Communicaton system

• US 8,320,546 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaal, Madis, Kütt, Andres, Oruaas, Mart, Seeba, Asko, Hinrikus, Taavet
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US11/986,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20080152108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.13, 379/207.15, 379/201.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.06, 379/142.04, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/207.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A data store associates a first identity recognizable in a first network with a second identity recognizable in a second network for both a user and a calling entity. Both identities for the calling entity are provided to the receiving device via the second network. A node receives the communication event with the second identity for the calling entity, the communication event being addressed with the second identity of the user. The data store is queried with the second identities of the calling entity and user to determine the first identities of the calling entity and user. The receiving device receives the communication event with the first identity for the calling entity via the first network, the communication event being addressed with the first identity of the user. The receiving device determines the second identity of the calling entity using the first identity of the calling entity.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a communication event from a calling entity located in a communication system comprising a first network and a second network, at a receiving device associated with a user located in the communication system, the method comprising;

associating a first identity recognisable in the first network with a second identity recognisable in the second network for both the user and the calling entity at a data store located in the second network;

providing the first and second identities for the calling entity to the receiving device via the second network;

receiving at a node in the second network associated with the user, the communication event together with the second identity for the calling entity via the second network, wherein the communication event is addressed with the second identity of the user;

querying the data store with (i) the second identity of the calling entity received at said node, and (ii) the second identity of the user with which the communication event is addressed, to determine the first identity of the calling entity and the first identity of the user;

receiving at the receiving device associated with the user the communication event together with the determined first identity for the calling entity via the first network, wherein the communication event is addressed with the determined first identity of the user; and

determining the second identity of the calling entity at the receiving device associated with the user using said received first identity for the calling entity and said provided first and second identities for the calling entity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the node in the second network associated with the user is arranged to communicate via a communication system operating on the second network on behalf of the user of the receiving device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the node associated with the user is arranged to log into the communication system operating on the second network on behalf of the user of the receiving device.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first identity and the second identity associated with the user are transmitted from the receiving device to the data store.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first identity and the second identity associated with the user are transmitted from the receiving device to the data store via the node associated with the user.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second identity of the calling entity is determined from a contact list associated with the user of the receiving device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the contact list defines a plurality of entities capable of establishing a communication event with the user device, and wherein one of said plurality of entities is said calling entity.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein providing the first and second identities for the calling entity to the receiving device comprises providing a first identity recognisable in the first network and a second identity recognisable in the second network for each of said plurality of entities defined in the contact list.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first and second identities of the plurality of entities defined in the contact list are provided in response to a request from the receiving device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least part of the first identities of the plurality of entities are provided to the receiving device in a first data packet.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the second identities of the plurality of entities are provided in a second data packet.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein determining the second identity using the first identity of the entity comprises selecting a second identity from the second identities provided in the second data packet using the first identity.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication event comprises an instruction to be carried out at the user device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the instruction is defined by the second identity of the calling entity.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the calling entity is a user of the communication network.

16. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the communication system operating on the second network is a peer to peer system.

17. A network node for receiving a communication event for a user of a communication system from a calling entity, said communication system comprising a first network and a second network, said network node executing a communication instance arranged to:

store a first identity recognisable in the first network in association with a second identity recognisable in the second network for both the user and the calling entity;

transmit the first and second identities for the calling entity to a receiving device associated with the user via the second network;

receive the communication event together with the second identity for the calling entity via the second network, wherein the communication event is addressed with the second identity of the user; and

determine the first identity of the calling entity and the first identity of the user using;

(i) the received second identity of the calling entity, and (ii) the second identity of the user with which the communication event is addressed;

wherein the communication instance is further arranged to transmit the communication event together with the determined first identity for the calling entity to the receiving device via the first network using the determined first identity of the user such that the receiving device may determine the second identity of the calling entity using the first identity of the calling device.

18. A receiving device arranged to receive a communication event from a calling entity via a communication system comprising a first network and a second network, the receiving device comprising:

a processor executing a client program arranged to receive a first identity recognisable in the first network and a second identity recognisable in the second network for the calling entity;

a receiver arranged to receive a communication event together with the first identity of the calling entity via the first network;

wherein the client program is further arranged to determine the second identity of the calling entity using (i) the first identity of the calling entity received with the communication event, and (ii) said received first and second identities for the calling entity.

19. A receiving device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the second identity of the calling entity defines the contact details of the calling entity.

20. A receiving device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the second identity of the calling entity defines an instruction to be carried out by the client program.