Spectators in a peer-to-peer relay network

• US 7,610,402 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Van Datta, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/700,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/238, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for implementing peer-to-peer relay. In one implementation, a peer-to-peer relay network includes: a plurality of N peer systems; wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is connected to a number of other peer systems in said peer-to-peer relay network that is less than or equal to a connection limit, said connection limit is greater than or equal to 2, said connection limit is less than or equal to N−2, each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is configured to relay data to peer systems connected to that peer system according to a set of one or more relay rules, each peer system is a participant or a spectator, at least one peer system is a participant, at least one peer system is a spectator, a participant is configured to generate data to be relayed in said peer-to-peer relay network, and a spectator is configured to relay data generated by a participant.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

a plurality of N peer systems, wherein each peer system is either a participant or a spectator and the peer-to-peer network includes at least one participant and at least one spectator;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is connected to a number of other peer systems in said peer-to-peer relay network that is less than or equal to a connection limit, said connection limit is greater than or equal to 2, said connection limit is less than or equal to N−

2, each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is configured to relay data to peer systems connected to that peer system according to a set of one or more relay rules,

wherein a participant is configured to generate data to be relayed in said peer-to-peer relay network, and a spectator is configured to relay data generated by a participant, and

wherein the spectator is not authorized to generate new data to be relayed in the peer-to-peer network and the spectator is not authorized to send the new data to be relayed throughout the peer-to-peer network.

2. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, further comprising:

a server connected to each peer system.

3. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one participant is playing an online game.

4. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one participant is performing.

5. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 4, wherein:

said performing is playing music.

6. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one participant is teaching.

7. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

at least two peer systems are participants, and each participant has a connection to at least one other participant.

8. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

each peer system is configured not to relay data generated by a spectator.

9. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

at least one spectator is a conditional spectator, a conditional spectator is configured to request permission to send data generated by the conditional spectator to other peer systems to be relayed throughout said peer-to-peer relay network, each peer system is configured to relay data generated by a conditional spectator if that conditional spectator has received permission to send that data.

10. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

at least one peer system is a network-enabled game console.

11. The peer-to-peer relay network of claim 1, wherein:

at least two peer systems are connected through the Internet.

12. A method of relaying data in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

receiving data at a relaying peer system from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, wherein said data has associated information identifying the origin peer system that generated said data;

confirming said origin peer system is permitted to send data to be relayed through said peer-to-peer relay network;

applying a set of one or more relay rules to select zero or more peer systems indicated by said set of one or more relay rules to which to relay said data; and

relaying said data to any peer systems selected by applying said set of one or more relay rules;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is a participant or a spectator, and

wherein the spectator is not authorized to generate new data to be relayed in the peer-to-peer network and the spectator is not authorized to send the new data to be relayed throughout the peer-to-peer network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

each peer system stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which a peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and each peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules defining how a peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.

14. A peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

means for receiving data at a relaying peer system from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, wherein said data has associated information identifying the origin peer system that generated said data;

means for confirming said origin peer system is permitted to send data to be relayed through said peer-to-peer relay network;

means for applying a set of one or more relay rules to select zero or more peer systems indicated by said set of one or more relay rules to which to relay said data; and

means for relaying said data to any peer systems selected by applying said set of one or more relay rules;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is a participant or a spectator, and

wherein the spectator is not authorized to generate new data to be relayed in the peer-to-peer network and the spectator is not authorized to send the new data to be relayed throughout the peer-to-peer network.

15. The peer system of claim 14, wherein:

said peer system stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which said peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and said peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules defining how said peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, said method comprising step to:

process received data at a relaying peer system from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, wherein said data has associated information identifying the origin peer system that generated said data;

confirm said origin peer system is permitted to send data to be relayed through said peer-to-peer relay network;

apply a set of one or more relay rules to select zero or more peer systems indicated by said set of one or more relay rules to which to relay said data; and

relay said data to any peer systems selected by applying said set of one or more relay rules;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network is a participant or a spectator, and

wherein the spectator is not authorized to generate new data to be relayed in the peer-to-peer network and the spectator is not authorized to send the new data to be relayed throughout the peer-to-peer network.

17. The computer program of claim 16, wherein:

said peer system stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which said peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and said peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules defining how said peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.