US 8,429,293 B2Granted

IP server facilitating network communications between devices utilizing virtual network connections

AssigneeDispersive Networks, Inc.

InventorRobert W. Twitchell

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method includes, first, communicating by first and second devices, to a server, network contact information; and thereafter, communicating data from the first device to the second device by communicating, by the first device, a request to the server to engage in communications with the second device, communicating, by the server, the request received from the first device, communicating, by the second device, acceptance to the server of the request to engage in communications with the first device, communicating connection information, by the server, to one or more of the first and second devices for enabling an open network connection between the first and second devices, using virtualized network capabilities of a virtual machine of the first device, establishing a network connection with the second device using the connection information, and communicating data, from the first device using the virtualized network capabilities of the virtual machine, to the second device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of facilitating network communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) first,
(i) communicating by a first end-user device, to a server, network contact information of the first end-user device, and
(ii) communicating by a second end-user device, to the server, network contact information of the second end-user device;
and
(b) thereafter, communicating data from an application running on the first end-user device to the second end-user device by,
(i) communicating, by the first end-user device, a request to the server to engage in communications with the second end-user device,
(ii) communicating, by the server, the request received from the first end-user device,
(iii) communicating, by the second end-user device, acceptance to the server of the request to engage in communications with the first end-user device,
(iv) communicating connection information, by the server, to one or more of the first and second end-user devices for enabling an open network connection between the first and second end-user devices,
(v) spawning, at the first end-user device, a first virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a first virtual network connection is provided to the application, the application running external to the first virtual machine,
(vi) spawning, at the second end-user device, a second virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a second virtual network connection is provided,
(vii) spawning, at a third end-user device, a third virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a third virtual network connection is provided,
(viii) establishing a network connection between the first device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second device, via the second virtual network connection, over a network path using the connection information, the network path including the third device,
(ix) transmitting a packet from the first device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the network path,
(x) receiving, at the third device using the third virtual network connection, the packet, and communicating the packet onward along the network path, and
(xi) receiving, at the second device using the second virtual network connection, the packet.

13 more elements

A method of facilitating network communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) first,
(i) communicating by a first end-user device, to a server, network contact information of the first end-user device, and
(ii) communicating by a second end-user device, to the server, network contact information of the second end-user device;
and
(b) thereafter, communicating data from an application running on the first end-user device to the second end-user device by,
(i) determining, at the first end-user device, that an application running on the first end-user device desires to engage in communications with the second end-user device,
(ii) communicating, by the first end-user device, a request to the server to engage in communications with the second end-user device,
(iii) communicating, by the server, the request received from the first end-user device,
(iv) communicating, by the second end-user device, acceptance to the server of the request to engage in communications with the first end-user device,
(v) communicating connection information, by the server, to one or more of the first and second end-user devices for enabling an open network connection between the first and second end-user devices,
(vi) spawning, at the first end-user device, a first virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a first virtual network connection is provided to the application, the application running external to the first virtual machine,
(vii) spawning, at the second end-user device, a second virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a second virtual network connection is provided,
(viii) spawning, at a third end-user device, a third virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a third virtual network connection is provided,
(ix) querying an application interface to determine application-specific connection criteria associated with the application,
(x) using the application-specific connection criteria, establishing a network connection between the first device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second device, via the second virtual network connection, over a network path using the connection information, the network path including the third device,
(xi) transmitting a packet from the first device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the network path,
(xii) receiving, at the third device using the third virtual network connection, the packet, and communicating the packet onward along the network path, and
(xiii) receiving, at the second device using the second virtual network connection, the packet;
(c) wherein the application runs outside of the first virtual machine.

16 more elements

A method of facilitating network communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) first,
(i) communicating by a first end-user device, to a server, network contact information of the first end-user device, and
(ii) communicating by a second end-user device, to the server, network contact information of the second end-user device;
and
(b) thereafter, communicating data from an application running on the first end-user device to the second end-user device by,
(i) communicating, by the first end-user device, a request to the server to engage in communications with the second end-user device,
(ii) communicating, by the server, the request received from the first end-user device,
(iii) communicating, by the second end-user device, acceptance to the server of the request to engage in communications with the first end-user device,
(iv) communicating connection information, by the server, to one or more of the first and second end-user devices for enabling an open network connection between the first and second end-user devices,
(v) spawning, at the first end-user device, a first virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a first virtual network connection is provided to the application, the application running external to the first virtual machine,
(vi) spawning, at the second end-user device, a second virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a second virtual network connection is provided,
(vii) spawning, at a third end-user device, a third virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the third device such that a third virtual network connection is provided,
(viii) establishing a first network connection between the first device, via the first virtual network connection, and the second device, via the second virtual network connection, over a first network path using the connection information, the first network path including the third device, and
(ix) transmitting a first packet from the first device using the first virtual network connection for communication via the first network path,
(x) receiving, at the third device using the third virtual network connection, the first packet, and communicating the first packet onward along the first network path,
(xi) receiving, at the second device using the second virtual network connection, the first packet,
(xii) spawning, at the first end-user device, a fourth virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a fourth virtual network connection is provided,
(xiii) spawning, at the second end-user device, a fifth virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device such that a fifth virtual network connection is provided,
(xiv) spawning, at a fourth end-user device, a sixth virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the fourth device such that a sixth virtual network connection is provided,
(xv) establishing a second network connection between the first device, via the fourth virtual network connection, and the second device, via the fifth virtual network connection, over a second network path using the connection information, the second network path including the fourth device,
(xvi) transmitting a second packet from the first device using the fourth virtual network connection for communication via the second network path,
(xvii) receiving, at the fourth device using the sixth virtual network connection, the second packet, and communicating the second packet onward along the second network path, and
(xviii) receiving, at the second device using the fifth virtual network connection, the second packet;
(c) wherein the third device is different from the fourth device.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/242,289Filed 23 Sep 2011 · continuation
Priority: 17 Oct 2007
Published: US 2012/0023244 A126 Jan 2012
Granted: 23 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 45/586
Association of routers: of virtual routers
H04L 12/56
Store-and-forward switching systems: packet switching systems
H04L 47/17
Flow control; Congestion control: interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop
H04L 51/06
User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail: message…

Family

Application60/999,603Us provisional application · filed 17 Oct 2007
Application61/133,935Us provisional application · filed 7 Jul 2008
Application12/253,926Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Oct 2008
Application12/499,075Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jul 2009
US 2012/0023244 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Jan 2012
US 7,895,348 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/499,075Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2009/0106439 A1Published application
US 2010/0009758 A1Published application
US 8,539,098 B2Related patent
US 8,429,293 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.