Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium product, and program

• US 7,480,722 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooi, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US10/094,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/218, 709/236, 709/229, 709/200, 709/202, 709223-230, 709/238, 709/219, 370/391, 370/401, 370/252, 370/355, 370/400, 237/7, 715/751, 340/7, 713/201, 713/168, 713/151, 713/176, 713/153, 713/162, 713/160, 379/230, 379/67, 707/104, 719/219, 726/15, 726/35
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Communication connection for peer-to-peer communication is established as follows. One personal computer, which wants to commence communication, transmits an electronic mail attached with an IP address of one personal computer to another personal computer, which is a desired destination. Another personal computer opens the transmitted electronic mail and obtains the IP address attached to the electronic mail, thereby establishing the communication connection. Information necessary for establishing the communication connection in peer-to-peer communication can be easily acquired.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for transmitting an electronic mail message to a destination to establish communications via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications, said information processing apparatus comprising:

means for retrieving an IP address of said information processing apparatus from a memory of said information processing apparatus;

means for encrypting said IP address of said information processing apparatus;

means for creating an electronic mail message including said encrypted IP address of said information processing apparatus;

means for transmitting the created electronic mail message to the destination to establish communications using said electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications; and

means for establishing a peer-to-peer connection between said information processing apparatus and said destination when said destination accesses said IP address of said information processing apparatus to establish communications.

2. An information processing method used in an information processing apparatus for transmitting an electronic mail message to a destination to establish communications via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications, said information processing method comprising:

retrieving an IP address of said information processing apparatus from a memory of said information processing apparatus;

encrypting said IP address of said information processing apparatus;

creating an electronic mail message including said encrypted IP address of said information processing apparatus;

transmitting the created electronic mail message to said destination to establish communications using said electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications; and

establishing a peer-to-peer connection between said information processing apparatus and said destination when said destination accesses said IP address of said information processing apparatus to establish communications.

3. A recording medium product on which a computer-readable program is recorded, the program being used with an information processing apparatus for transmitting an electronic mail message to a destination to establish communications via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications, the program comprising the steps of:

retrieving an IP address of said information processing apparatus from a memory of said information processing apparatus;

encrypting said IP address of said information processing apparatus;

creating an electronic mail message including said encrypted IP address of said information processing apparatus;

transmitting the created electronic mail message to said destination to establish communications using said electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications; and

establishing a peer-to-peer connection between said information processing apparatus and said destination when said destination accesses said IP address of said information processing apparatus to establish communications.

4. An information processing apparatus for transmitting an electronic mail message to a destination to establish communications via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a module configured to retrieve an IP address of said information processing apparatus from a memory of said information processing apparatus;

an encrypting unit configured to encrypt said IP address of said information processing apparatus;

a module configured to create an electronic mail message including said encrypted IP address of said information processing apparatus;

an interface configured to transmit the created electronic mail message to said destination to establish communications using said electronic mail address corresponding to said destination to establish communications; and

a module configured to establish a peer-to-peer connection between said information processing apparatus and said destination when said destination accesses said IP address of said information processing apparatus to establish communications.

5. An information processing apparatus for receiving an electronic mail message, which is transmitted from another information processing apparatus via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said information processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the electronic mail message transmitted from said another information processing apparatus via said network, said electronic mail message including a file containing an encrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus;

means for decrypting said IP address included in said file; and

means for establishing peer-to-peer communication with said another information processing apparatus by accessing said decrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus.

6. An information processing method used in an information processing apparatus for receiving an electronic mail message, which is transmitted from another information processing apparatus via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said information processing apparatus, said information processing method comprising:

receiving the electronic mail message transmitted from said another information processing apparatus via said network, said electronic mail message including a file containing an encrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus;

decrypting said IP address included in said file; and

establishing peer-to-peer communication with said another information processing apparatus by accessing said decrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus.

7. A recording medium product on which a computer-readable program is recorded, the program being used with an information processing apparatus for receiving an electronic mail message, which is transmitted from another information processing apparatus via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said information processing apparatus, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving the electronic mail message transmitted from said another information processing apparatus via said network, said electronic mail message including a file containing an encrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus;

decrypting said IP address included in said file; and

establishing peer-to-peer communication with said another information processing apparatus by accessing said decrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing apparatus for receiving an electronic mail message, which is transmitted from another information processing apparatus via a network by utilizing an electronic mail address corresponding to said information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive the electronic mail message transmitted from said another information processing apparatus via said network, said electronic mail message including a file containing an encrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus;

a module configured to decrypt said IP address included in said file; and

a module configured to establish peer-to-peer communication with said another information processing apparatus by accessing said decrypted IP address of said another information processing apparatus.