Transport system for instant messaging

• US 7,363,378 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: VonKoch, Walter, Miller, David Michael, Holmes, John
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US10/611,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-206, 709217-228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• 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 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An exemplary method involves creating a master session over a first connection through a server; and creating a virtual channel over the connection, the virtual channel operable to communicate a feature session. The method may involve establishing a direct connection that bypasses the server, and switching communication of the feature session to the direct connection. A system for network communication includes a plurality of transport bridges, each transport bridge corresponding to an active network device configuration, and a switching module operable to choose one of the transport bridges to form a connection between two computing devices based on the active network device configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

establishing an instant messaging session between a first client computer and a second client computer through a first connection via a switchboard server;

establishing a peer-to-peer connection, comprising;

initiating, at the first client computer, an invitation to the second client computer through the first connection to establish one or more feature sessions between the first client computer and the second client computer, the invitation identifying all transport bridge types supported by the first client computer;

receiving, from the second client computer, an acceptance though the first connection in response to the invitation at the first client computer, the acceptance identifying at least one or more transport bridge types preferred at the second client computer;

creating, on the basis of the received acceptance, the one or more feature sessions between the first client computer and the second client computer through a second connection, wherein the second connection is a peer-to-peer connection through the one or more preferred transport bridges;

transmitting a first portion of a blob of first data associated with the instant messaging session though the first connection via the switchboard server; and

transmitting, upon the establishment of the second connection, a subsequent portion of the blob of the first data associated with the instant messaging session through the peer-to-peer connection.

2. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, the establishing a peer-to-peer connection further comprising:

determining an active network device configuration associated with the first client computer and the second client computer; and

selecting a peer-to-peer bridge corresponding to the active network configuration.

3. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 2 wherein the peer-to-peer bridge comprises an RUDP bridge.

4. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 2 wherein the peer-to-peer bridge comprises a TCP/IP bridge.