Direct file transfer between subscribers of a communications system
AssigneeAOL Inc.
InventorJames CRAWFORD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and techniques for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system by connecting from the first client to a communications system host; sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client; when the second client accepts the request, establishing a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and transferring a file over the direct connection.
Claims31
(canceled)
A communications method, the method comprising:
- accessing, from a memory device, a buddy list associated with a first user;
- determining, using at least one processor, that a second user identified in the buddy list is online;
- establishing, based on determining that the second user is online, a direct electronic connection between a first client associated with the first user and a second client associated with the second user, wherein the direct electronic connection is maintained between the first client and the second client without a host system;
- and
- transferring digital communications between the first client and the second client over the direct electronic connection.
A communications system, comprising:
- a processor configured to:
- access a buddy list associated with a first user;
- determine that a second user identified in the buddy list is online;
- establish, based on determining that the second user is online, a direct electronic connection between a first client associated with the first user and a second client associated with the second user, wherein the direct electronic connection is maintained between the first client and the second client without a host system;
- and
- transfer digital communications between the first client and the second client over the direct electronic connection.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for performing, when executed by a processor, a method of communications, the method comprising:
- accessing, from a memory device, a buddy list associated with a first user;
- determining that a second user identified in the buddy list is online;
- establishing, based on determining that the second user is online, a direct electronic connection between a first client associated with the first user and a second client associated with the second user, wherein the direct electronic connection is maintained between the first client and the second client without a host system;
- and
- transferring digital communications between the first client and the second client over the direct electronic connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.