NAT traversal for media conferencing

• US 8,572,172 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abuan, Joe, Tung, Berkat, Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Graessley, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US13/277,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709227-229, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2589 over a relay server, e.g. traversal using relay for network address translation [TURN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

Methods for establishing a direct peer-to-peer (“P2P”) connection between two computers are disclosed. In particular, the methods are designed to work in cases where one or both of the computers are connected to a private network, such private networks being interconnected via a public network, such as the Internet. The connections between the private network and the public network are facilitated by network address translation (“NAT”).

Claims

1. A method of initiating a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

sending an address-determination message from a first computer to an address-determination server located over a public network, wherein the first computer is located in a private network behind a network address translator (NAT) device, wherein the NAT device is a different device from the address-determination server;

receiving at the first computer a reply to the address-determination message from the address determination server;

determining, by the first computer based on the reply received from the address determination server, one or more first addresses that the first computer can be reached over the public network and the NAT device;

composing and sending from the first computer to a Relay server a message comprising a request to initiate a peer-to-peer connection with a second computer that is not a member of the private network and the one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer, wherein the Relay server is to forward the one or more first addresses to the second computer to enable the second computer to initiate the peer-to-peer connection with the first computer using the one or more first addresses, wherein the Relay server is different from the address-determination server and the NAT device;

receiving from the Relay server a message, at the first computer, originating from the second computer, the message comprising one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer at which the first computer can possibly reach the second computer through the NAT device; and

sending a request, from the first computer, to initiate the peer-to-peer connection to the second computer using one or more of the second addresses corresponding to the second computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer and the one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer each comprise one or more IP addresses and one or more port numbers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the message sent from the first computer comprising one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more first addresses.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the message originating at the second computer comprising one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more second addresses.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the Address Determination server is a server other than the common Relay server.

8. A non-transitory program storage device having instructions stored therein for causing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

sending an address-determination message from a first computer to an address-determination server located over a public network, wherein the first computer is located in a private network behind a network address translator (NAT) device, wherein the NAT device is a different device from the address-determination server;

receiving at the first computer a reply to the address-determination message from the address determination server;

determining, by the first computer based on the reply received from the address determination server, one or more first addresses that the first computer can be reached over the public network and the NAT device;

composing and sending from the first computer to a Relay server a message comprising a request to initiate a peer-to-peer connection with a second computer that is not a member of the private network and the one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer, wherein the Relay server is to forward the one or more first addresses to the second computer to enable the second computer to initiate the peer-to-peer connection with the first computer using the one or more first addresses, wherein the Relay server is different from the address-determination server and the NAT device;

receiving from the Relay server a message, at the first computer, originating from the second computer, the message comprising one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer at which the first computer can possibly reach the second computer through the NAT device; and

sending a request, from the first computer, to initiate the peer-to-peer connection to the second computer using one or more of the second addresses corresponding to the second computer.

9. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8 wherein the one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer and the one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer each comprise one or more IP addresses and one or more port numbers.

10. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 9 wherein the message sent from the first computer comprising one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more first addresses.

11. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 10 wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.

12. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 9 wherein the message originating at the second computer comprising one or more second addresses corresponding to the second computer further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more second addresses.

13. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 12 wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.

14. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8 wherein the Address Determination server is a server other than the common Relay server.

15. A device, comprising:

a network interface adapted to couple to a network;

memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for executing the instructions to perform a method, the method including

sending an address-determination message to an address-determination server located over a public network, wherein the device is located in a private network behind a network address translator (NAT) device, wherein the NAT device is a different device from the address-determination server;

receiving a reply to the address-determination message from the address determination server;

determining based on the reply received from the address determination server, one or more first addresses that the device can be reached over the public network and the NAT device;

composing and sending to a Relay server a message comprising a request to initiate a peer-to-peer connection with a remote device that is not a member of the private network and the one or more first addresses corresponding to the device, wherein the Relay server is to forward the one or more first addresses to the remote device to enable the remote device to initiate the peer-to-peer connection with the device using the one or more first addresses, wherein the Relay server is different from the address-determination server and the NAT device;

receiving from the Relay server a message originating from the remote device, the message comprising one or more second addresses corresponding to the remote device at which the device can possibly reach the remote device through the NAT device; and

sending a request to initiate the peer-to-peer connection to the remote device using one or more of the second addresses corresponding to the remote device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second addresses comprises one or more IP addresses and one or more port numbers.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the message sent from the device comprising the one or more first addresses corresponding to the first computer further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more first addresses.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the message originating from the remote device comprising the one or more second addresses corresponding to the remote device further comprises a specified transformation of at least one of the one or more second addresses.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the specified transformation comprises a binary complement transformation.