Method and system for providing directory services by a gateway for peer-to-peer communications

• US 8,693,484 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Chen, Xuemin, Diab, Wael William, Garrett, David, Lundgren, David, Prodan, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/982,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/252, 370/254, 370/329, 370/395.21, 370/449, 370/465, 709/203, 709/226, 709/231, 455/420
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 : involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 : Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1023 : Media gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 : in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 : Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 : at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 : Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 : Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4353 : involving decryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 : Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 : specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 : directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 : for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 : Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 : using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 : taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices and handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider, may be operable to identify one or more individuals with whom a user desires to engage in peer-to-peer communications. The user is associated with one or more of the plurality of devices. A directory may be generated by the broadband gateway for the peer-to-peer communications based on the identified one or more individuals. The directory may comprise name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, and/or content sharing information. The broadband gateway may communicate the directory to one or more network access service providers and/or one or more content providers. Peer-to-peer exchanges and/or network resource allocations for the peer-to-peer communications may be controlled and/or monitored by the network access services providers and/or the content providers based on information in the directory.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein the broadband gateway is operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider;

receiving at least one input from a first user, the first user being associated with a first one of the plurality of devices;

identifying, based at least in part on the at least one input, a second user, the second user being associated with a second one of the plurality of devices;

generating, by the broadband gateway, in response to identifying the second user, a directory supporting peer-to-peer communications by the first user with at least the second user, the directory comprising at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the first user and at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the second user; and

communicating, by the broadband gateway, the directory to at least one network access service provider,

wherein the at least one network access service provider, based at least in part on the directory, allocates at least one network resource, the at least one network resource being used to support peer-to-peer communications between the first user and the second user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections and the at least one corresponding network access service provider comprises a plurality of corresponding network access service providers, and each of the plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of corresponding network access service providers.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating the directory based at least in part on the at least one input from the first user.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising identifying the second user or generating the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one other broadband gateway.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising identifying the second user or generating the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one network access service provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising identifying the second user or generating the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one content provider.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the directory to at least one content provider.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one content provider, based at least in part on the directory, monitors at least one peer-to-peer communication between the first user and the second user.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one network access service provider allocates a network communication device to be available for peer-to-peer communications based on a schedule determined from the directory.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the network communication device comprises a network switch.

11. A system for communication, the system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof for use in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, the broadband gateway being operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider, and the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof being operable to;

receive at least one input from a first user, the first user being associated with a first one of the plurality of devices;

identify, based at least in part on the at least one input, a second user, the second user being associated with a second one of the plurality of devices;

generate, in response to identifying the second user, a directory supporting peer-to-peer communications by the first user with at least the second user, the directory comprising at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the first user and at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the second user; and

communicate the directory to at least one network access service provider,

wherein the at least one network access service provider, based at least in part on the directory, allocates at least one network resource, the at least one network resource being used to support peer-to-peer communications between the first user and the second user.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections and the at least one corresponding network access service provider comprises a plurality of corresponding network access service providers, and each of the plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of corresponding network access service providers.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to generate the directory based at least in part on the at least one input from the first user.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to identify the second user or generate the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one other broadband gateway.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to identify the second user or generate the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one network access service provider.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to identify the second user or generate the directory or both based at least in part on at least one input from at least one content provider.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are operable to communicate the directory to at least one content provider.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one content provider, based at least in part on the directory, monitors at least one peer-to-peer communication between the first user and the second user.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one network access service provider allocates a network communication device to be available for peer-to-peer communications based on a schedule determined from the directory.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the network communication device comprises a network switch.