System facilitating user access to content stored or exposed on connected electronic communication devices

• US 9,503,274 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyperlync Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hyperlync Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wulfsohn, Ronald, Benjamin, Jacob, Fox, Harry, Rubin, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu
• Application Number:
  US14/192,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A communication system facilitating the establishment of a channel of communication for multiple electronic communication devices includes a registration server. The system also includes a plurality of enabled electronic communication devices in communication with the registration server. Each of the plurality of enabled electronic communication devices including an application programming interface enabling communication with the registration server. The communication server further includes a local communication network and a global communication network. If the plurality of enabled electronic communication devices are in the local communication network, communication amongst the plurality of enabled electronic communication device is established using the local communication network and if the plurality of electronic communication devices are not in the local communication network, communication amongst the plurality of enabled electronic communication device is established using the global communication network.

Claims

1. A communication system facilitating the establishment of a channel of communication for a plurality of enabled electronic communication devices which are part of an extended network including a global communications network and a local communication network, comprising:

a registration server configured to receive login registrations from electronic communication devices in the extended network, to store information about the registered electronic communication devices which are part of the extended network, and to provide information about the registered electronic communication devices in response to requests from devices in the extended network, wherein said information provided in response to a particular request identifies each of the registered electronic communication devices to which the particular requesting device can establish a communication channel through the extended network;

the plurality of enabled electronic communication devices being in communication with the registration server, each of the plurality of enabled electronic communication devices including an application programming interface enabling communication with the registration server and being configured to log-in to the registration server when joining the extended network;

the plurality of enabled electronic communication devices including a first enabled electronic communication device being in the local communication network and configured to;

(a) retrieve information from the registration server identifying all of the registered enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections can be made from the first enabled electronic communication device;

(b) receive a selection of a second enabled electronic communication device from among the registered specific enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made; and

(c) communicate with the second enabled electronic communication device over the local communication network upon a determination that the first and second enabled electronic devices are in the same local communication network, or otherwise to communicate with the second enabled electronic communication device over the global communication network using information received from the registration server about the second enabled electronic device;

wherein if the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are in the local communication network, communication between them is established using the local communication network and if the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are not in the same local communication network, communication between them is established using the global communication network.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the registration server provides information to facilitate seamless switching between use of local communication networks and global communication networks by the first enabled electronic communication device in communication with the second enabled electronic communication device.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the local communication networks is a Wi-Fi network or a LAN subnet.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein each of the enabled electronic communication devices includes an application in a form of computer software specifically adapted for implementing procedural steps and functionalities.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further including a Peer-To-Peer rendezvous server providing for firewall and network address translation traversal.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the Peer-To-Peer rendezvous server implements Session Traversal Utilities for NAT, Traversal Using Relay NAT, or Interactive Connectivity Establishment protocols.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein enabled electronic communication devices have the ability to view content, stream media content, transfer content or move or delete content of any other enabled electronic communication device.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein files can be both PUSHED and PULLED from one enabled electronic communication device to another enabled electronic communication device.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, further including REMOTE CONTROL features allowing an enabled electronic communication device to take control of another enabled electronic communication device.

10. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of enabled electronic devices are selected from the group consisting of a computer, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a Lync box, a television set, and a Networked Attached Storage drive.

11. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first enabled electronic communication device is configured to:

(a) upon detection that the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are in the same local communication network while communicating over the global communication network, establish a data connection with the second enabled electronic communication device over the respective local communication network and terminate the data connection over the global communication network; and

(b) upon detection that the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are no longer in the same local communication network after having established a communication link with the second enabled electronic communication device over that respective local communication network, establish a data connection with the second enabled electronic communication device over the global communication network.

12. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein each said enabled electronic communication devices is configured to, in response to entering a new local communication network, broadcast its presence on the new local communication network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first enabled electronic communication device is further configured to display a list of the registered specific enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made and from which the second device can be selected.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each login registration includes a respective user name;

wherein the information about the registered electronic communication devices provided by the registration server further indicates the user name associated with such registered electronic communication devices; and

wherein the first enabled electronic communication device is configured to display the list organized according to the respective user names.

