US 7,680,120 B2 · Connected communication terminal, connecting communication terminal, session management server and trigger server

Abstract

The communication system according to the present invention is made up of: a connected communication terminal (1) to which communication is requested; a connecting communication terminal (3) that requests a communication with the connected communication terminal (1); a session management server (4) that manages sessions between the communication terminals; a trigger server (5) that transmits, to the connected communication server (1), the request made by the session management server (4); and routers (6 and 7) that relay between the connecting communication terminal (3) and the connected communication terminal (1), and a network (2). In the system, the connected communication terminal (1) holds a permission list (L) that is a list of communication terminals to which connection is permitted, and the session management server (4) judges, with reference to the permission list (L), whether or not the communication between the connected communication terminal (1) and the connecting communication terminal (3) is permitted.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A connected communication terminal that communicates with a connecting communication terminal that requests direct communication via a network, said connected communication terminal comprising:

a registration unit operable to register (i) a pair of a device ID and a device name onto a session management server that manages sessions between the communication terminals, and (ii) a pair of the device ID and an address of the connected communication terminal onto a trigger server that notifies the connected communication terminal of a request for a communication with the session management server, the device ID identifying the connected communication terminal, and the device name indicating a name of the connected communication terminal;
a holding unit operable to hold a permission list that is a list of device names of communication terminals to which direct communication is permitted;
a polling unit operable to perform polling on the trigger server so as to receive the request for the communication with the session management server from the trigger server;
an address resolution unit operable to receive, from the session management server, at least an address of the connecting communication terminal and a session ID that is unique to the communication with the connecting communication terminal;
and
a Peer-to-Peer communication unit operable to perform direct communication with the connecting communication terminal in the case when the address of the connecting communication terminal and the session ID are received.

3 more elements

A connecting communication terminal that performs direct communication with a connected communication terminal via a network, said connecting communication terminal comprising:

a registration unit operable to register (i) a pair of a device ID and a device name onto a session management server that manages sessions between the communication terminals, and (ii) a pair of the device ID and an address of the connecting communication terminal onto a trigger server that notifies the connected communication terminal of a request for a communication with the session management server, the device ID identifying the connecting communication terminal, and the device name indicating a name of the connecting communication terminal;
a transmission unit operable to transmit a request for a connection to the session management server, the request having device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
an address resolution unit operable to obtain an address of the connected communication terminal by receiving, from the session management server, at least the address of the connected communication terminal and a session ID that is unique to the communication with the connected communication terminal, after the transmission performed by said transmission unit;
and
a Peer-to-Peer communication unit operable to establish a connection to the connected communication terminal, and to perform direct communication with the connected communication terminal in the case when the address of the connected communication terminal is received.

2 more elements

A session management server that manages direct communication between a connecting communication terminal and a connected communication terminal, said session management server comprising:

a storage unit operable to receive and store a pair of device ID and device name that is transmitted from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals, and the device name indicating a name of each communication terminal;
a trigger transmission unit operable, upon receiving a connection request in which device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal are described, (i) to extract, based on the device name, a device ID of the connected communication terminal from said storage unit, and (ii) to transmit, to a trigger server, a trigger for requesting the connected communication terminal identified by the device ID to transmit a permission list, the trigger server notifying of the request made to the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
a name search unit operable to search for the device name of the connecting communication terminal in the permission list after receiving the permission list;
an address inquiry unit operable to transmit, to the trigger server, an address inquiry for inquiring about addresses of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal based on the device IDs of the communication terminals, in the case when the device name of the connecting communication terminal is found in the permission list;
a session generation unit operable to generate a session ID that is unique to the communication between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
and
a transmission unit operable to transmit (i) at least the session ID and the address of the connected communication terminal to the connecting communication terminal, and (ii) at least the session ID and the address of the connecting communication terminal to the connected communication terminal, in the case when said address inquiry unit receives, from the trigger server, the addresses of the communication terminals as a response to the address inquiry.

4 more elements

A trigger server that manages addresses of a connecting communication terminal and a connected communication terminal, and that notifies the connected communication terminal of a request, the trigger server comprising:

an address storage unit operable to receive and store a pair of device ID and address that is transmitted from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals;
a receiving unit operable to receive, from a session management server, a trigger for requesting a transmission of a permission list, the session management server managing sessions between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
a trigger processing unit operable to transmit, to the connected communication terminal, the request of transmitting the permission list to the session management server, in the case when the trigger requesting the transmission of the permission list is received by said receiving unit;
and
a polling receiving unit operable to receive polling performed by the connected communication terminal, so as to transmit the request.

2 more elements

A program, which is embodied on a computer-readable medium, for a session management server that manages direct communication between a connecting communication terminal and a connected communication terminal, said program causing a computer to execute:

receiving and storing a pair of device ID and device name that is transmitted from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals, and the device name indicating a name of each communication terminal;
upon receiving a connection request in which device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal are described, (i) extracting, based on the device name, a device ID of the connected communication terminal from the stored pairs, and (ii) transmitting, to a trigger server, a trigger for requesting the connected communication terminal identified by the device ID to transmit a permission list, the trigger server notifying of the request made to the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
searching for the device name of the connecting communication terminal in the permission list after receiving the permission list;
transmitting, to the trigger server, an address inquiry for inquiring about addresses of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal based on the device IDs of the communication terminals, in the case when the device name of the connecting communication terminal is found in the permission list;
generating a session ID that is unique to the communication between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
and
transmitting (i) at least the session ID and the address of the connected communication terminal to the connecting communication terminal, and (ii) at least the session ID and the address of the connecting communication terminal to the connected communication terminal, in the case when the addresses of the communication terminals are received from the trigger server as a response to the address inquiry.

