Multiplexed client server (MCS) communications and systems

• US 8,539,098 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dispersive Holdings Incorporated (Dispersive Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dispersive Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Twitchell, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BIAGINI, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US12/499,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20100009758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• 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 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of transferring a file between first and second end-user devices via network communications includes: communicating by the first end-user device network contact information of the first end-user device; communicating by the second end-user device network contact information of the second end-user device; establishing an open network connection between the first end-user device and the second-end user device based on the communicated network contact information of each of the end-user devices; and transferring the file from the first end-user device to the second end-user via the open network connection between the first end-user device and the second-end user device. A single encryption key may be used between the application and network layers on each end-user device, each of which may include virtualized routing capabilities.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a file between a first end-user device and a second end-user device comprising the steps of:

(a) communicating by the first end-user device, to a server, network contact information of the first end-user device;

(b) receiving, at the first end-user device from the server, connection information, for enabling an open network connection between the first and second end-user devices;

(c) thereafter, transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device by,

(i) spawning, at the first end-user device, a first virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a first virtual network connection is provided to an application running on the first end-user device, the application running external to the first virtual machine,

(ii) selecting, at the first end-user device, a routing protocol for the first virtual network connection from among a plurality of available routing protocols for communicating data using the first virtual network connection, said selection being based at least in part on the connection information received from the server,

(iii) spawning, at the second end-user device, a second virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the second end-user device such that a second virtual network connection is provided to an application running on the second end-user device, the application running external to the second virtual machine,

(iv) spawning, at a third device, a third virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a third virtual network connection is provided,

(v) establishing a network connection between the first end-user device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second end-user device, via the second virtual network connection, over a network path using the connection information, the network path including the third device, and

(vi) for each of a plurality of packets containing data representing the file,

(A) transmitting the packet from the first end-user device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the network path,

(B) receiving, at the third device using the third virtual network connection, the packet, and communicating the packet onward along the network path, and

(C) receiving, at the second end-user device using the second virtual network connection, the packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device includes a step of communicating, by the first end-user device, a request to the server to engage in a file transfer with the second end-user device by the first end-user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device includes

(a) determining, at the first end-user device, that a connection to the second end-user device has been interrupted,

(b) in response to such determination, spawning, at the first end-user device, a fourth virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided, and

(c) communicating, by the first end-user device to the second end-user device, packets of the file via the fourth virtual network connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes transferring a second file from the first end-user device to the second end-user device, while transferring the first said file from the first end-user device to the second end-user device, by

(a) spawning, at the first end-user device, a fourth virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided,

(b) selecting, at the first end-user device, another routing protocol for the fourth virtual network connection from among a plurality of available routing protocols for communicating data using the fourth virtual network connection, and

(c) communicating, by the first end-user device to the second end-user device, packets for the second file via the fourth virtual network connection using the selected said another routing protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said another routing protocol is different than the first said routing protocol.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein packets for the first file are communicated over a first network and packets for the second file are communicated over a second network that is different from the first network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device includes

(a) spawning, at the first end-user device, a fourth virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided,

(b) selecting, at the first end-user device, another routing protocol for the fourth virtual network connection from among a plurality of available routing protocols for communicating data using the fourth virtual network connection, and

(c) communicating, by the first end-user device to the second end-user device, packets for the file via the fourth virtual network connection using the selected said another routing protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said another routing protocol is different than the first said routing protocol.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein packets communicated via the first virtual network connection are communicated over a first network and packets communicated via the second virtual network connection are communicated over a second network that is different from the first network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device includes

(a) spawning, at the first end-user device, a fourth virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided,

(b) selecting, at the first end-user device, another routing protocol for the fourth virtual network connection from among a plurality of available routing protocols for communicating data using the fourth virtual network connection, and

(c) communicating, by the first end-user device to the second end-user device, duplicate packets for the file via the fourth virtual network connection using the selected said another routing protocol to increase quality of service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said another routing protocol is different than the first said routing protocol.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein packets communicated via the first said virtual network connection are communicated over a first network and packets communicated via the second virtual network connection are communicated over a second network that is different from the first network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end-user device includes computer executable instructions stored in a computer-readable medium that, when executed on the first end-user device, provide a graphical user interface on a display of the first end-user device by which a user may “

drag and drop”

a file to be transferred in accordance with the claimed method.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting, by the first end user device, an open network connection from the second end-user device when the first end-user device includes a firewall that blocks a request by the second end-user device for an open network connection from the first end-user device but the second end-user device does not include a firewall that blocks a request by the first end-user device for an open network connection from the second end-user device.

15. A method of transferring a file between a first end-user device and a second end-user device comprising:

receiving, at a first end-user device from a server, connection information, for enabling an open network connection between the first and second end-user devices;

thereafter, transferring the file from the first end-user device to a second end-user device by,

spawning, at the first end-user device, a first virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first end-user device such that a first virtual network connection is provided to an application running on the first end-user device, the application running external to the first virtual machine,

selecting, at the first end-user device, a routing protocol for the first virtual network connection from among a plurality of available routing protocols for communicating data using the first virtual network connection, said selection being based at least in part on the connection information received from the server,

spawning, at the second end-user device, a second virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the second end-user device such that a second virtual network connection is provided to an application running on the second end-user device, the application running external to the second virtual machine,

spawning, at a third device, a third virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a third virtual network connection is provided,

establishing a network connection between the first end-user device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second end-user device, via the second virtual network connection, over a network path using the connection information, the network path including the third device, and

for each of a plurality of packets containing data representing the file,

transmitting the packet from the first end-user device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the network path,

receiving, at the third device using the third virtual network connection, the packet, and communicating the packet onward along the network path, and

receiving, at the second end-user device using the second virtual network connection, the packet.