Point-to-point internet protocol

An apparatus for enabling point-to-point communications between a first and a second process over a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface, operatively coupled to the processor, for connecting the apparatus to the computer network;
• a memory, operatively coupled to the processor, for storing a network protocol address for selected of a plurality of processes, each network protocol address stored in the memory following connection of a respective process to the computer network;
• means, responsive to a query from the first process, for determining the on-line status of the second process and for transmitting a network protocol address of the second process to the first process in response to a positive determination of the on-line status of the second process.

A method for enabling point-to-point communication between a first process and a second process over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. receiving and storing into a computer memory a respective network protocol address for selected of a plurality of processes that have an on-line status with respect to the computer network, each of the network protocol addresses received following connection of the respective process to the computer network;
• B. receiving a query from the first process to determine the on-line status of the second process;
• C. determining the on-line status of the second process;
• and
• D. transmitting an indication of the on-line status of the second process to the first process over the computer network.

In a computer system, a method for establishing a point-to-point communication link from a caller process to a callee process over a computer network, the caller process having a user interface and being operatively connectable to the callee process and a server over the computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. providing a user interface element representing a first communication line;
• B. providing a user interface element representing a first callee process;
• and
• C. establishing a point-to-point communication link from the caller process to the first callee process, in response to a user associating the element representing the first callee process with the element representing the first communication line.

A computer program product for use with a computer system comprising:

• a computer usable medium having program code embodied in the medium for establishing a point-to-point communication link from a caller process to a callee process over a computer network, the caller process having a user interface and being operatively connectable to the callee process and a server over the computer network, the medium further comprising:
• program code for generating an element representing a first communication line;
• program code for generating an element representing a first callee process;
• program code, responsive to a user associating the element representing the first callee process with the element representing the first communication line, for establishing a point-to-point communication link from the caller process to the first callee process.

In a first computer process operatively coupled over a computer network to a second process and an address server, a method of establishing a point-to-point communication between the first and second processes comprising the steps of:

• A. following connection of the first process to the computer network forwarding to the address server a network protocol address at which the first process is connected to the computer network;
• B. querying the address server as to whether the second process is connected to the computer network;
• C. receiving a network protocol address of the second process from the address server, when the second process is connected to the computer network;
• and
• D. in response to the network protocol address of the second process, establishing a point-to-point communication link with the second process over the computer network.