Techniques for multi-standard peer-to-peer connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10320768-B2
Application number	US-201715670515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

Techniques for multi-protocol peer-to-peer connection are described. An apparatus may comprise a discovery component to discover a remote device using a first protocol, and receive discovery information from the remote device, the discovery information including protocol information. The apparatus may comprise an authentication component to authenticate the remote device. The apparatus may comprise a connection component to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the remote device using a second protocol based on the protocol information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising
sending, from a first device, an inquiry message using a first protocol during a discovery phase to discover a second device within communications range of the first device, the inquiry message including social information that identifies a user of the first device within a social networking service;
receiving, by the first device, an inquiry response message from the second device using the first protocol during the discovery phase, the inquiry response message including social information that identifies a user of the second device within the social networking service, and a list of second protocols for use by the second device;
authenticating a valid relationship between the user of the first device and the user of the second device via the social networking service based on the social information in the inquiry message and the inquiry response message, the authentication comprising:
traversing a social graph stored by the social networking service to identify a user of the first device within the social graph and a user of the second device within the social graph,
determining a type of relationship that exists between the user of the first device and a user of the second device based on one or more edges in the social graph, where different types of relationships are associated with different levels of security or access privileges, and
adjusting a security setting of the first device based on the determined type of relationship according to the level of security or access privileges associated with the determined type of relationship; and

responsive to the authenticating, establishing a peer-to-peer connection according to the level of security or access privileges correlated to the determined type of relationship between the users of the first and second devices using one of the second protocols during a session phase.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a valid relationship is authenticated when the user of the first device and the user of the second device are directly connected in the social network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a valid relationship is authenticated when the user of the first device and the user of the second device have an indirect connection in the social network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the social information that identifies the second user and the list of second protocols are included in metadata associated with the inquiry message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the first protocol for the discovery phase based on one or more of a speed of a discovery process or a number of peers compatible with the first protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the second protocol based on one or more of a speed of a data connection or a number of peers compatible with the second protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different types of relationships comprise one or more of a friend type, a close friend type, a family type, a friend-of-friend type, a public type, a professional type, a business type, an organization type, a membership type, or an enterprise type.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
logging the first device into the social networking service; and
prior to receiving the inquiry response message from the second device, receiving security information from the social networking service, the security information including security tokens associated with the user of the first device's connections in the social networking service, wherein the security tokens include a security token for the user of the second device;
wherein authenticating the valid relationship is performed at least in part based on the security token for the user of the second device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
send, from a first device, an inquiry message using a first protocol during a discovery phase to discover a second device within communications range of the first device, the inquiry message including social information that identifies a user of the first device within a social networking service;
receive, by the first device, an inquiry response message from the second device using the first protocol during the discovery phase, the inquiry response message including social information that identifies a user of the second device within the social networking service, and a list of second protocols for use by the second device;
authenticate a valid relationship between the user of the first device and the user of the second device via the social networking service based on the social information in the inquiry message and the inquiry response message, the authentication comprising:
traversing a social graph stored by the social networking service to identify a user of the first device within the social graph and a user of the second device within the social graph,
determining a type of relationship that exists between the user of the first device and a user of the second device based on one or more edges in the social graph, where different types of relationships are associated with different levels of security or access privileges, and
adjusting a security setting of the first device based on the determined type of relationship according to the level of security or access privileges associated with the determined type of relationship; and

responsive to the authenticating, establish a peer-to-peer connection according to the level of security or access privileges correlated to the determined type of relationship between the users of the first and second devices using one of the second protocols during a session phase.

10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein a valid relationship is authenticated when the user of the first device and the user of the second device are directly connected in the social network.

11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein a valid relationship is authenticated when the user of the first device and the user of the second device have an indirect connection in the social network.

12. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the social information that identifies the second user and the list of second protocols are included in metadata associated with the inquiry message.

13. The medium of claim 9 , further storing instructions for selecting the first protocol for the discovery phase based on one or more of a speed of a discovery process or a number of peers compatible with the first protocol.

14. The medium of claim 9 , further storing instructions for selecting the second protocol based on one or more of a speed of a data connection or a number of peers compatible with the second protocol.

15. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the different types of relationships comprise one or more of a friend type, a close friend type, a family type, a friend-of-friend type, a public type, a professional type, a business type, an organization type, a membership type, or an enterprise type.

16. The medium of claim 9 , further storing instructions for:
logging the first device into the social networking service; and
prior to receiving the inquiry response message from the second device, receiving security information from the social networking service, the security information including security tokens associated with the user of the first device's connections in the social networking service, wherein the security tokens include a security token for the user of the second device;
wherein authenticating the valid relationship is performed at least in part

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Maguire Yael
• Kowalewski Damian
• Liu Bin
• Lim Wai Davidgeolim
• Kalinowski Caitlin Elizabeth

Classifications

• H04L69/18

  Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols · CPC title

• H04L67/1091

  Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems · CPC title

• H04L67/1061

  using node-based peer discovery mechanisms (static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51) · CPC title

• H04L63/08 Primary

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title