Method for obtaining information objects in a communication system

• US 7,917,471 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Balandin, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen; Nicholas E
• Application Number:
  US11/546,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 707/621, 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1837 Management specially adapted to peer-to-peer storage networks topology management mechanisms of peer-to-peer networks H04L67/1042
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for obtaining content objects in a communication system. In the method is obtained at least one search criterion at a first node. At least one entity entry is determined from an entity contact information list. An identity of a second network node is determined from the entity entry. An address is determined for the second network node using the identity. A search is submitted to the second network node. The search criteria are matched to a number of metadata objects to obtain result metadata objects, from which is provided at least a content object identifier to the first network node. The first network node obtaining a content object using said content object identifier from a third network node to the first network node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining at least one search criterion in a first network node in a communication system;

determining at least one entity entry from an entity contact information list, wherein said entity comprises at least one of a natural person or a legal person;

determining an identity of a second network node in the communication system from said entity entry;

determining an address for said second network node using said identity;

causing said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said second network node;

receiving at least a content object identifier from at least one result metadata object at said first network node, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said second network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object;

determining at least one direct reference associated with a metadata object, said direct reference identifying a third network node;

causing said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said third network node;

receiving, at said first network node, at least a content object identifier from at least one result metadata object in said third network node, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said third network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object in said third network node; and

obtaining or accessing a content object using a received content object identifier to said first network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising obtaining said content object to said first network node from a fourth network node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein matching the at least one search criterion comprises traversing a tree structure comprising said at least one metadata object.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

checking a predefined entity specific trust level before causing said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said second network node; and

selecting a second entity entry from said entity contact information list in an instance in which said trust level is below a predefined threshold value.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving said at least one result metadata object and at least one metadata object on the path towards said at least one result metadata object at said first network node.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said metadata object comprises a structured document.

7. A method, comprising:

obtaining a content object and a metadata object pertaining to said content object in a mobile node of a communication system;

determining at least one associated metadata object for said metadata object;

causing said content object to be uploaded from said mobile node to a second network node of the communication system;

causing said metadata object to be uploaded from said mobile node to said second network node;

determining at least one sharing node for said content object,

causing at least a second part of said content object to be uploaded to said at least one sharing node;

receiving a query from a first network node of the communication system;

determining said metadata object as a result metadata object for said query in said second network node;

causing at least a content object identifier for said content object from said metadata object to be provided to said first network node;

causing at least a first part of said content object to be provided to said first network node from said second network node based at least in part upon said content object identifier; and

enabling at least a second part of said content object to be provided to said first network node from said at least one sharing node based at least in part upon said content object identifier.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said causing said content object to be provided comprises causing said content object to be provided using a peer-to-peer protocol.

9. A communication system, comprising:

a first network node configured to obtain at least one search criterion, to determine at least one entity entry from an entity contact information list, to obtain an identity of a second network node from said entity entry, to obtain an address for said second network node using said identity, to submit said at least one search criterion to said second network node, to determine at least one direct reference associated with a metadata object, said direct reference identifying a third network node, to cause said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said third network node, to obtain at least a content object identifier and to obtain or access a content object with said content object identifier, wherein said entity comprises at least one of a natural person or a legal person;

said second network node configured to match said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object to obtain at least one first result metadata object and to provide at least the content object identifier from said at least one first result metadata object to said first network node; and

said third network node configured to match said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object to obtain at least one second result metadata object and to provide at least a second content object identifier from said at least one second result metadata object to said first network node.

10. The system according to claim 9, the system further comprising:

a fourth network node configured to provide said content object,

wherein

said first network node is configured to obtain said content object with said content object identifier from said fourth network node.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said second network node configured to traverse a tree structure comprising said at least one metadata object.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said first network node is configured to check a predefined entity specific trust level and to select a second entity entry from said entity contact information list in an instance in which said trust level is below a predefined threshold value.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said second network node is configured to provide said at least one result metadata object and at least one metadata object on a path towards said at least one result metadata object to said first network node.

