Agile network protocol for secure video communications with assured system availability

Abstract

A system and method for video conferencing over a secure communication link is disclosed. In various implementations, the system is configured connect to a communication network, store a plurality of network addresses of devices of registered users, each device of a registered user having an application program for conducting video conferencing between, the client device and the target device, and establish a secure communication link between the client device and the target device. The secure communication link is established in response to a query (a) generated by the client device and (b) including an identifier associated with a network address of the target device, the establishment of the secure communication link being based on a determination that the target device can accept a secure communication link connection with the client device. Video conferencing is conducted over the secure communication link connection between the client device and the target device.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for video conferencing, between a client device and a target device, over a secure communication link, the system comprising:
 a service system configured to:   connect to a communication network;   store a plurality of network addresses of devices of registered users, each device of a registered user having an application program for conducting video conferencing between the client device and the target device;   establish a secure communication link between the client device and the target device in response to a query (a) generated by the client device and (b) including an identifier associated with a network address of the target device, the establishment of the secure communication link being based on a determination that the target device can accept a secure communication link connection with the client device; and   conduct video conferencing over the secure communication link connection between the client device and the target device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the secure communication link is at least one of a broadband connection or a modulated transmission link. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the secure communication link supports at least one of frequency division multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), code division multiple access (CDMA), or TCP/IP protocols. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is configured to store a plurality of domain names corresponding to the plurality of network addresses of the devices of the registered users. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of domain names includes at least one top-level domain name. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the top-level domain name is a non-standard top-level domain name. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the non-standard top-level domain name is at least one of .scom, .sorg, .snet, .sgov, .sedu, .smil, or .sint. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network addresses of devices of registered users correspond to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the devices of registered users. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is further configured to authenticate the query. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is configured to establish the secure communications link based on a determination made by a domain name service (DNS) server that the target device can establish a secure communication link based on an address request corresponding to a target device identified in an IP address lookup on the DNS server. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the address request includes a secure domain name. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the address request includes a secure domain name and the secure communication link can be created when a determination is made by a proxy module that a target device can establish a secure communication link based on a unique secure domain name corresponding to the target device identified in a DNS lookup table. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the secure communication link is a virtual private network link. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the target device is a secure website. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the target device is a phone. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is connectable to a virtual private network through the communication network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the virtual private network is based on a network address hopping regime used to pseudorandomly change network addresses in packets transmitted between a first device and a second device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the virtual private network is based on a comparison of a discriminator field in a header of each data packet to a table of valid discriminator fields maintained for a device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is configured to provide, in response to the query, a network address corresponding to a domain name from the plurality network addresses and corresponding domain names. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is configured to receive the query generated by the client device, the query requesting a network address associated with the target device, provide the network address associated with the target device, and facilitate the establishment of the secure communication link between the client device and the target device. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service system is further configured to store a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses of the devices of the registered users and provide an indication that the service system supports establishing a secure communication link with respect to each of devices of the registered users corresponding to the stored domain names and network addresses. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the secure communication link is capable of supporting a plurality of services. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of services comprises at least one of a plurality of communication protocols, a plurality of other application programs, multiple sessions, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of other application programs comprises at least one of e-mail, a word processing program, or telephony. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client device is a phone. 
     
     
         26 . A method for video conferencing, between a client device and a target device, over a secure communication link, the method comprising:
 connecting to a communication network;   storing, at a service system, a plurality of network addresses of devices of registered users, each device of a registered user having an application program for conducting video conferencing between the client device and the target device;   establishing a secure communication link between the client device and the target device in response to a query (a) generated by the client device and (b) including an identifier associated with a network address of the target device, the establishment of the secure communication link being based on a determination that the target device can accept a secure communication link connection with the client device; and   conducting video conferencing over the secure communication link connection between the client device and the target device.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the secure communication link is at least one of a broadband connection or a modulated transmission link. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the secure communication link supports at least one of frequency division multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), code division multiple access (CDMA), or TCP/IP protocols. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , further including storing, at the service system, a plurality of domain names corresponding to the plurality of network addresses of the devices of the registered users. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of domain names includes at least one top-level domain name. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the top-level domain name is a non-standard top-level domain name. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the non-standard top-level domain name is at least one of .scom, .sorg, .snet, .sgov, .sedu, .smil, or .sint. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the network addresses of devices of registered users correspond to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the devices of registered users. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , further including authenticating the query. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 26 , further including establishing the secure communications link based on a determination made by a domain name service (DNS) server that the target device can establish a secure communication link based on an address request corresponding to a target device identified in an IP address lookup on the DNS server. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the address request includes a secure domain name. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the address request includes a secure domain name and the secure communication link can be created when a determination is made by a proxy module that a target device can establish a secure communication link based on a unique secure domain name corresponding to the target device identified in a DNS lookup table. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the secure communication link is a virtual private network link. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the target device is a secure website. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the target device is a phone. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 26 , further including connecting the service system to a virtual private network through the communication network. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the virtual private network is based on a network address hopping regime used to pseudorandomly change network addresses in packets transmitted between a first device and a second device. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the virtual private network is based on a comparison of a discriminator field in a header of each data packet to a table of valid discriminator fields maintained for a device. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 26 , further including providing, in response to the query, a network address corresponding to a domain name from the plurality network addresses and corresponding domain names. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 26 , further including receiving the query generated by the client device, the query requesting a network address associated with the target device, providing the network address associated with the target device, and facilitating the establishment of the secure communication link between the client device and the target device. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 26 , further including storing a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses of the devices of the registered users and providing an indication that the service system supports establishing a secure communication link with respect to each of devices of the registered users corresponding to the stored domain names and network addresses. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the secure communication link is capable of supporting a plurality of services. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the plurality of services comprises at least one of a plurality of communication protocols, a plurality of other application programs, multiple sessions, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the plurality of other application programs comprises at least one of e-mail, a word processing program, or telephony. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 26 , further including receiving the query generated by the client device the client device from a phone.