Peer to peer gateway

• US 7,877,457 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Seidel, Craig Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US11/384,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/202, 709/213
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method and system for interconnecting a number of peer to peer networks is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a peer to peer gateway communicates with one or more peer to peer networks. The gateway communicates with these networks through the Internet, to which it is connected. The gateway may be configured to perform a number of functions on each of the connected networks, including but not limited to: data storage, searching, data transfer, and data translation.

Claims

1. A method of searching by using a plurality of network managers, the method comprising:

receiving a search request from a first peer in a first peer to peer network of a plurality of peer to peer networks, the first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol at a first network manager of a gateway, wherein the search request requests content accessible via the plurality of peer to peer networks, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search;

forwarding the search request to a second network manager of the gateway, wherein the second network manager of the gateway has access to the second peer to peer network of the plurality of peer to peer networks, the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol;

forwarding the search request to a third network manager of the gateway, wherein the third network manager of the gateway has access to a third peer to peer network of the plurality of peer to peer networks, the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol; and

searching the content in the plurality of the peer to peer networks by using the first network manager, the second network manager, and the third network manager of the gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating the search request into the first peer to peer protocol, the second peer to peer protocol, and the third peer to peer protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the search request is received from a peer in communication with the gateway.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein searching the content in the plurality of the peer to peer networks further comprises:

routing the search request to the first peer to peer network, to the second peer to peer network, and to the third peer to peer network.

5. A method of searching content for a plurality of networks, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of peer to peer networks responsive to a search request for content, wherein the search request is received at a first network manager of a gateway from a peer in a first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search, and wherein the search request is forwarded to a second network manager of the gateway accessible to the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol and forwarded to a third network manager of the gateway accessible to the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol;

searching the content in each of the first peer to peer network, the second peer to peer network, and the third peer to peer network; and

transferring the content to the peer by using the gateway.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the peer is in communication with the first peer to peer network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein transferring content from the first peer to peer network to a peer comprises:

transferring the content from the first peer to peer network to the gateway;

translating the content from the first protocol to the second protocol;

transferring the content from the gateway to the second peer to peer network; and

transferring the content from the second peer to peer network to the peer.

8. A method of providing content for a plurality of networks, the method comprising:

receiving content at a first network manager of a gateway from a source in a plurality of peer topeer networks responsive to a search request for content, wherein the search request is received from a peer in a first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search, and wherein the search request is forwarded to a second network manager accessible to the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol and forwarded to a third network manager accessible to the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol;

providing the content to the first peer to peer network by using the first peer to peer protocol;

providing the content to the second peer to peer network by using the second peer to peer protocol; and

providing the content to the third peer to peer network by using the third peer to peer protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising translating the content into the first peer to peer protocol, the second peer to peer protocol, and the third peer to peer protocol.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

receiving a search request from a first peer in a first peer to peer network of a plurality of peer to peer networks, the first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol at a first network manager of a gateway, wherein the search request requests content accessible via the plurality of peer to peer networks, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search;

forwarding the search request to a second network manager of the gateway, wherein the second network manager of the gateway has access to the second peer to peer network of the plurality of peer to peer networks, the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol;

forwarding the search request to a third network manager of the gateway, wherein the third network manager of the gateway has access to the third peer to peer network of the plurality of peer to peer networks, the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol; and

searching the content in the plurality of the peer to peer networks by using the first network manager, the second network manager, and the third network manager of the gateway.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform translating the search request into the first peer to peer protocol, the second peer to peer protocol, and the third peer to peer protocol.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the search request is received from a peer in communication with the gateway.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer for searching the content in the plurality of the peer to peer networks, cause said computer to further perform:

routing the search request to the first peer to peer network and to the second peer to peer network and to the third peer to peer network.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

accessing a plurality of peer to peer networks responsive to a search request for content, wherein the search request is received at a first network manager of a gateway from a peer in a first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search, and wherein the search request is forwarded to a second network manager of the gateway accessible to the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol and forwarded to a third network manager of the gateway accessible to the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol;

searching the content in each of the first peer to peer network, the second peer to peer network, and the third peer to peer network; and

transferring the content to the peer using the gateway.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the peer is in communication with the first peer to peer network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform transferring content from the first peer to peer network to a peer comprises:

transferring the content from the first peer to peer network to the gateway;

translating the content from the first protocol to the second protocol;

transferring the content from the gateway to the second peer to peer network; and

transferring the content from the second peer to peer network to the peer.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

receiving content at a first network manager of a gateway from a source in a plurality of peer to peer networks responsive to a search request for content, wherein the search request is received from a peer in a first peer to peer network having a first peer to peer protocol, and wherein the search request identifies a second peer to peer network and a third peer to peer network to search, and wherein the search request is forwarded to a second network manager accessible to the second peer to peer network having a second peer to peer protocol and forwarded to a third network manager accessible to the third peer to peer network having a third peer to peer protocol;

providing the content to the first peer to peer network by using the first peer to peer protocol;

providing the content to the second peer to peer network by using the second peer to peer protocol; and

providing the content to the third peer to peer network by using the third peer to peer protocol.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform translating the content into the first peer to peer protocol, the second peer to peer protocol, and the third peer to peer protocol.