US 8,949,369 B2 · Two-tier architecture for remote access service

Abstract

Remote access service is provided between two or more computers on a network to facilitate a variety of activities, including desktop sharing, web-meetings, and web-conferences. A first computer sends its connection information to a server. The server stores the connection information for the first computer. A second computer may make a request to the server to remotely access the first computer. The server sends to the second computer the connection information it has stored for the first computer. The second computer uses the connection information for the first computer to send to the first computer connection information for the second computer via direct network connection. From this point on, the first computer and the second computer exchange data for remote access via a direct network connection, independently of the server.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a server for facilitating remote access between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from one of the first computers a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers;
storing in the server the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers;
receiving, by the server, a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers;
and
the server sending to said one of the second computers the stored first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to the server receiving the request from said one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers, said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address and said one of the second computers sending a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

2 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for facilitating remote access between one or more first computers and one or more second computers coupled to a network, the instructions when executed by a processor on a server causing the processor to:

receive from one of the first computers a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers;
store in the server the first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers;
receive, by the server, a request from one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers;
and
send, by the server, to said one of the second computers the stored first IP address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to the server receiving the request from said one of the second computers to establish remote access to said one of the first computers, said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address and said one of the second computers sending a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

2 more elements

send, by a second computer, a request to a server to establish remote access to one of the first computers;
receive, at said second computer, from the server a first internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to said one of the first computers responsive to sending the request to the server;
store the first IP address;
establish a direct connection with said one of the first computers identified by the first IP address;
and
send a second IP address corresponding to said one of the second computers directly to said one of the first computers without the second IP address passing through the server and without the second IP address being stored by the server, the second IP address enabling said one of the first computers to directly exchange data with said one of the second computers, wherein the second IP address is not received by said one of the first computers prior to said one of the second computers directly connecting to said one of the first computers.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Two-tier architecture for remote access service

Life of this patent

Two-tier architecture for remote access service

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17