SERVICE DISCOVERY ACROSS DIFFERENT NETWORKS

• US 20150365377A1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asurion, LLC (NEW Asurion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asurion, LLC (NEW Asurion Corporation)
• Inventors: Dvir, Tomer, Haim, Omri, Bruchim, Omri, Yagel, Or, Rauch, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,722,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Technologies for service discovery and media sharing are disclosed. A described technique includes receiving, at a first device, service information for a streaming service provided by a second device, the first device and second device being on different first networks, the first networks being different local multicast networks; inserting an entry in a multicast domain name system (mDNS) cache of the first device based on the service information such that the streaming service is (i) discoverable by the first device via a mDNS query and (ii) accessible through a second network that interconnects the first networks; and sending streaming information from the first device to the second device through the second network for the streaming service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, service information for a streaming service provided by a second device, the first device and second device being on different first networks, the first networks being different local multicast networks;

inserting an entry in a multicast domain name system (mDNS) cache of the first device based on the service information such that the streaming service is (i) discoverable by the first device via a mDNS query and (ii) accessible through a second network that interconnects the first networks; and

sending streaming information from the first device to the second device through the second network for the streaming service.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a request to share a display of the first device with the second device, wherein inserting the entry is conditional based on an acceptance of the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the streaming information comprises streaming display data associated with a display of the first device, and wherein the second device is configured to reproduce the display of the first device using the display data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the streaming information comprises streaming audio data.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

performing the mDNS query based on a service type and a domain, the service type being associated with the streaming service provided by the second device, wherein sending the information comprises using an network address that is returned by the mDNS query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein performing the mDNS query comprises searching the mDNS cache, sending an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast packet, or both to discover hosts that provide the service type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the service information comprises receiving, over a unicast connection through the second network, a version of a mDNS service record that was published by the second device on a corresponding one of the first networks.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the first device and the second device over the second network, wherein sending the information comprises transmitting data packets through the VPN tunnel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the service information comprises a VPN address of the second device that is associated with the VPN tunnel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the entry comprises (i) a name associated with the streaming service and (ii) the VPN address of the second device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the VPN tunnel comprises establishing the VPN tunnel with a VPN server using an Internet Protocol security (IPsec) protocol.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store data comprising a multicast domain name system (mDNS) cache;

a network interface configured to exchange data on at least a first network; and

a processor coupled with the memory and the network interface, configured to (i) receive, over the first network, service information for a streaming service provided by a host device that resides on a second network, the first network and the second network being different local multicast networks, (ii) insert an entry in the mDNS cache based on the service information such that the streaming service is discoverable by the apparatus via a mDNS query and accessible through a third network that interconnects the first network and the second network, and (iii) send streaming information to the host device for the streaming service through the third network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising:

a display coupled with the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to share the display with the host device, wherein the entry is inserted in the mDNS cache based on an acceptance of the request.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the streaming information comprises display data associated with the display, and wherein the host device is configured to reproduce the display using the display data.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the streaming information comprises video data, audio data, or both.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to (i) perform the mDNS query based on a service type and a domain, the service type being associated with the streaming service provided by the host device, and (ii) send the streaming information based on an network address that is returned by the mDNS query.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mDNS query comprises searching the mDNS cache, sending an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast packet, or both to discover hosts that provide the service type.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to (i) establish a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel with the host device over the third network, and (ii) send the streaming information through the VPN tunnel.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the service information comprises a VPN address of the host device that is associated with the VPN tunnel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the entry comprises (i) a name associated with the streaming service and (ii) the VPN address of the host device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the VPN tunnel is configured to use an Internet Protocol security (IPsec) protocol.

22-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first device over a unicast connection, service information for a streaming service provided by a second device, the first device and second device being on different first networks, the first networks being different local multicast networks;

using, at the first device, the service information to internally publish multicast domain name system (mDNS) information regarding the streaming service such that the streaming service is (i) discoverable by an application on the first device via a mDNS query and (ii) accessible through a second network that interconnects the first networks;

operating the application to perform the mDNS query to discover one or more devices associated with the streaming service; and

sending streaming information from the application on the first device to the second device through the second network for the streaming service, wherein sending the information comprises using an network address that is returned by the mDNS query and is associated with the second device.

32. The method of claim 31, comprising:

receiving a request to share a display of the first device with the second device, wherein using the service information to internally publish the mDNS information is conditional based on an acceptance of the request.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein sending the streaming information comprises streaming display data associated with a display of the first device, and wherein the second device is configured to reproduce the display of the first device using the display data.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the mDNS query is based on a service type and a domain, the service type being associated with the streaming service provided by the second device, and wherein operating the application to perform the mDNS query comprises searching a local mDNS cache.

35. The method of claim 31, comprising:

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the first device and the second device over the second network, wherein sending the information comprises transmitting data packets through the VPN tunnel.

36. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store data comprising a multicast domain name system (mDNS) cache;

a network interface configured to exchange data on at least a first network; and

a processor coupled with the memory and the network interface, configured to (i) receive, over the first network via a unicast connection, service information for a streaming service provided by a host device that resides on a second network, the first network and the second network being different local multicast networks, (ii) use the service information to internally publish mDNS information regarding the streaming service in the mDNS cache such that the streaming service is discoverable by an application on the apparatus via a mDNS query and accessible through a third network that interconnects the first network and the second network, (iii) operate the application to perform the mDNS query to discover one or more devices associated with the streaming service, and (iv) send streaming information from the application to the host device for the streaming service through the third network using an network address that is returned by the mDNS query and is associated with the host device.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, comprising:

a display coupled with the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to share the display with the host device, and wherein the processor is configured to use the service information to internally publish the mDNS information based on an acceptance of the request.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is configured to perform the mDNS query based on a service type and a domain, the service type being associated with the streaming service provided by the host device.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is configured to (i) establish a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel with the host device over the third network, and (ii) send the streaming information through the VPN tunnel.