System and method for shared session appearance in a hybrid peer-to-peer environment

• US 8,892,646 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Damaka, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Damaka, Inc.
• Inventors: Chaturvedi, Sivakumar, Gundabathula, Satish, Chaturvedi, Rameshkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Zachary A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Korsak, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US12/868,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/223, 709/225, 709/224, 709/202, 709/203, 709/229, 709/250, 709/226, 709/227, 709/238, 370/260, 370/261, 370310-312, 370/229, 370/462, 370/472, 370/381, 370/438, 370/907, 370/418, 370/387, 370/468, 370/252, 370/401, 370/390, 370/270, 370/328, 370/380, 370/346, 370/352, 370/353, 370/427, 370/230, 370/235, 370/395, 370/432, 370/338, 370/414, 370/413, 370/389, 370/398, 370/335, 370/327, 370/399, 370/354, 370/467, 370/356, 370/331, 370/400, 370/265, 370/447, 370/392, 370/236, 370/351, 370/396, 370/477, 370/296, 379/177, 379/221, 379/202, 379/201, 379/49, 455/518, 455/450, 455/436, 455/466, 455/416, 455/503, 455/343, 455/517, 455/127, 455/445, 455/427, 455/12, 455/428, 455/5, 455/19, 455/434, 455/456, 455/411, 455/414, 455/458, 455/417, 455/426, 455/463, 455/435, 455/41, 455/47, 455/512, 455/403, 455/555, 455/461, 455/554, 455/446, 455/90, 375/256, 375/316, 398/58, 398/48, 340/10.33, 340/539, 340/7.39, 340/7.21, 340/7.32, 711/151, 711/158, 710240-244, 710/111, 710/113, 710/116, 710/119, 705/17
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables the joining and/or recording of an ongoing peer-to-peer communication session in real time.

Claims

1. A method for receiving, by a first endpoint, communications in an ongoing peer-to-peer communication session between a second endpoint and a third endpoint in a hybrid peer-to-peer network comprising:

sending, by the first endpoint, a first request to an access server in the hybrid peer-to-peer network, wherein the first request includes information that enables the access server to identify a session entry corresponding to the ongoing communication session from a plurality of session entries corresponding to a plurality of communication sessions, wherein the session entry exists only because one of the second and third endpoints submitted a recording request to the access server for the ongoing communication session;

receiving, by the first endpoint, a response to the first request from the access server, wherein the response includes a network address for a media server;

sending, by the first endpoint, a second request to the media server, wherein the second request includes information that enables the media server to identify a recording session corresponding to the ongoing communication session from a plurality of recording sessions corresponding to a plurality of communication sessions, wherein the plurality of recording sessions are stored on the media server and wherein each recording session includes communications sent to the media server for recording by at least one endpoint in each of the plurality of communication sessions as a separate stream from the peer-to-peer communication session; and

receiving, by the first endpoint via the media server, peer-to-peer communications from the ongoing communication session between the second and third endpoints, and wherein the first endpoint does not communicate with either of the second and third endpoints to receive the peer-to-peer communications.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, by the first endpoint, a communication leg directly with the second endpoint; and

sending, by the first endpoint, outbound communications from the first endpoint directly to the second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending, by the first endpoint, a request to the second endpoint for the first endpoint to join in the ongoing communication session; and

receiving, by the first endpoint, an approval of the request from the second endpoint, wherein the communication leg is established only after the approval is received.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, by the first endpoint, a request from the second endpoint for the first endpoint to join in the ongoing communication session; and

sending, by the first endpoint, an approval of the request to the second endpoint, wherein the communication leg is established only after the approval is sent.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising requesting, by the first endpoint, that the second endpoint provide a bridge between the first endpoint and the third endpoint for communications sent by the first endpoint via the communication leg.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending, by the first endpoint, a third request to the media server, wherein the third request includes information indicating that the first endpoint intends to begin recording the outbound communications from the first endpoint and information that enables the media server to prepare to record the outbound communications from the first endpoint;

