Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-25
2001-05-01
Harrell, Robert B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
C709S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226678
ABSTRACT:
To the extent that any matter contained herein is not already disclosed in the above-identified parent application, this application claims priority to United States provisional patent application 60/025,415 entitled Internet Telephony Apparatus and Method by Mattaway et al., filed Sep. 4, 1996, and United States provisional patent application serial number 60/024,251 entitled System and Methods for Point-To-Point Communications Over a Computer Network, by Mattaway et al., filed Aug. 21, 1996.
In addition, this application is one of a number of related applications filed on an even date herewith and commonly assigned, the subject matters of which are incorporated herein by reference, including the following:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/719,894, entitled Directory Server For Providing Dynamically Assigned Network Protocol Addresses, by Mattaway et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/721,316, entitled Graphic User Interface For Internet Telephony Application, by Mattaway et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/719,554, entitled Point-to-point Computer Network Communication Utility Utilizing Dynamically Assigned Network Protocol Addresses, by Mattaway et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/719,891, entitled Method And Apparatus For Distribution And Presentation Of Multimedia Data Over A Computer Network, by Mattaway et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/719,898, entitled Method And Apparatus For Providing Caller Identification Based Out-going Messages In A Computer Telephony Environment, by Mattaway et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/718,911, entitled Method And Apparatus For Providing Caller Identification Based Call Blocking In A Computer Telephony Environment, by Mattaway et al.; and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/719,639, entitled Method And Apparatus For Providing Caller Identification Responses In A Computer Telephony Environment, by Mattaway et al.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to data processing systems, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for facilitating communications over computer networks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The increased popularity of on-line services such as AMERICA ONLINE™, COMPUSERVE®, and other services such as Internet gateways have spurred applications to provide multimedia, including video and voice clips, to online users. An example of an online voice clip application is VOICE E-MAIL FOR WINCIM and VOICE E-MAIL FOR AMERICA ONLINE™, available from Bonzi Software, as described in “Simple Utilities Send Voice E-Mail Online”, MULTIMEDIA WORLD, VOL. 2, NO. 9, August 1995, p. 52. Using such Voice E-Mail software, a user may create an audio message to be sent to a predetermined E-mail address specified by the user.
Generally, devices interfacing to the Internet and other online services may communicate with each other upon establishing respective device addresses. One type of device address is the Internet Protocol (IP) address, which acts as a pointer to the device associated with the IP address. A typical device may have a Serial Line Internet Protocol or Point-to-Point Protocol (SLIP/PPP) account with a permanent IP address for receiving E-mail, voicemail, and the like over the Internet. E-mail and voicemail is generally intended to convey text, audio, etc., with any routing information such as an IP address and routing headers generally being considered an artifact of the communication, or even gibberish to the recipient.
Devices such as a host computer or server of a company may include multiple modems for connection of users to the Internet, with a temporary IP address allocated to each user. For example, the host computer may have a general IP address “XXX.XXX.XXX”, and each user may be allocated a successive IP address of XXX.XXX.XXX.10, XXX.XXX.XXX.11, XXX.XXX.XXX.12, etc. Such temporary IP addresses may be reassigned or recycled to the users, for example, as each user is successively connected to an outside party. For example, a host computer of a company may support a maximum of 254 IP addresses which are pooled and shared between devices connected to the host computer.
Permanent IP addresses of users and devices accessing the Internet readily support point-to-point communications of voice and video signals over the Internet. For example, realtime video teleconferencing has been implemented using dedicated IP addresses and mechanisms known as reflectors. Due to the dynamic nature of temporary IP addresses of some devices accessing the Internet, point-to-point communications in realtime of voice and video have been generally difficult to attain.
The ability to locate users having temporary or dynamically assigned Internet Protocol addresses has been difficult without the user manually initiating the communication. Accordingly, spontaneous, real-time communications with such users over computer networks, particularly the Internet, have been impractical. Further, even if the dynamically assigned Internet Protocol address of a client process or user was obtained and such communications were possible, it is desirable to verify the validity of the communication with a central authority. Further, it is desirable to have a communication utility capable of performing a plurality of predefined functions, any of which may be defined on a dynamic basis by either the user or by a central authority.
Accordingly, a need exists for a way to determine whether computer users are actively connected to a computer network.
A further need exists for a way to obtain the dynamically assigned Internet Protocol address of a user or client process currently connected to a computer network, particularly the Internet.
An even further need exists for a way to validate communications received over a computer network.
Yet a further need exists for a communication utility capable of establishing real-time, point-to-point communications over a computer network, such a utility having plurality of features dynamically definable by either the user or by a central authority.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above deficiencies in the prior art and the previously described needs are fulfilled by the present invention which provides, a computer network communication utility having a plurality of selectively definable functions. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of dynamically defining the functionality of a client process with a server comprises the steps of receiving a client identifier from a client process, determining which of a plurality of functions the identified client process is authorized perform, and transmitting to the client process a function identifier defining the plurality of authorized functions.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled to other computer systems as well as a server over a computer network includes a computer usable medium having program code means embodied therein for transmitting to the server a function identifier request defining which of a plurality of predefined features the client process wishes to utilize, and, program code means for receiving from the server a function identifier authorizing selected of the predefined functions.
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Christensen Jan L.
Hutton Glenn W.
Mattaway Shane D.
Strickland Craig B.
Harrell Robert B.
Kudirka & Jobse LLP
NetSpeak Corporation
Vu Thong
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