System and method for multi-layered network communications

• US 7,668,972 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Newson, Paul E., Toll, Roderick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swearingen; Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US11/299,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/240
• 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. In a first software object which executes on a computing device and which facilitates the transmission of data from the computing device over a computer network comprising a session/transport layer and a separate audio layer, said first software object participating in a data session in said session/transport layer of the network, a method of providing communication services to a second software object and of permitting said computing device to participate in an audio session in said audio layer of the network, wherein the data session in said session/transport layer has a session topology that is different from and independent of a session topology of the audio session in said audio layer of the network, said method comprising the acts of:

exposing a first function in said session/transport layer of the network which returns a plurality of data to a caller in said audio layer of the network, said plurality of data comprising information about the configuration of the session/transport layer and including;

one or more flags;

a type of the data session, wherein the type comprises either a peer to peer transport or a client/server transport;

a first identifier of a host in the data session;

a second identifier which identifies the computing device; and

a number indicative of a number of nodes that can participate in the first or second sessions;

exposing a second function in said session/transport layer of the network which enables the audio layer to provide the session/transport layer with a pointer to the audio layer, wherein the exposed first and second functions are part of an application programming interface (API) of the session/transport layer;

querying the audio layer using the pointer to retrieve an application programming interface (API) of the audio layer; and

providing said plurality of data in response to a call to said callable function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said callable function receives a parameter comprising a pointer to a structure, and wherein said providing act comprises:

writing said plurality of data to the structure referenced by said pointer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the session/transport layer supports both synchronous and asynchronous sends.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the session/transport layer provides both guaranteed and non-guaranteed messaging capabilities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

invoking functions of the application programming interface of the audio layer to notify the audio layer when certain events occur in the session/transport layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exposing a third function in said session/transport layer of the network which the audio layer can call to disconnect from the session/transport layer.

7. A computer storage medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method of providing communication services to a second software object and of permitting said computing device to participate in an audio session in said audio layer of the network, wherein the data session in said session/transport layer has a session topology that is different from and independent of a session topology of the audio session in said audio layer of the network, said method comprising the acts of:

exposing a first function in said session/transport layer of the network which returns a plurality of data to a caller in said audio layer of the network, said plurality of data comprising information about the configuration of the session/transport layer and including;

one or more flags;

a type of the data session, wherein the type comprises either a peer to peer transport or a client/server transport;

a first identifier of a host in the data session;

a second identifier which identifies the computing device; and

a number indicative of a number of nodes that can participate in the first or second sessions;

exposing a second function in said session/transport layer of the network which enables the audio layer to provide the session/transport layer with a pointer to the audio layer, wherein the exposed first and second functions are part of an application programming interface (API) of the session/transport layer;

querying the audio layer using the pointer to retrieve an application programming interface (API) of the audio layer; and

providing said plurality of data in response to a call to said callable function.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein said callable function receives a parameter comprising a pointer to a structure, and wherein said providing act comprises:

writing said plurality of data to the structure referenced by said pointer.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the session/transport layer supports both synchronous and asynchronous sends.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the session/transport layer provides both guaranteed and non-guaranteed messaging capabilities.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

invoking functions of the application programming interface of the audio layer to notify the audio layer when certain events occur in the session/transport layer.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

exposing a third function in said session/transport layer of the network which the audio layer can call to disconnect from the session/transport layer.

13. A system which facilitates the transmission of data from a computing device over a computer network comprising a session/transport layer and a separate audio layer, the system comprising:

one or more processing units; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the one or more processing units, the memory containing a series of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to perform a method of providing communication services to a second software object and of permitting said computing device to participate in an audio session in said audio layer of the network, wherein the data session in said session/transport layer has a session topology that is different from and independent of a session topology of the audio session in said audio layer of the network, said method comprising the acts of;

exposing a first function in said session/transport layer of the network which returns a plurality of data to a caller in said audio layer of the network, said plurality of data comprising information about the configuration of the session/transport layer and including;

one or more flags;

type of the data session, wherein the type comprises either a peer to peer transport or a client/server transport;

a first identifier of a host in the data session;

a second identifier which identifies the computing device; and

a number indicative of a number of nodes that can participate in the first or second sessions;

exposing a second function in said session/transport layer of the network which enables the audio layer to provide the session/transport layer with a pointer to the audio layer, wherein the exposed first and second functions are part of an application programming interface (API) of the session/transport layer;

querying the audio layer using the pointer to retrieve an application programming interface (API) of the audio layer; and

providing said plurality of data in response to a call to said callable function.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said callable function receives a parameter comprising a pointer to a structure, and wherein said providing act comprises:

writing said plurality of data to the structure referenced by said pointer.

15. system of claim 13, wherein the session/transport layer supports both synchronous and asynchronous sends.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the session/transport layer provides both guaranteed and non-guaranteed messaging capabilities.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

invoking functions of the application programming interface of the audio layer to notify the audio layer when certain events occur in the session/transport layer.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that cause the one or more processing units to perform the acts of exposing a third function in said session/transport layer of the network which the audio layer can call to disconnect from the session/transport layer.