4 more elements

A communication method for a session management server that manages direct communication between a connecting communication terminal and a connected communication terminal, said method comprising:

receiving and storing a pair of device ID and device name that is received from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals, and the device name indicating a name of each communication terminal;
upon receiving a connection request in which device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal are described, (i) extracting, based on the device name, a device ID of the connected communication terminal from the stored pairs, and (ii) transmitting, to a trigger server, a trigger for requesting the connected communication terminal identified by the device ID to transmit a permission list, the trigger server notifying of the request made to the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
searching for the device name of the connecting communication terminal in the permission list after receiving the permission list;
transmitting, to the trigger server, an address inquiry for inquiring about addresses of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal based on the device IDs of the communication terminals, in the case when the device name of the connecting communication terminal is found in the permission list;
generating a session ID that is unique to the communication between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
and
transmitting (i) at least the session ID and the address of the connected communication terminal to the connecting communication terminal, and (ii) at least the session ID and the address of the connecting communication terminal to the connected communication terminal, in the case when the addresses of the communication terminals are received from the trigger server as a response to the address inquiry.

4 more elements

A communication system comprising:

a connecting communication terminal, a connected communication terminal, a session management server that manages sessions between said communication terminals, and a trigger server that notifies the connected communication terminal of a request made by said session management server,
wherein said connected communication terminal includes:
a registration unit operable to register (i) a pair of a device ID and a device name onto the session management server that manages sessions between the communication terminals, and (ii) a pair of the device ID and an address of the connected communication terminal onto the trigger server that notifies the connected communication terminal of a request for a communication with the session management server, the device ID identifying the connected communication terminal, and the device name indicating a name of the connected communication terminal;
a holding unit operable to hold a permission list that is a list of device names of communication terminals to which direct communication is permitted;
a polling unit operable to perform polling on the trigger server so as to receive the request for the communication with the session management server from the trigger server;
an address resolution unit operable to receive, from the session management server, at least an address of the connecting communication terminal and a session ID that is unique to the communication with the connecting communication terminal;
and
a Peer-to-Peer communication unit operable to establish a connection to the connecting communication terminal, and to perform direct communication with the connecting communication terminal in the case when the address of the connecting communication terminal and the session ID are received,
said connecting communication terminal includes:
a registration unit operable to register (i) a pair of a device ID and a device name onto the session management server that manages sessions between the communication terminals, and (ii) a pair of the device ID and the address of the connecting communication terminal onto the trigger server that notifies the connected communication terminal of the request for a communication with the session management server, the device ID identifying the connecting communication terminal, and the device name indicating a name of the connecting communication terminal;
a transmission unit operable to transmit a request for a connection to the session management server, the request having device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
an address resolution unit operable to obtain the address of the connected communication terminal by receiving, from the session management server, at least the address of the connected communication terminal and the session ID that is unique to the communication with the connected communication terminal, after the transmission performed by said transmission unit;
and
a Peer-to-Peer communication unit operable to perform direct communication with the connected communication terminal in the case when the address of the connected communication terminal is received,
said session management server includes:
a storage unit operable to receive and store a pair of device ID and device name that is received from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals, and the device name indicating a name of each communication terminal;
a trigger transmission unit operable, upon receiving a connection request in which device names of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal are described, (i) to extract, based on the device name, a device ID of the connected communication terminal from said storage unit, and (ii) to transmit, to the trigger server, a trigger for requesting the connected communication terminal identified by the device ID to transmit the permission list, the trigger server notifying of the request made to the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
a name search unit operable to search for the device name of the connecting communication terminal in the permission list after receiving the permission list;
an address inquiry unit operable to transmit, to the trigger server, an address inquiry for inquiring about addresses of the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal based on the device IDs of the communication terminals, in the case when the device name of the connecting communication terminal is found in the permission list;
a session generation unit operable to generate the session ID that is unique to the communication between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal;
and
a transmission unit operable to transmit (i) at least the session ID and the address of the connected communication terminal to the connecting communication terminal, and (ii) at least the session ID and the address of the connecting communication terminal to the connected communication terminal, in the case when said address inquiry unit receives, from the trigger server, the addresses of the communication terminals as a response to the address inquiry, and
said trigger server includes:
an address storage unit operable to receive and store a pair of device ID and address that is transmitted from the respective communication terminals, the device ID identifying each of the communication terminals;
a receiving unit operable to receive, from the session management server, the trigger for requesting the transmission of the permission list, the session management server managing sessions between the connecting communication terminal and the connected communication terminal, and the permission list being a list of device names of communication terminals to which communication is permitted;
a trigger processing unit operable to transmit, to the connected communication terminal, the request of transmitting the permission list to the session management server, in the case when the trigger requesting the transmission of the permission list is received by said receiving unit;
and
a polling receiving unit operable to receive polling performed by the connected communication terminal, so as to transmit the request.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Connected communication terminal, connecting communication terminal, session management server and trigger server

Life of this patent

Connected communication terminal, connecting communication terminal, session management server and trigger server

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41