Transmitting packets from device in network communications with other device utilizing multiple virtual network connections

• US 8,352,636 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dispersive Holdings Incorporated (Dispersive Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dispersive Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Twitchell, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BIAGINI, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US13/242,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20120030362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A method includes detecting, at a device, a request for a network connection from an application running on the device; spawning first and second virtual machines for network connections that virtualize network capabilities of the device such that first and second virtual network connections are provided; using the first virtual network connection, establishing a first connection with another device over a first path; using the second virtual connection, establishing a second connection with the other device over a second path; determining that the second path represents a trusted path; determining that a first packet does not need to be routed via a trusted connection; transmitting the first packet using the first virtual network connection for communication via the first path; determining that a second packet needs to be routed via a trusted connection; and transmitting the second packet using the second virtual network connection for communication via the second path.

Claims

1. A method of providing network communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting, at a first device, a request for a network connection from an application running on the device;

(b) spawning, at the first device, a first virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a first virtual network connection is provided;

(c) spawning, at the first device, a second virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a second virtual network connection is provided;

(d) spawning, at a second device, a third virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a third virtual network connection is provided;

(e) spawning, at the second device, a fourth virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided;

(f) spawning, at a third device, a fifth virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a fifth virtual network connection is provided;

(g) establishing a first connection between the first device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second device, via the third virtual network connection, over a first network path;

(h) establishing a second connection between the first device, via the second virtual network connection, and the second device, via the fourth virtual network connection, over a second network path, the second network path including the third device;

(i) determining that the second network path represents a trusted path;

(j) determining that a first packet does not need to be routed via a trusted connection;

(k) transmitting the first packet from the first device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the first network path;

(l) determining that a second packet needs to be routed via a trusted connection;

(m) transmitting the second packet from the first device using the second virtual network connection for communication via the second network path;

(n) receiving, at the third device using the fifth virtual network connection, the second packet;

(o) transmitting, using the fifth virtual network connection, the second packet onward along the second network path; and

(p) receiving, at the second device using the fourth virtual network connection, the second packet;

(q) wherein the first network path and the second network path are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the first packet using the first virtual network connection for communication via the first network path is performed at least partially in response to the step of determining that the first packet does not need to be routed via a trusted connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the second packet using the second virtual network connection for communication via the second network path is performed at least partially in response to the step of determining that the second packet needs to be routed via a trusted connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual machine is spawned in response to the request for a network connection from the application running on the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual machine is spawned in response to the request for a network connection from the application running on the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (g) comprises selecting a first routing protocol from among a plurality of available routing protocols.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of available routing protocols includes the Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), and the Constrained Shortest Path First (CSPF) protocol.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (k) comprises transmitting the first packet using the first virtual machine with the selected first routing protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (g) comprises selecting an initial node of the first network path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection of an initial node is based at least partially on network information stored at the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further includes a step of querying one or more nodes of a network for network information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further includes receiving the network information from the one or more nodes and generating a routing table based on the network information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a computer game.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a computer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer includes a plurality of processing cores.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile phone.