node to engage in peer-to-peer communication in the peer-to-peer network with one or more other participant nodes, the method comprising:
- (a) the prospective-participant node receiving from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes participant-node-configuration data for configuring the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the participant-node-configuration data comprises at least one network-connection setting that defines how to address the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network;
(b) the prospective-participant node configuring itself using the participant-node configuration data so as to become a participant node; and
(c) establishing a point-to-point communication link between the prospective-participant node and the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes, wherein the prospective-participant node receiving from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes participant-node-configuration data comprises the prospective-participant node receiving the participant-node-configuration data over the point-to-point communication link from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes,wherein establishing the point-to-point communication link between the prospective-participant node and the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes comprises the prospective-participant node engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes, andwherein configured in at least one of the one or more other participant nodes is a network identifier that is usable by the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes to advertise the identity of the peer-to-peer network to the prospective-participant node, and wherein the prospective-participant node engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with at least one of the one or more other participant nodes comprises (i) the prospective-participant node detecting the network identifier and (ii) responsive to the network identifier, the prospective-participant node negotiating data-link-layer connection parameters with the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes so as to establish the data-link-layer connection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for configuring one or more prospective-participant nodes as participant nodes so as to enable the prospective-participant nodes to engage in a peer-to-peer communication is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the method and system may be embodied as a common application that includes logic, in hardware or software form, for carrying out one or more of the functions for configuring one or more prospective-participant nodes as a participant node in a peer-to-peer network. In carrying out these functions, one of the participant nodes discovers its network connection settings, and based on these settings, generates participant-node-configuration data that includes one or more network connection settings that define how to address the prospective-participant node as a participant node. When desiring to join the peer-to-peer network, the prospective-participant node and the participant node may establish a point-to-point communication link by engaging in a discovery process using so as to establish a data-link layer connection. After completing negotiation of the data-link-layer connection, the prospective-participant node and the participant node may communicate over the data-link-layer connection. The prospective-participant node may send to the participant node a request for network access. Responsively, the participant node sends to the prospective-participant node the participant-node-configuration data over the point-to-point connection. And the prospective-participant node configures itself using the participant-node-configuration data so as to become a participant node.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of setting up a prospective-participant node as a participant node in a peer-to-peer network to enable the prospective-participant node to engage in peer-to-peer communication in the peer-to-peer network with one or more other participant nodes, the method comprising:
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(a) the prospective-participant node receiving from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes participant-node-configuration data for configuring the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the participant-node-configuration data comprises at least one network-connection setting that defines how to address the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network; (b) the prospective-participant node configuring itself using the participant-node configuration data so as to become a participant node; and (c) establishing a point-to-point communication link between the prospective-participant node and the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes, wherein the prospective-participant node receiving from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes participant-node-configuration data comprises the prospective-participant node receiving the participant-node-configuration data over the point-to-point communication link from at least one of the one or more other participant nodes, wherein establishing the point-to-point communication link between the prospective-participant node and the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes comprises the prospective-participant node engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes, and wherein configured in at least one of the one or more other participant nodes is a network identifier that is usable by the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes to advertise the identity of the peer-to-peer network to the prospective-participant node, and wherein the prospective-participant node engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with at least one of the one or more other participant nodes comprises (i) the prospective-participant node detecting the network identifier and (ii) responsive to the network identifier, the prospective-participant node negotiating data-link-layer connection parameters with the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes so as to establish the data-link-layer connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of setting up a prospective-participant node as a participant node in a peer-to-peer network to enable the prospective-participant node to engage in peer-to-peer communication in the peer-to-peer network with one or more other participant nodes, wherein each of the one or more other participant nodes is configured with at least one respective network-connection setting defining how to address the participant node in the peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:
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(a) using at least one respective network-connection setting of at least one of the one or more other participant nodes as a service setting so as to generate participant-node-configuration data for configuring the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the participant-node-configuration data comprises at least one network-connection setting that defines how to address the prospective-participant node as a participant node in the peer-to-peer network; and (b) the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes sending to the prospective-participant node the participant-node-configuration data, wherein the participant-node-configuration data is usable by the prospective-participant node to configure itself as a participant node; and (c) establishing a point-to-point communication link between the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes and the prospective-participant node, wherein the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes sending to the prospective-participant node the participant-node-configuration data comprises the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes sending the participant-node-configuration data over the point-to-point communication link to the prospective-participant node, wherein establishing a point-to-point communication link between the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes and the prospective-participant node comprises the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with the prospective-participant node, and wherein configured in the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes is a network identifier that is usable by the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes to advertise the identity of the peer-to-peer network to the prospective-participant node, and wherein the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes engaging in a discovery process to establish a data-link-layer connection with the prospective-participant node comprises (i) the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes advertising the network identifier to the prospective-participant node, (ii) the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes receiving from the prospective-participant node a response to the network identifier, and (iii) responsively, the at least one of the one or more other participant nodes negotiating data-link-layer connection parameters with the prospective-participant node so as to establish the data-link-layer connection. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of configuring two prospective-participant nodes to enable both of the prospective-participant nodes to engage in peer-to-peer communication as participant nodes in a peer-to-peer network, wherein both of the prospective-participant nodes are configurable with at least one respective network-connection setting defining how to address the prospective-participant node, the method comprising:
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(a) designating one of the prospective-participant nodes as a host node, wherein at least one respective network-connection settings previously configured in the host node defines how to address the host node as a first of the participant nodes in the peer-to-peer network; (b) designating another of the prospective-participant nodes as a guest node; (c) the host node using its at least one respective network-connection setting as a service setting so as to generate participant-node-configuration data for configuring the guest node as a second of the participant nodes, wherein the participant-node-configuration data comprises at least one network-connection setting that defines how to address the guest node as the second of the participant nodes in the peer-to-peer network; (d) establishing a point-to-point communication link between the host node and the guest node; (e) the guest node sending a request for network access over the point-to-point communication link to the host node; (f) responsive to the request, the host node sending the participant-node-configuration data over the point-to-point communication link to the guest node; (g) the guest node receiving the participant-node-configuration data; and (h) using the participant-node configuration data, the guest node configuring its at least one respective network-configuration setting so as to become the second of the participant nodes. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification