Network system for establishing peer-to-peer communication
First Claim
1. A network system, comprising:
- a client terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; and
a host terminal that supports a connection of the peer-to-peer communication,wherein said client terminal generates a request message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of said client terminal, and said client terminal sends out the request message to said host terminal via a transmission mail server,wherein said host terminal acquires the request message via a reception mail server, said host terminal extracts the IP address of said client terminal from a description content of the message body of the request message, said host terminal stores the extracted IP address in a table, said host terminal selects at least one IP address from the table and generates a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating the selected at least one IP address, and said host terminal sends the reply message to said client terminal via the transmission mail server, andwherein said client terminal acquires the reply message via the reception mail server, said client terminal extracts at least one IP address of other terminals from a description content the message body of the reply message, and said client terminal starts a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with another terminal which is specified based on the extracted IP address.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a peer-to-peer network system, a first network terminal sends a request message to a host terminal. The host terminal receives this request message and extracts from this message an IP address of the first network terminal. A second network terminal also sends a request message to the host terminal, and the host terminal receives this request message, too. The host terminal sends a reply message to the second network terminal, where the host terminal has the IP address of the first network terminal contained in this reply message. The second network terminal extracts from the reply message the IP address of the first network and, based on this extracted IP address, starts a peer-to-peer communication with the first network terminal.
18 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A network system, comprising:
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a client terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; and a host terminal that supports a connection of the peer-to-peer communication, wherein said client terminal generates a request message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of said client terminal, and said client terminal sends out the request message to said host terminal via a transmission mail server, wherein said host terminal acquires the request message via a reception mail server, said host terminal extracts the IP address of said client terminal from a description content of the message body of the request message, said host terminal stores the extracted IP address in a table, said host terminal selects at least one IP address from the table and generates a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating the selected at least one IP address, and said host terminal sends the reply message to said client terminal via the transmission mail server, and wherein said client terminal acquires the reply message via the reception mail server, said client terminal extracts at least one IP address of other terminals from a description content the message body of the reply message, and said client terminal starts a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with another terminal which is specified based on the extracted IP address.
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2. A method of establishing a network connection comprising:
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generating a request message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a client terminal requesting a peer-to-peer communication; sending the request message, via a transmission mail server, to a host terminal that supports a connection of the peer-to-peer communication; acquiring by the host terminal the request message via a reception mail server; extracting by the host terminal the IP address of the client terminal from a description content of the message body of the request message; storing by the host terminal the IP address extracted by said extracting, in a table; selecting by the host terminal at least one IP address from the table and generating a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating the at least one IP address selected; sending, by the host terminal, the reply message to the client terminal, via the transmission mail server; acquiring by the client terminal the reply message, via the reception mail server; extracting by the client terminal at least one IP address of other terminals from a description content of the message body of the reply message; and starting a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with other terminals which are specified based on the IP address extracted by the client terminal in said extracting. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. A network terminal apparatus, comprising:
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a data generator which generates a request message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of the network terminal; a mail transmission and reception unit which sends out the request message to a second terminal serving as a host, via a transmission mail server, and which acquires a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message and serving as a response generated by and sent from the second terminal serving as a host, via a reception mail server; a selection processing unit which extracts at least one IP address of other terminals from a description content of the message body of the reply message; and a data exchanging unit which starts a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with a third terminal which is specified based on the IP address extracted by said selection processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A network terminal apparatus, comprising:
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a mail transmission and reception unit which acquires, via a reception mail server, a request message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a second terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; an extraction processing unit which extracts the IP address from a description content of the message body of the request message; an address storage unit which stores the extracted IP address in a table; and a data generator which selects at least one IP address from a storage content of the table and generates a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating the selected IP address, wherein said mail transmission and reception unit sends out the reply message to the requesting terminal, via a transmission mail server. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of establishing a network connection, the method comprising:
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generating a request message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a first terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; sending the request message to a second terminal serving as a host, via a transmission mail server; acquiring a reply message serving as a response embodied by an electronic mail message generated by and sent from the second terminal serving as a host, via a reception mail server; extracting at least one IP address from a description content of the message body of the reply message; and starting a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with at least one other terminal which is specified based on the IP address extracted by said extracting.
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14. A method of establishing a network connection, the method comprising:
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acquiring, via a reception mail server, a request message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; extracting the IP address from a description content of the message body of the request message; storing the extracted IP address in a table; selecting at least one IP address from a storage content of the table and generating a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating the selected IP address; and sending the reply message to the requesting terminal, via a transmission mail server.
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15. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, the program comprising the functions of:
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generating a request message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a first terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; sending the request message to a second terminal serving as a host, via a transmission mail server; acquiring a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message and serving as a response generated by and sent from the second terminal serving as a host, via a reception mail server; extracting at least one IP address of other terminals from a description content of the message body of the reply message; and starting a peer-to-peer communication of data transmission and reception with at least one other terminal which is specified based on the IP address extracted by the extracting.
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16. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, the program comprising the functions of:
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acquiring, via a reception mail server, a request message embodied by an electronic mail message containing in the message body at least one character indicating an IP address of a terminal that requests a peer-to-peer communication; extracting the IP address from a description content of the message body of the request message; storing the extracted IP address in a table; selecting at least one IP address from a storage content of the table and generating a reply message embodied by an electronic mail message that contains in the message body at least one character indicating the selected IP address; and sending out the reply message to the requesting terminal, via a transmission mail server.
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Specification