15. A system for communicating over an extended network including a global communications network and a local communication network, the system comprising:

a first electronic communication device connectable to the global communication network and the local communication network;

the first electronic communication device configured to;

(a) send a registration to a registration server as part of establishing a connection to the extended network;

(b) receive information from the registration server identifying each other electronic communication device connected to the extended network, registered with the registration server, and to which a data connection can be made by the first electronic communication device;

(c) receive a selection of a second enabled electronic communication device from among the identified enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made;

(d) determine when the second electronic communication device is in the local communication network; and

(e) maintain a data connection with the second electronic communication device using the local communication network while the second electronic communication device is in the local communication network and otherwise using the global communication network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first electronic communication device is further configured to broadcast its presence upon entering another local communication network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first electronic communication device is configured to seamlessly switch between use of the local communication network and the global communication network in communications with the second electronic communication device responsive to detection of the second electronic communication device entering and leaving the local communication network.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first electronic communication device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a Lync box, a television set, and a Networked Attached Storage drive.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first enabled electronic communication device is further configured to display a list of the registered specific enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made and from which the second device can be selected.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the information received from the registration server indicates a respective user name associated with each respective identified electronic communication device and wherein the first enabled electronic communication device is configured to display the list organized according to the respective user names.

21. A method for a first electronic communication device to communicate over an extended network including a global communications network and a local communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

sending registration information associated with the first electronic communication device to a registration server as part of establishing a connection to the extended network;

receiving information from the registration server identifying each other electronic communication device connected to the extended network, registered with the registration server, and to which a data connection can be made by the first electronic communication device;

receiving a selection of a second electronic communication device from among the other identified electronic communication devices to which a data connection can be made by the first electronic communication device;

determining when the second electronic communication device is in the local communication network; and

maintaining a data connection with the second electronic communication device using the local communication network while the second electronic communication device is in the local communication network and otherwise using the global communication network.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of the first electronic communication device broadcasting its presence upon entering another local communication network.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of the first electronic communication device seamlessly switching between use of the local communication network and the global communication network in communications with the second electronic communication device responsive to detection of the second electronic communication device entering and leaving the local communication network.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first electronic communication device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a Lync box, a television set, and a Networked Attached Storage drive.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of displaying a list of the registered specific enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made and from which the second device can be selected.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of sending registration information associated with the first electronic communication device to a registration server includes sending a user name associated with the first electronic communication device;

the step of receiving information from the registration server includes receiving information identifying a respective user name associated with each respective identified electronic communication device; and

the step of displaying further includes displaying the list organized according to the respective user names.

27. A method for facilitating communication for a plurality of enabled electronic communication devices which are part of an extended network including a global communications network and a local communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a registration server login registrations from enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network;

providing from the registration server to a first enabled electronic communication device information identifying each specific enabled electronic communication device in the extended network registered with the registration server and to which a connection from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made;

receiving at the first enabled electronic communication device a selection of a second enabled electronic communication device from among the enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made;

the first enabled electronic communication device establishing a connection with the second enabled electronic devices over the local communication network upon a determination that the first and second enabled electronic devices are in the same local communication network, or otherwise establishing a connection with the second enabled electronic communication devices over the global communication network.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

when the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are connected over the global communication network and upon detection that the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are in the same local communication network, establishing a data connection between the first and second enabled electronic communication devices over the local communication network; and

when the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are connected over the local communication network and upon detection that the first and second enabled electronic communication devices are no longer in the same local communication network, establishing a data connection between the first and second enabled electronic communication devices over the global communication network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein switching between use of local communication networks and global communication networks in communications between the first and second enabled electronic communication devices is seamless.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the local communication network is a Wi-Fi network or a LAN subnet.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of providing firewall and network address translation traversal via a Peer-To-Peer rendezvous server.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the Peer-To-Peer rendezvous server implements Session Traversal Utilities for NAT, Traversal Using Relay NAT, or Interactive Connectivity Establishment protocols.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of the first enabled electronic communication device accessing data content on the second enabled electronic communication device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of accessing data content comprises at least one of viewing content, streaming media content, transferring content, moving content, and deleting content.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of the first enabled electronic communication device remotely controlling features of the second enabled electronic communication device.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the first enabled electronic communication device broadcasts its presence on a new local communication network in response to entering the new local communication network.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of displaying a list of the registered specific enabled electronic communication devices in the extended network to which connections from the first enabled electronic communication device can be made and from which the second device can be selected.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the logon registrations received at the registration server include a respective user name associated with the respective electronic communication device logging in;

the information provided by the registration server includes the user name associated with the identified specific enabled electronic communication devices; and

the step of displaying further includes displaying the list organized according to the respective user names.