receiving, by the first endpoint, a response to the third request by the media server indicating that the media server is prepared to receive the outbound communications from the first endpoint; and

sending, by the first endpoint, the outbound communications to the media server in addition to sending the outbound communications to the second endpoint.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending, by the first endpoint, a fourth request to the access server, wherein the fourth request includes information indicating that the first endpoint intends to begin recording the outbound communications from the first endpoint.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving, by the first endpoint, a message from the second endpoint instructing the first endpoint to initiate the recording of the outbound communications from the first endpoint.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, by the first endpoint, a permission request from the second endpoint, wherein the permission request requires approval by the first endpoint before the first endpoint initiates the recording of the outbound communications from the first endpoint; and

approving, by the first endpoint, the permission request prior sending the third request to the media server.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, by the first endpoint, a permission request from the second endpoint, wherein the permission request requires approval by the first endpoint before the second endpoint initiates recording of the outbound communications from the first endpoint; and

sending, by the first endpoint, one of an approval message and a rejection message to the second endpoint in response to the permission request.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending, by the first endpoint, a notification message directly to the second endpoint indicating that the first endpoint is receiving the peer-to-peer communications from the ongoing communication session between the second endpoint and the third endpoint.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting, by the first endpoint, a unique identifier into at least one of the first and second requests, wherein the unique identifier distinguishes the ongoing communication session from a plurality of other communication sessions within the hybrid peer-to-peer network.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting, by the first endpoint, a playback start time into the second request, wherein the playback start time indicates a time in the recording session corresponding to the ongoing communication session at which to begin sending communications corresponding to the ongoing communication session from the media server to the first endpoint.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the playback start time indicates that only communications that correspond to the ongoing communication session and are currently being received by the media server are to be sent to the first endpoint.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the playback start time is prior to the current time.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

extracting from the response from the access server, by the first endpoint, information indicating that the third endpoint is involved in the ongoing communication session; and

inserting, by the first endpoint, the information indicating that the third endpoint is involved in the ongoing communication session into the second request.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending, by the first endpoint, the first and second requests to a single network address within the hybrid peer-to-peer network.

18. A method for joining, by a first endpoint, an ongoing peer-to-peer communication session between a second endpoint and a third endpoint in a hybrid peer-to-peer network comprising:

identifying, by the first endpoint, the ongoing communication session from a plurality of communication sessions based on a session entry corresponding to the ongoing communication session on a server, wherein the session entry identifies that the second endpoint is sending outbound media corresponding to the ongoing communication session to both the third endpoint and to the server;

obtaining from the server, by the first endpoint, first media communications occurring between the second and third endpoints that correspond to the ongoing communication session, wherein the server is configured to receive the first media communications from the first and second endpoints for recording;

establishing, by the first endpoint, a communication leg directly with the second endpoint, wherein the communication leg is capable of carrying second media communications from the first endpoint to the second endpoint; and

sending, by the first endpoint, the second media communications to the second endpoint and the third endpoint, wherein the second media communications are relayed to the third endpoint by the second endpoint.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving, by the first endpoint, a request from the second endpoint that the first endpoint join the ongoing communication session.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending, by the first endpoint, a request to the second endpoint that the first endpoint be allowed to join the ongoing communication session, wherein the identifying occurs prior to sending the request.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending, by the first endpoint, a notification to the second endpoint that the first endpoint is joining the ongoing communication session, wherein the identifying occurs prior to sending the request.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

notifying the server, by the first endpoint, that the first endpoint intends to record the second communications; and

sending the second communications to the server in addition to the second endpoint.

