System and method for establishing a point-to-point connection

• US 8,073,948 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL Advertising Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldfinger, Yair, Vigiser, Sefi, Vardi, Arieh, Amnon, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US12/923,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/901 Virtual networks or virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

A communications system including a communications network, a multiplicity of communications terminals, a monitor operative to monitor whether or not a specific user is connected to the communications network, a point-to-point connection enabler operative to conditionally allow at least one seeking user to establish a point-to-point connection with at least one other user who is in a set of sought users and an authorization request manager operative to transmit an authorization request to the at least one other user, when the at least one other user is connected to the communications network, receive a response to the authorization request from the at least one other user and transmit the response to the point-to-point connection enabler prior to the point-to-point connection enabler allowing establishment of the point-to-point connection.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a communications network;

a multiplicity of communications terminals which are connectable to said communications network and which can be employed by a plurality of users to communicate via said communications network, wherein a given user of said plurality of users is not necessarily identified with a given communications terminal;

a monitor operative to monitor whether or not a specific user of said plurality of users is connected to said communications network irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing;

a point-to-point connection enabler operative to conditionally allow at least one seeking user of said plurality of users, currently connected to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, to establish a point-to-point connection with at least one other user who is in a set of sought users, said set of sought users being definable by said at least one seeking user; and

an authorization request manager operative to;

transmit an authorization request to said at least one other user, when said at least one other user is connected to said communications network;

receive a response to said authorization request from said at least one other user; and

transmit said response to said authorization request to said point-to-point connection enabler prior to said point-to-point connection enabler allowing establishment of said point-to-point connection.

2. A communications system according to claim 1 and also comprising an information manager operative to maintain a list of selected users of said plurality of users who request to be asked for authorization prior to allowing a point-to-point connection to another user to be established.

3. A communications system according to claim 2 and wherein said authorization request manager is operative to determine if said at least one other user is included in said list of selected users.

4. A communications system according to claim 2 and wherein said information manager is operative to determine if said at least one other user is included in said list of selected users.

5. A communications system comprising:

a communications network;

a multiplicity of communications terminals which are connectable to said communications network and which can be employed by a plurality of users to communicate via said communications network, wherein a given user of said plurality of users is not necessarily identified with a given communications terminal;

a monitor operative to monitor whether or not a specific user of said plurality of users is connected to said communications network irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing;

a point-to-point connection enabler operative to conditionally allow at least one seeking user of said plurality of users, currently connected to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, to establish a point-to-point connection with at least one other user who is in a set of sought users, said set of sought users being definable by said at least one seeking user;

an information manager operative to maintain a list of selected users of said plurality of users who request to be asked for authorization prior to allowing a point-to-point connection to another user to be established; and

an authorization request manager operative to determine if said at least one other user is included in said list of selected users.

6. A method for establishing a point-to-point connection, the method comprising:

monitoring, using a connection monitor, whether or not a specific user of a plurality of users is connected to a communications network via any of a multiplicity of communications terminals irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing;

receiving, at a server, from at least one seeking user of said plurality of users a set of sought users, said set of sought users being definable by said at least one seeking user;

transmitting, via said communications network, an authorization request to at least one user of said set of sought users, when said at least one user of said set of sought users is connected to said communications network;

receiving, at said server, a response to said authorization request from said at least one user of said set of sought users; and

if said response is a positive response;

establishing, via said communications network, a point-to-point connection between said at least one seeking user and said at least one user of said set of sought users.

7. A method for establishing a point-to-point connection, the method comprising:

maintaining, using an information manager, a list of selected users of a plurality of users who request to be asked for authorization prior to allowing a point-to-point connection to be established with another user;

monitoring, using a connection monitor, whether or not a specific user of said plurality of users is connected to a communications network via any of a multiplicity of communications terminals irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing;

receiving, at a server, a request from at least one seeking user of said plurality of users to establish a point-to-point connection with at least one other user; and

if said at least one other user is included in said list of selected users;

transmitting, via said communications network, an authorization request to said at least one other user, when said at least one other user is connected to said communications network; and

receiving a response to said authorization request from said at least one other user; and

if said response is a positive response;

establishing, via said communications network, a point-to-point connection between said at least one seeking user and said at least one other user; and

if said at least one other user is not included in said list of selected users;

establishing, via said communications network, a point-to-point connection between said at least one seeking user and said at least one other user.