Uniform network access

• US 20050246412A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peer Communications Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Peer Communications Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Murrell, Stephen J., Hamman, Henry L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a registry is displayed. The registry may, for example, indicate resources available from a plurality of remote network access devices via a communications network. Moreover, a personal network address may be associated with each available resource, the personal network address including an destination address portion and an application program identifier portion. A direct communications link may then be established between a first network access device hosting an available resource and a second network address device using the personal network address associated with the resource.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a registry of resources available from a plurality of remote network access devices via a communications network;

associating a personal network address with each available resource, wherein the personal network address includes an destination address portion and an application program identifier portion; and

establishing a direct communications link between a first network access device hosting an available resource and a second network address device using the personal network address associated with the resource.

2-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A communication network including a plurality of network access devices, comprising:

a plurality of network access devices, at least some of the plurality of network access devices communicating directly with other of the plurality of network access devices, each network access device specifying an extent to which resources of the network access device are available;

a plurality of the plurality of network access devices hosting a registry, the registry including addresses of agents, with a one of the plurality of network devices hosting an active registry.