Systems and methods for connecting media devices through web sockets

• US 9,253,262 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Ping, Chrabaszcz, Michael Patrick, Williams, Dustin James, Ehlers, Geoff, Hermanson, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US13/749,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/213, 709/245, 709/232, 709/203, 709/226, 705/26, 707/747
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for connecting client devices to applications on a server using web sockets. In one aspect, the systems and methods described provide for a routing table that may be used to direct communications between a client device and an application on a web server. The routing table may overcome challenges of implementing web sockets under current constraints of the web socket specification, the HTTP specification, and server implementations.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a first device over a communication network to an application service through a second device, comprising:

receiving, via the communication network, a first message from the first device to form a web socket connection, wherein the first message includes an identification code of the first device;

storing, in a routing table, the identification code of the first device received in the first message and an identification code of the web socket connection, wherein the routing table includes one or more application services associated with the web socket connection, and wherein each application service associated with the web socket connection is implemented in a layer in a protocol stack comprising a plurality of layers, wherein the layer is below an application layer and above a network layer;

receiving, via the communication network, a second message from the first device for transmission to the application service;

retrieving from the routing table, based on the identification code of the first device received in the second message and another identification code stored in the routing table, the web socket connection associated with the first device and the application service; and

transmitting the received second message from the first device to the application service through the web socket connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first message is an upgrade request message to upgrade a transport connection to a web socket connection.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the upgrade request message is a point-topoint message, comprising the identification code of the first device as a source address and an identification code of the second device as a destination address.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the upgrade request message is a broadcast message, comprising the identification code of the first device as a source address and a broadcast address as a destination address.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third message from the first device through the web socket connection for transmission to the application service, without providing an indication message to an application implemented in the application layer above the layer in which the application service is implemented in the protocol stack.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a second web socket connection to a third device, wherein the second web socket connection is associated with the application service;

storing, in the routing table, an identification code of the third device and an identification code of the second web socket connection, wherein the routing table includes one or more application services associated with the second web socket connection;

receiving a third message from the application service for transmission to the third device;

retrieving, from the routing table, the second web socket connection associated with the third device and the application service; and

transmitting the received third message from the application service to the third device through the second web socket connection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the application service is a routing service for forwarding the received second message to a second application service implemented on a third device separate from the first device and the second device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the second device is a server device, and

the application service is maintained on the server device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a second web socket connection with a cloud service; and

transmitting a third message from the application service to the cloud service through the second web socket connection.

10. A system for connecting a first device over a communication network to an application service through a second device, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

receive, via the communication network, a first message from the first device to form a web socket connection, wherein the first message includes an identification code of the first device;

store in memory, in a routing table, the identification code of the first device received in the first message and an identification code of the web socket connection, wherein the routing table includes one or more application services associated with the web socket connection, and wherein each application service associated with the web socket connection is implemented in a layer in a protocol stack comprising a plurality of layers, wherein the layer is below an application layer and above a network layer;

receive, via the communication network, a second message from the first device for transmission to the application service;

retrieve from the routing table, based on the identification code of the first device received in the second message and another identification code stored in the routing table, the web socket connection associated with the first device and the application service; and

transmit the received second message from the first device to the application service through the web socket connection.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the first message is an upgrade request message to upgrade a transport connection to a web socket connection.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the upgrade request message is a point-topoint message, comprising the identification code of the first device as a source address and an identification code of the second device as a destination address.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the upgrade request message is a broadcast message, comprising the identification code of the first device as a source address and a broadcast address as a destination address.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive a third message from the first device through the web socket connection for transmission to the application service, without providing an indication message to an application implemented in the application layer above the layer in which the application service is implemented in the protocol stack.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

form a second web socket connection to a third device, wherein the second web socket connection is associated with the application service;

store, in the routing table, an identification code of the third device and an identification code of the second web socket connection, wherein the routing table includes one or more application services associated with the second web socket connection;

receive a third message from the application service for transmission to the third device;

retrieve, from the routing table, the second web socket connection associated with the third device and the application service; and

transmit the received third message from the application service to the third device through the second web socket connection.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the application service is a routing service for forwarding the received second message to a second application service implemented on a third device separate from the first device and the second device.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the second device is a server device, and

the application service is maintained on the server device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

form a second web socket connection with a cloud service; and

transmit a third message from the application service to the cloud service through the second web socket connection.