Two-tier architecture for remote access service

• US 8,949,369 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UX Ltd.
• Original Assignee: UX Ltd.
• Inventors: Long, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US12/136,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

Remote access service is provided between two or more computers on a network to facilitate a variety of activities, including desktop sharing, web-meetings, and web-conferences. A first computer sends its connection information to a server. The server stores the connection information for the first computer. A second computer may make a request to the server to remotely access the first computer. The server sends to the second computer the connection information it has stored for the first computer. The second computer uses the connection information for the first computer to send to the first computer connection information for the second computer via direct network connection. From this point on, the first computer and the second computer exchange data for remote access via a direct network connection, independently of the server.

Claims

1. In a server for facilitating remote access between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from one of the first computers a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

storing in the server the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

receiving, by the server, a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers; and

the server sending to said one of the second computers the stored first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to the server receiving the request from said one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers, said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address and said one of the second computers sending a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one of the second computers exchanges data with said one of the first computers via a direct network connection using the first IP address and second IP address, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers comprises:

hosting a website displaying the first computers; and

receiving from one of the second computers a selection of said one of the first computers for remote access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers is a publicly accessible IP address corresponding to a repeater to which said one of the first computers is communicatively coupled.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to said one of the first computers; and

sending to said one of the second computers the unique identifier, said one of the second computers directly connecting to the repeater identified by the first IP address and sending the unique identifier assigned to said one of the first computers directly to the repeater.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for facilitating remote access between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, the instructions when executed by a processor on a server causing the processor to:

receive from one of the first computers a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

store in the server the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

receive, by the server, a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers; and

send, by the server, to said one of the second computers the stored first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to the server receiving the request from said one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers, said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address and said one of the second computers sending a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein said one of the second computers exchanges data with said one of the first computers via a direct network connection using the first IP address and second IP address, respectively.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein receiving a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers comprises:

hosting a website displaying the first computers; and

receiving from one of the second computers a selection of said one of the first computers for remote access.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers is a publicly accessible IP address corresponding to a repeater to which said one of the first computers is communicatively coupled.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions further causing the processor to:

assign a unique identifier to said one of the first computers; and

send to said one of the second computers the unique identifier, said one of the second computers directly connecting to the repeater identified by the first IP address and sending the unique identifier assigned to said one of the first computers directly to the repeater.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for facilitating remote access between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, the instructions when executed by a processor on one of the second computers configured to cause the processor to:

send, by a second computer, a request to a server to establish remote access to one of the first computers;

receive, at said second computer, from the server a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to sending the request to the server;

store the first IP address;

establish a direct connection with said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address; and

send a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause said one of the second computers to exchange data with said one of the first computers via a direct network connection using the first IP address and second IP address, respectively.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers is a publicly accessible IP address corresponding to a repeater to which said one of the first computers is communicatively coupled.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause said one of the second computers to exchange data with the repeater via a direct network connection using the first IP address and second IP address, respectively.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the instructions further causing the processor to:

receive from the server a unique identifier assigned by the server to said one of the first computers; and

send the unique identifier assigned to said one of the first computers directly to the repeater.

16. In a server for facilitating a web conference between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, a computer implemented method comprising:

receiving from one of the first computers a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

storing in the server the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers;

receiving, by the server, a request from one of the second computers to join a web conference with said one of the first computers; and

sending, by the server, to said one of the second computers the stored first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to the server receiving the request from said one of the second computers to join the web conference with said one of the first computers, said one of the second computers joining the web conference by directly connecting to said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address, and said one of the second computers sending a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data in the web conference with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the request from one of the second computers to join the web conference comprises:

hosting a website displaying the first computers; and

receiving from one of the second computers a selection of said one of the first computers that is currently in the web conference.