Real-time communications over data forwarding framework

• US 8,386,585 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tajitshu Transfer LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fein, Gene, Merritt, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US12/989,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/212, 709/217, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time communications over data forwarding framework. A framework includes a group of interconnected computer system nodes each adapted to receive data and continuously forward the data from computer memory to computer memory without storing on any physical storage device in response to a request from a client system to store data from a requesting system and retrieve data being continuously forwarded from computer memory to computer memory in response to a request to retrieve data from the requesting system, and at least two client systems linked to the group, each of the client systems executing a real-time communications client program.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forwarding one or more data items between computing devices in communication via one or more networks without storing the forwarded one or more data items on any fixed storage medium in the one or more networks, wherein computing devices to which the one or more data items are respectively forwarded are dynamically determined based on statuses of respective computing devices and/or one or more statuses of the one or more networks;

receiving a first request for a particular data item of the forwarded one or more data items from a first user computing device that is in real-time communication with a second user computing device via a real-time communication client, wherein the first request indicates that the particular data item be transmitted to the second user computing device;

determining one or more computing devices within the network of computing devices to which the particular data item is likely currently being forwarded; and

transmitting a second request for the particular data item to the determined one or more computing devices, wherein the second request comprises information regarding the second user computing device and an indication that the particular data item is to be transmitted to the second user computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

comparing a hash mark associated with the particular data item to hash marks associated with respective data items entering computing devices within the network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a confirmation message to the first user computing device indicating that the particular data item has been forwarded to the second user computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgment from the second user computing device that the particular data item has been received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular data item comprises at least one of an audio file, an audiovisual file, an image file, a video file, a general binary data, or a text file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication client comprises an instant messaging client program, an E-mail client program, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client program, or a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client program.

7. A non-signal computer readable medium embodying instructions configured for execution by a computing system in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

forwarding one or more data items between computing devices in communication via one or more networks without storing the forwarded one or more data items on any fixed storage medium in the one or more networks, wherein computing devices to which the one or more data items are respectively forwarded are dynamically determined based on statuses of respective computing devices and/or one or more statuses of the one or more networks;

receiving a first request for a particular data item of the forwarded one or more data items in the network from a first user computing device that is in real-time communication with a second user computing device via a real-time communication client, wherein the first request indicates that the particular data item be transmitted to the second user computing device;

determining one or more computing devices within the network of computing devices to which the particular data item is likely currently being forwarded; and

transmitting a second request for the particular data item to the determined one or more computing devices, wherein the second request includes information regarding the second user computing device and an indication that the particular data item is to be transmitted to the second user computing device.

8. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein said determining comprises comparing a hash mark associated with the particular data item to hash marks associated with respective data items entering computing devices within the network.

9. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a confirmation message to the first computing device indicating that the particular data item has been forwarded to the second user computing device.

10. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an acknowledgment from the second user computing device indicating that the particular data item has been received.

11. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the particular data item comprises at least one of a audio file, audiovisual file, image file, video file, general binary data, or text file.

12. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the real-time communication client comprises an instant messaging client program, an E-mail client program, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client program, or a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client program.

13. A non-signal computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon, the instructions configured for execution by a first computing system in order to cause the first computing system to perform operations comprising:

generating a user interface including controls for initiating real-time communication with a user of a second computing system, wherein the user interface includes controls for allowing a user of the first computing system to select a data item for transfer to the second computing system, wherein the selected data item is continuously forwarded between memories of computer nodes in communication via a network without being stored on any fixed storage medium in the network, and wherein computer nodes to which the selected data item is respectively forwarded are dynamically determined based on statuses of respective computer nodes and/or one or more statuses of the networks;

receiving a request via the user interface to transmit the selected data item to the second computing system; and

transmitting, to one or more computer nodes to which the selected data item is likely currently being forwarded, a request for transmission of the selected data item to the second computing device.

14. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer nodes are configured to detect presence of the selected data item, apply a time stamp, and forward the data item to another computer node according to an availability of the another computer node.

15. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein availability of respective computer nodes is determined based on at least a volume of network traffic.

16. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions cause the first computing device to provide one or more of an instant messaging client program, an E-mail client program, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client program, or a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client program.

17. The non-signal computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data item includes at least one of a audio file, audiovisual file, image file, video file, general binary data, or text file.

18. A computing system comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

a computer readable medium storing instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

forwarding one or more data items between computing devices in communication via one or more networks without storing the forwarded one or more data items on any fixed storage medium in the one or more networks, wherein computing devices to which the one or more data items are respectively forwarded are dynamically determined based on statuses of respective computing devices and/or one or more statuses of the one or more networks;

receiving a first request for a particular data item of the forwarded one or more data items in the network from a first user computing device that is in real-time communication with a second user computing device via a real-time communication client, wherein the first request indicates that the particular data item be transmitted to the second user computing device;

determining one or more computing devices within the network of computing devices to which the particular data item is likely currently being forwarded; and

transmitting a second request for the particular data item to the determined one or more computing devices, wherein the second request includes information regarding the second user computing device and an indication that the particular data item is to be transmitted to the second user computing device.