Systems, methods and media for distributing peer-to-peer communications

• US 8,793,313 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red 5 Studios, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Red 5 Studios, Inc.
• Inventors: Kern, Mark, Culhane, Sean, Hoffman, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, AFTAB N
• Application Number:
  US13/228,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-227, 709217-219, 726/15, 726/12
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2002 where interconnections or communication control functionality are redundant flexible arrangements for bus networks involving redundancy H04L12/40176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2539 Hiding addresses; Keeping addresses anonymous
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods for distributing peer-to-peer communications are provided herein. Exemplary methods may include masking identification of two or more client nodes on a communications channel of a peer-to-peer communications network by directing peer-to-peer communications of the two or more client nodes through a proxy node, the proxy node including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes, the disinterested client node providing network resources to the peer-to-peer communications network.

Claims

1. A method for distributing peer-to-peer communications, comprising:

establishing a communications channel for an amount of client nodes;

determining an amount of proxy nodes required for the communications channel based upon the amount of client nodes;

evaluating a list of potential proxy nodes available to a peer-to-peer communications network;

comparing an Internet protocol (IP) address of each of the potential proxy nodes and an IP address of two or more client nodes to determine one or more disinterested proxy nodes;

selecting a proxy node from the one or more disinterested proxy nodes;

masking identification of the two or more client nodes on a communications channel of a peer-to-peer communications network by directing peer-to-peer communications of the two or more client nodes through the selected proxy node, the selected proxy node including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes, the disinterested client node providing network resources to the peer-to-peer communications network; and

selecting an additional proxy node from a quick switch list of potential proxy nodes upon determining failure of the selected proxy node, the additional proxy node also including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disinterested client node includes a client node with which the two or more client nodes have never previously communicated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer communications network includes a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communications network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disinterested proxy node includes a hosted node of the peer-to-peer communications network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proxy node may be utilized for two or more different communications channels.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein failure includes a quality of service for the proxy node being below a threshold amount.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the quality of service for the proxy node includes a current amount of network bandwidth being made available to the peer-to-peer communications network.

8. A system for distributing peer-to-peer communications, comprising:

a memory for storing executable instructions for distributing peer-to-peer communications; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory, the executable instructions including;

a channel controller module configured to;

establish a communications channel for an amount of client nodes, and

determine an amount of proxy nodes required for the communications channel based upon the amount of client nodes; and

a proxy manager module configured to;

evaluate a list of potential proxy nodes available to the peer-to-peer communications network,

compare an Internet protocol (IP) address of each of the potential proxy nodes and an IP address of the two or more client nodes to determine one or more disinterested proxy nodes,

select at least one proxy node from the one or more disinterested proxy nodes,

mask identification of the two or more client nodes on a communications channel of a peer-to-peer communications network by directing peer-to-peer communications of the two or more client nodes through the at least one proxy node, the at least one proxy node including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes, the disinterested client node providing network resources to the peer-to-peer communications network, and

select an additional proxy node upon the channel controller module determining failure of a proxy node, the additional proxy node also including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein failure includes a quality of service for the proxy node being below a threshold amount.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the disinterested client node includes a client node with which the two or more client nodes have never previously communicated.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer communications network includes a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communications network.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the disinterested proxy node includes a hosted node of the peer-to-peer communications network.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the proxy manager module may utilize a proxy node for two or more different communications channels.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program executable by a processor in a computing system to perform a method for distributing peer-to-peer communications, the method comprising:

establishing a communications channel for an amount of client nodes;

determining an amount of proxy nodes required for the communications channel based upon the amount of client nodes;

evaluating a list of potential proxy nodes available to the peer-to-peer communications network;

comparing an Internet protocol (IP) address of each of the potential proxy nodes and an IP address of two or more client nodes to determine one or more disinterested proxy nodes;

selecting at least one proxy node from the one or more disinterested proxy nodes;

masking identification of the two or more client nodes on a communications channel of a peer-to-peer communications network by directing peer-to-peer communications of the two or more client nodes through the selected at least one proxy node, the selected at least one proxy node including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes, the disinterested client node providing network resources to the peer-to-peer communications network; and

selecting an additional proxy node from a quick switch list of potential proxy nodes upon determining failure of a proxy node, the additional proxy node also including a disinterested client node relative to the two or more client nodes.