IRC name translation protocol

• US 6,446,112 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Knox, Steve, Bunney, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/270,602
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• 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 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names

Abstract

A network comprising at least one server (1) and a plurality of user terminals (3), wherein the user terminals (3) can communicate with each other by means of an IRC server (40). The user terminal (3) can send a command to a chat proxy (39). The chat proxy (39) is connected with a session manager (23) to translate any address longer than nine characters (limit of the IRC protocol) to a code with a maximum length of nine characters. The chat proxy (39) can cache the result of the conversion in a storage device (42). The chat proxy (39) then sends (41) an IRC command to the IRC server (40) together with a code having a maximum number of nine characters. The chat proxy (39) according to the present invention therefore allows a translation process, the provision of semi-private chat rooms with an additional access control and a supply of supplemental chat room attributes.

Claims

1. A method for a plurality of user terminals to communicate with each other in a network, comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a command with a sender address from said user terminal to converting means for converting said sender address into a code having up to nine characters;

b) transmitting an internet relay chat command with said code to an internet relay chat server having at least one chat channel; and

c) caching said code in storage means included in said converting means.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said converting means contacts a session manager to obtain said code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said session manager is connected to a session database having the sender addresses of said user terminals, said database stored in an object-oriented approach on said server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said storage means cache said code when the session manager is contacted for the conversion of said sender address.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of said session manager accessing the internet relay chat server with access control means by checking access information stored in an access control database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information about said chat channel is supplied to said user terminal by said converting means.

7. A communication network for a plurality of user terminals to communicate with each other, comprising:

a) an internet relay chat server;

b) converting means for converting a sender address, received along with a command from said user terminal, into a code having up to nine characters; and

c) storage means included in said converting means for caching said code.

8. The communication network of claim 7, further comprising a session manager connected to said converting means, wherein said converting means contacts said session manager to obtain said code.

9. The communication network of claim 8, wherein said session manager is further connected to a session database, said session database stored in an object-oriented approach on a server.

10. The communication network of claim 8, wherein said storage means cache said code when the session manager is contacted for the conversion of said sender address.

11. The communication network of claim 7, further comprising an access control database connected to said converting means, wherein said access control database controls access to said internet relay chat server based on information stored on said access control database.