14. The communication system according to claim 9,

wherein said metadata object comprises a structured document.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a mobile node configured to obtain a content object and a metadata object pertaining to said content object, to determine at least one associated metadata object for said metadata object, to upload said content object to a second network node, and to upload said metadata object to said second network node;

said second network node configured to receive a query from a first network node, to determine said metadata object as a result metadata object for said query, to provide at least a content object identifier for said content object from said metadata object to said first network node, and to provide at least a second part of said content object to said at least one sharing node;

said first network node configured to download or access said content object using said content object identifier at least in part by determining at least one sharing node for said content object, downloading at least a first part of said content object from said second network node, and downloading at least a second part of said content object from said at least one sharing node; and

said at least one sharing node.

16. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein said first network node and said second network node are configured to apply a peer-to-peer protocol.

17. An apparatus, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:

obtain at least one search criterion;

determine at least one entity entry from an entity contact information list, wherein said entity comprises at least one of a natural person or a legal person;

determine an identity of a second network node from said entity entry;

determine an address for said second network node using said identity;

cause said at least one search criterion to be transmitted to said second network node;

receive at least a content object identifier from at least one result metadata object, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said second network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object;

determine at least one direct reference associated with a metadata object, said direct reference identifying a third network node;

causing said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said third network node;

receive at least a content object identifier from at least one result metadata object in said third network node, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said third network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object in said third network node; and

obtain or access a content object with a received content object identifier from a remote network node.

18. An apparatus, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:

cause storage of at least one metadata object and at least one content object, said at least one metadata object and at least one content object being stored based at least in part upon a determined at least one associated metadata object for said at least one metadata object;

determine at least one sharing node for said content object;

cause at least a second part of said content object to be uploaded to said at least one sharing node;

process a query from a remote network node;

determine a first metadata object among said at least one metadata object as a result metadata object for said query;

cause at least a content object identifier for a first content object among said at least one content object from said first metadata object to be provided to said remote network node;

cause at least a first part of said content object to be provided to said remote network node based at least in part upon said content object identifier; and

enable at least a second part of said content object to be provided to said remote network node from said at least one sharing node based at least in part upon said content object identifier.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer readable medium having computer program code instructions stored thereon, wherein when the program code instructions are executed by a processor, the program code instructions are configured to cause an apparatus to perform:

obtaining at least one search criterion;

determining at least one entity entry from an entity contact information list, wherein said entity comprises at least one of a natural person or a legal person;

determining an identity of a network node from said entity entry;

determining an address for said network node using said identity;

causing said at least one search criterion to be transmitted to said network node;

receiving at least a content object identifier from said network node, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object;

determining at least one direct reference associated with a metadata object, said direct reference identifying a second network node;

causing said at least one search criterion to be submitted to said second network node;

receiving at least a content object identifier from at least one result metadata object in said second network node, said at least one result metadata object being obtained in said second network node by matching said at least one search criterion to at least one metadata object in said second network node; and

obtaining or accessing a content object with a received content object identifier.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said at least one computer readable medium comprises a removable memory card.

21. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said at least one computer readable medium comprises a magnetic or an optical disk or a holographic memory.

22. A computer program product comprising at least one computer readable medium having computer program code instructions stored thereon, wherein when the program code instructions are executed by a processor, the program code instructions are configured to cause an apparatus to perform:

causing storage of at least one metadata object and at least one content object, said at least one metadata object and at least one content object being stored based at least in part upon a determined at least one associated metadata object for said at least one metadata object;

determining at least one sharing node for said content object;

causing at least a second part of said content object to be uploaded to said at least one sharing node;

processing a query from a remote network node;

determining a first metadata object among said at least one metadata object as a result metadata object for said query;

causing at least a content object identifier for a first content object among said at least one content object from said first metadata object to be provided to said remote network node;

causing at least a first part of said content object to be provided to said remote network node from said second network node based at least in part upon said content object identifier; and

enabling at least a second part of said content object to be provided to said remote network node from said at least one sharing node based at least in part upon said content object identifier.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said at least one computer readable medium comprises a removable memory card.

24. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said at least one computer readable medium comprises a magnetic or an optical disk or a holographic memory.