Peer-to-peer connection establishment

• US 20070091872A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bergenwall, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/289,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20070091872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Method, devices and computer programs for initiating and establishing a peer-to-peer connection between a mobile terminal and a data terminal. The mobile terminal constructs a signaling message comprising an internet protocol address of each communication interface when the number of communication interfaces is at least two. The addresses may be ordered in a preference order. A receiving data terminal then tries to initiate communication with a first internet protocol address, and if the initiation fails, selects the next internet protocol address for communication initiation.

Claims

1. A method of initiating communication from a peer-to-peer application of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining the number of communication interfaces in the mobile terminal;

adding internet protocol addresses of each communication interface to a signaling message, when the number of communication interfaces is at least two;

adding at least one host descriptor of the mobile terminal to the signaling message; and

sending the signaling message to a receiving entity via a public communication interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for each communication interface, whether a communication interface is a local communication interface, and

when the interface is a local communication interface, adding a local network indicator for the communication interface in the signaling message.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the communication interfaces in a preference order in the signaling message.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding a separate host descriptor for each communication interface in the signaling message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address of the mobile terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving entity is a data terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving entity is a server computer.

8. A method of establishing a connection from a data terminal to a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, with the data terminal, a signaling message comprising internet protocol addresses of at least two communication interfaces of the mobile terminal, each communication interface being identified by a corresponding internet protocol address;

selecting a first internet protocol address from the signaling message, the internet protocol address corresponding to a communication interface;

validating a host descriptor comprised in the signaling message, the host descriptor corresponding to the communication interface;

initiating communication with the internet protocol address corresponding to a validated host descriptor; and

selecting a next internet protocol address for validation and communication initiation if the validating step or initiating step fails.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the first internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to a local network;

if the first internet protocol address is a local network address, determining whether the data terminal belongs to the local network; and

selecting the next internet protocol address from the signaling message if the data terminal does not belong to the local network.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting the internet protocol addresses of the communication interfaces from the signaling message according to a preference order.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, based on a local network indicator, whether the first internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to a local network.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the signaling message from the mobile terminal.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the signaling message from a server computer.

15. A mobile terminal configured to initiate communication with a peer-to-peer application, the mobile terminal being configured to:

determine the number of communication interfaces in the mobile terminal;

add internet protocol addresses of each communication interface to a signaling message when the number of communication interfaces is at least two;

add at least one host descriptor of the mobile terminal to the signaling message; and

send the signaling message to a receiving entity via a public communication interface.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, further configured to:

determine, for each communication interface, whether a communication interface is a local communication interface, and

when the interface is a local communication interface, add a local network indicator for the communication interface in the signaling message.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, further configured to:

order the communication interfaces in a preference order in the signaling message.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, further configured to:

add a separate host descriptor for each communication interface in the signaling message.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein the at least one host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address of the mobile terminal.

20. A data terminal configured to establish a peer-to-peer connection with a mobile terminal, the data terminal being configured to:

receive a signaling message comprising internet protocol addresses of at least two communication interfaces of the mobile terminal, each communication interface being identified by a corresponding internet protocol address;

select a first internet protocol address from the signaling message, the first internet protocol address corresponding to a communication interface;

validate a host descriptor comprised in the signaling message, the host descriptor corresponding to the communication interface;

initiate communication with the first internet protocol address corresponding to a validated host descriptor; and

select the next internet protocol address for validation and communication initiation if the validating step or initiating step fails.

21. The data terminal according to claim 20, further configured to:

determine whether the first internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to a local network;

if the internet protocol address belongs to the local network, determine whether the data terminal belongs to the local network; and

select the next internet protocol address from the signaling message if the data terminal does not belong to the local network.

22. The data terminal according to claim 20, further configured to:

select internet protocol addresses of the communication interfaces from the signaling message according to a preference order.

23. The data terminal according to claim 20, further configured to:

determine, based on a local network indicator, whether the internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to the a local network.

24. The data terminal according to claim 20, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address.

25. The data terminal according to claim 20, wherein the data terminal is configured to receive the signaling message from the mobile terminal.

26. The data terminal according to claim 20, wherein the data terminal is configured to receive the signaling message from a server computer.

27. The data terminal according to claim 20, wherein the data terminal is a mobile terminal.

28. A computer program for initiating communication, embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising code adapted to perform the following steps when executed on a data-processing device:

determining the number of communication interfaces in a mobile terminal;

adding internet protocol addresses of each communication interface to a signaling message when the number of communication interfaces is at least two;

adding at least one host descriptor of the mobile terminal to the signaling message; and

sending the signaling message to a receiving entity via a public communication interface.

29. The computer program according to claim 28, further adapted to perform the following steps when executed on said data-processing device:

determining, for each communication interface, whether a communication interface is a local communication interface, and

when the interface is a local communication interface, adding a local network indicator for the communication interface in the signaling message.

30. The computer program according to claim 28, further adapted to perform the following step when executed on said data-processing device:

ordering the communication interfaces in a preference order in the signaling message.

31. The computer program according to claim 28, further adapted to perform the following step when executed on said data-processing device:

adding a separate host descriptor for each communication interface in the signaling message.

32. The computer program according to claim 28, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address of the mobile terminal.

33. A computer program for establishing a peer-to-peer connection, embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising code adapted to perform the following steps when executed on a data-processing device:

receiving, with a data terminal, a signaling message comprising internet protocol addresses of at least two communication interfaces of the mobile terminal, each communication interface being identified by a corresponding internet protocol address;

selecting a first internet protocol address from the signaling message, the internet protocol address corresponding to a communication interface;

validating a host descriptor comprised in the signaling message, the host descriptor corresponding to the communication interface;

initiating communication with the first internet protocol address corresponding to a validated host descriptor; and

selecting the next internet protocol address for validation and communication initiation if the validating step or initiating step fails.

34. The computer program according to claim 33, further adapted to perform the following steps when executed on said data-processing device:

determining whether the first internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to a local network; and

if the internet protocol address is a local network address,

determining whether the data terminal belongs to the local network; and

selecting the next internet protocol address from the signaling message if the data terminal does not belong to the local network.

35. The computer program according to claim 33, further adapted to perform the following steps when executed on said data-processing device:

selecting internet protocol addresses of the communication interfaces from the signaling message according to a preference order.

36. The computer program according to claim 33, further adapted to perform the following steps when executed on said data-processing device:

determining, based on a local network indicator, whether the internet protocol address in the signaling message belongs to a local network.

37. The computer program according to claim 33, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address.

38. A data structure for communication initiation with a peer-to-peer application, the data structure comprising:

at least two internet protocol addresses, wherein each internet protocol address identifies a communication interface of a mobile terminal; and

at least one host descriptor of the mobile terminal.

39. The data structure according to claim 38, further comprising:

a local network indicator for each local communication interface.

40. The data structure according to claim 38, wherein the communication interfaces are ordered in a preference order.

41. The data structure according to claim 38, wherein the host descriptor comprises at least part of a Media Access Control address of the mobile terminal.