Method for discovering and discriminating devices on local collaborative networks to facilitate collaboration among users

• US 8,909,710 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olbia Software Inc.
• Original Assignee: Colligo Networks, Inc. (Olbia Software Inc.)
• Inventors: Blackstock, Michael A., Watkins, Andrew D., Spaay, Henk, George, Mathieu P., Sawadsky, Nicholas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS, LINGLAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/344,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1053 with pre-configuration of logical or physical connections with a determined number of other peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

A method for identifying participants of a collaborative network is disclosed. The participants communicate over a larger electronic network wherein not all members may be participating in the collaborative session. The method begins by determining a unique session identifier for only the participants of the collaborative network. Next, a message having the session identifier is sent to all members of the network by an inquiring participant of the collaborative network. Only participants that have the session identifier respond to the inquiring participant. Finally, communication is established between the participants that responded to the message and the inquiring participant. In this regard, a collaborative network is formed including the inquiring participant.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

at a first peer computing device in a peer-to-peer network, sending a multicast message to at least two additional peer computing devices on an Internet Protocol (IP)-connected subnet, the multicast message comprising a session identifier, the session identifier derived from a session name based on user prior to establishing a new collaborative network;

responsive to the sending, receiving a unicast message from at least a plurality of the at least two additional peer computing devices on the IP-connected subnet having the same session identifier, each of the unicast messages comprising;

an IP address, or an address resolvable to an IP address, of the additional peer computing device; and

other identification of the additional peer computing device; and

updating or populating a list at the first peer computing device identifying peer computing devices that have the same session identifier including at least the plurality that have responded to indicate the IP address or address resolvable to the IP address and the other identification of the plurality of peer computing devices in order to establish the new collaborative network that includes each of the plurality of peer computing devices that have responded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically sending a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first peer computing device broadcasting a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first peer computing device maintaining a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, removing the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the subnet is a wireless ad-hoc network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically sending a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device;

the first peer computing device broadcasting a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet;

the first peer computing device maintaining a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, removing the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list;

wherein the subnet is a wireless ad-hoc network and the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically sending a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device;

the first peer computing device broadcasting a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet;

the first peer computing device maintaining a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, removing the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list;

wherein the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

an interface configured to communicate with a peer-to-peer network; and

one or more processors configured to;

send a multicast message to at least a plurality of additional peer computing devices on an Internet Protocol (IP)-connected subnet, the multicast message comprising a session identifier, the session identifier derived from a session name based on user input, the apparatus comprising a first peer computing device on the IP-connected subnet;

responsive to the sending, receive a unicast message from at least a plurality of the at least two additional peer computing devices on the IP-connected subnet having the same session identifier, the unicast message comprising;

an IP address, or an address resolvable to an IP address, of the additional peer computing device; and

other identification of the additional peer computing device; and

update or populate a list at the first peer computing device identifying peer computing devices that have the same session identifier including at least the plurality that have responded to indicate the IP address or address resolvable to the IP address and the other identification of the additional peer computing device in order to establish a new collaborative network that includes each of the plurality of peer computing devices that have responded.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further to periodically sending a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further to broadcast a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further to:

maintain a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, remove the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the subnet is a wireless ad-hoc network.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further to:

periodically send a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device;

broadcast a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet;

maintain a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, remove the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list;

wherein the subnet is a wireless ad-hoc network and the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further to:

periodically send a message to the subnet to announce the presence of the first peer computing device;

broadcast a message announcing a departure of the first peer computing device from the subnet;

maintain a record of an interval since a last message from a peer computing device other than the first peer computing device; and

when a pre-determined threshold is exceeded for the interval, remove the peer computing device other than the first peer computing device from the list;

wherein the identifier is pre-determined by a software configuration of the first peer computing device.

17. A nontransitory computer-readable medium comprising a program of instructions for execution and when executed operable to:

at a first peer computing device in a peer-to-peer network, sending a multicast message to at least two additional peer computing devices on an Internet Protocol (IP)-connected subnet, the multicast message comprising a session identifier, the session identifier derived from a session name based on user input-prior to establishing a new collaborative network;

responsive to the sending, receiving a unicast message from at least a plurality of the at least two additional peer computing devices on the IP-connected subnet having the same identifier, each of the unicast messages comprising;

an IP address of the additional peer computing device and

other identification of the additional peer computing device; and

updating or populating a list at the first computing device identifying peer computing devices that have responded to indicate the IP address or address resolvable to the IP address and the other identification of the additional peer computing devices in order to establish the new collaborative network that includes each of the plurality of peer computing devices that have responded.