23. An endpoint device comprising:

a network interface;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor and containing a plurality of instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions including instructions for;

receiving a first request to obtain media communications from an ongoing communication session between first and second endpoints in a hybrid peer-to-peer network;

sending a second request to a server within the hybrid peer-to-peer network, wherein the second request includes information that enables the server to identify a recording session corresponding to the ongoing communication session from a plurality of recording sessions corresponding to a plurality of communication sessions based on a session entry corresponding to the ongoing communication session on the server, wherein the session entry identifies that the first endpoint is sending outbound media corresponding to the ongoing communication session to both the second endpoint and to the server;

obtaining from the server first media communications occurring between the first and second endpoints that correspond to the ongoing communication session, wherein the server is configured to receive the first media communications from the first and second endpoints for recording;

establishing a communication leg directly with the first endpoint, wherein the communication leg is capable of carrying second media communications to the first endpoint; and

sending the second media communications to the first endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein the second media communications are relayed to the second endpoint by the third endpoint.

24. The endpoint device of claim 23 further comprising instructions for:

sending a third request to the server, wherein the third request includes information indicating that the endpoint device intends to begin recording the outbound communications;

receiving a response to the third request by the server indicating that the server is prepared to receive the outbound communications; and

sending the outbound communications to the server in addition to sending the outbound communications to the first endpoint.

25. The endpoint device of claim 23 further comprising instructions for requesting that the first endpoint provide a bridge between the endpoint device and the second endpoint in order to send the outbound communications to the second endpoint via the communication leg.

26. A method for recording, by a server in a hybrid peer-to-peer network, communications in an ongoing peer-to-peer communication session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint in the hybrid peer-to-peer network comprising:

receiving, by the server, a first request from the first endpoint to initiate a first recording session for the ongoing communication session, wherein the first request includes a unique identifier of the ongoing communication session in the hybrid peer-to-peer network and address information of the first endpoint;

designating, by the server, recording storage for the first recording session;

sending, by the server, a notification to the first endpoint that the server is prepared to begin the first recording session;

receiving, by the server, first communications from the first endpoint corresponding to the ongoing communication session; and

storing, by the server, the first communications from the first endpoint in the recording storage.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first communications include inbound and outbound communications from the first endpoint.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a second request from the second endpoint to initiate a second recording session for the ongoing communication session, wherein the second request includes the unique identifier of the ongoing communication session and address information of the second endpoint;

designating, by the server, recording storage for the second recording session;

sending, by the server, a notification to the second endpoint that the server is prepared to begin the second recording session;

receiving, by the server, second communications from the second endpoint corresponding to the ongoing communication session; and

storing, by the server, the second communications from the second endpoint in the recording storage, wherein the first and second communications are outbound communications of the first and second endpoints, respectively.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

establishing, by the server, a recording session file for the first recording session;

determining, by the server, that the recording session file exists after receiving the second request; and

adding, by the server, the second recording session to the recording session file.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a third request from a third endpoint for access to the first recording session; and

sending, by the server, communications from the first recording session to the third endpoint.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the server sends the communications from the first recording session to the third endpoint as the communications for the first recording session are received by the server.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

extracting, by the server, a playback start time from the third request; and

sending to the third endpoint, by the server, the communications from the first recording session starting at a time in the first recording session that corresponds to the identified playback start time.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a fourth request from the third endpoint to initiate a third recording session for the ongoing communication session, wherein the third request includes the unique identifier of the ongoing communication session and address information of the third endpoint;

designating, by the server, recording storage for the third recording session;

sending, by the server, a notification to the third endpoint that the server is prepared to begin the third recording session;

receiving, by the server, third communications from the third endpoint corresponding to the ongoing communication session; and

storing, by the server, the third communications from the third endpoint in the recording storage.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

identifying, by the server, that multiple recordings of a single file type are present in the first recording session; and

merging, by the server, the multiple recordings prior to sending the communications from the first recording session to the third endpoint.

35. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a specific file type in which the communications from the first recording session are to be sent from the server to the third endpoint; and

converting, by the server, the communications from the first recording session to the specific file type if the communications from the first recording session are not already stored as the specific file type.

36. The method of claim 26 wherein the communications from the first recording session are stored as an identical type as a file type in which the communications from the first recording session were received.

37. The method of claim 26 wherein the server is a media server and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the server, a request for updated information corresponding to the recording session file from an access server in the peer-to-peer hybrid network; and

sending, by the server, the updated information to the access server.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the updated information includes an end time of the ongoing communication session.