SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTI-LAYERED NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20070130253A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Toll, Roderick, Newson, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A multi-layered network for transporting data comprises a first network layer that provides a first session topology, and a second network layer that provides a second session topology. The second network layer uses the first network layer to transport data. In one embodiment of the invention, the data sent by the second layer is real-time audio data, such as voice. Each session topology may be either peer-to-peer or client/server. The first and second layers may have different topologies and/or different session hosts. A deterministic algorithm is provided whereby a new session host is selected when the current host leaves the session.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of communicating between a first process and a second process, comprising the acts of:

issuing, by the first process, a connection call having a plurality of call parameters comprising configuration information for a sound device, client configuration information, and a flag;

receiving, by the second process, the connection call and parsing the call to retrieve the parameters;

connecting said first process to a networking session based on said plurality of call parameters, said networking session having a first network topology; and

issuing, by the second process, an acknowledgment that said first process is connected to said networking sessions,

wherein said connection call and said acknowledgement are sent between said first process and said second process through a first communication component that implements said first network topology, and wherein said first communication component causes said connection call and said acknowledgment to be sent using a second network topology that is different from said first network topology and that is not exposed to either said first process or to said second process.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said configuration information for a sound device comprises a DVSOUNDDEVICECONFIG data structure or a pointer thereto.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said client configuration information comprises a DVCLIENTCONFIG data structure or a pointer thereto.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the act of receiving a name table from a member of said first networking session.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said networking session comprises a session for the transmission of audio data.

60. The method of claim 29, wherein said first network topology comprises a peer-to-peer topology in which said first process can direct said connection call to said second process without an intermediary and said second process can direct said acknowledgment to said first process without an intermediary, and wherein said second topology comprises a client/server topology in which said first process and said second process are each clients that are required to direct communications between each other in said second network topology through a server as an intermediary.

34-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method of sending audio data over a network comprising the acts of:

receiving, from an audio engine, a first send call having a plurality of call parameters comprising a buffer of audio data and a first audio session identifier of a destination of said audio data; and

sending said audio data to said destination in a first audio session identified by said first audio session identifier, said first audio session having a first network topology, wherein said sending is performed through a component that communicates with said destination through a second network topology that is different from said first network topology, and wherein said second network topology is not exposed to said audio engine.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the act of providing to said voice engine a second audio session identifier.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said audio data comprises a digital signal captured by said voice engine from an audio input device.

61. The method of claim 40, wherein said first network topology comprises a peer-to-peer topology in which said sending is performed by directing said audio data to said destination without an intermediary, and wherein said second topology comprises a client/server topology in which said destination and an entity that performs said sending are each clients such that said entity is required to direct communications in said second network topology to said destination through a server as an intermediary.

43-53. -53. (canceled)

54. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions to perform a method of communicating between a first process and a second process, the method comprising the acts of:

issuing, by the first process, a connection call having a plurality of call parameters comprising configuration information for a sound device, client configuration information, and a flag;

receiving, by the second process, the connection call and parsing the call to retrieve the parameters;

connecting said first process to a networking session based on said plurality of call parameters, said networking session having a first network topology; and

issuing, by the second process, an acknowledgment that said first process is connected to said networking session,

wherein said connection call and said acknowledgement are sent between said first process and said second process through a first communication component that implements said first network topology, and wherein said first communication component causes said connection call and said acknowledgment to be sent using a second network topology that is different from said first network topology and that is not exposed to either said first process or to said second process.

55. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 54, wherein said configuration information for a sound device comprises a DVSOUNDDEVICECONFIG data structure or a pointer thereto.

56. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 54, wherein said client configuration information comprises a DVCLIENTCONFIG data structure or a pointer thereto.

57. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises the act of receiving a name table from a member of said first networking session.

58. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 54, wherein said networking session comprises a session for the transmission of audio data.

59. The one or more computer-readable media of method of claim 54, wherein said first network topology comprises a peer-to-peer topology in which said first process can direct said connection call to said second process without an intermediary and said second process can direct said acknowledgment to said first process without an intermediary, and wherein said second topology comprises a client/server topology in which said first process and said second process are each clients that are required to direct communications between each other in said second network topology through a server as an intermediary.