Peer discovery
US7577150B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 12, 2004 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L67/1068
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Upon initial connection of a peer to a peer-to-peer network, the peer notifies other peers of its connection to the network. The peer receives existence notifications from other peers and may use them to create a list of the peers on the network, which may be sorted by the unique identifiers of each peer. A prospective network address is selected, e.g. based on the ordinal position of the peer within the sorted list. Conflict checking resolves conflicts between the prospective network address and the network address of other peers. Each peer may periodically notify the other peers of its network address, e.g. to prevent new peers from claiming the address. When a peer becomes inactive, another peer detecting this may begin periodically notifying the remaining peers that the address of the disconnected peer is already claimed. Peers may be Voice-over-IP telephone sets and network addresses may be directory numbers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.