Peer to peer connection

Abstract

A method in a first device for setting up a peer-to-peer IP connection between the first device and a second device may include sending a request to a second device for setting up the peer-to-peer IP connection between the first device and the second device. The request may include an IP address of the first device. Alternatively, an IP address of the second device may be received in a message from the second device. The peer-to-peer IP connection between the first device and the second device is then set up. The setting up may be initiated by one of the parties associated with the first device or the second device by connecting to the other party using the IP address of the other party.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 sending, by a first communication device and to a second communication device, a request for establishing a peer-to-peer Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the first communication device and the second communication device; 
 receiving, by the first communication device, a message from the second communication device,
 the message including information identifying:
 an identifier associated with the first communication device, and 
 an IP address associated with the second communication device; 
 
 
 generating, by the first communication device and based on the identifier, a signature associated with the first communication device; and 
 sending, by the first communication device, the signature to the IP address of the second communication device to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection,
 the second communication device authenticating the first communication device based on the signature, and 
 the peer-to-peer IP connection being established based on the second communication device authenticating the first communication device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using the peer-to-peer IP connection to share an application with the second communication device. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , where sending the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection includes:
 sending one of a short message service message or a multimedia messaging service message,
 the one of the short message service message or the multimedia messaging service message including the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , where sending the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection includes:
 sending a trigger to the second communication device,
 where the trigger causes the second communication device to start an application for enabling the second communication device to act as a server. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , where sending the trigger includes:
 addressing the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection to a particular port of the second communication device,
 where the particular port is associated with the application. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, via the peer-to-peer IP connection, a request to access a server associated with the second communication device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , where the server is external to the second communication device. 
     
     
       8. A first device comprising:
 a processor to:
 send, to a second device, a request for establishing a peer-to-peer Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the first device and the second device; 
 receive, from the second device, a message that includes information identifying:
 an identifier associated with the first device, and 
 an IP address associated with the second device; 
 
 generate, based on the identifier, a signature associated with the first device; and 
 send the signature to the IP address of the second device to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection,
 the second device authenticating the first device based on the signature, and 
 the peer-to-peer IP connection being established based on the second device authenticating the first device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       9. The first device of  claim 8 , where the processor is further to:
 share multimedia content with the second device via the peer-to-peer IP connection. 
 
     
     
       10. The first device of  claim 8 , where, when sending the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection, the processor is to:
 use a telephone number associated with the second device to send one of a short message service message or a multimedia messaging service message to the second device,
 the one of the short message service message or the multimedia messaging service message including the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The first device of  claim 8 , where, when sending the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection, the processor is to:
 use an application to send a trigger to the second device,
 where the trigger causes the second device to start a same application on the second device. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The first device of  claim 8 , where, when sending the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection, the processor is to:
 direct the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection to a particular port of the second device,
 where receiving the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection at the particular port causes the second device to automatically start an application that is associated with the particular port. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The first device of  claim 8 , where the processor is further to:
 send, via the peer-to-peer IP connection, a request to access a server associated with the second device. 
 
     
     
       14. The first device of  claim 8 , where, when receiving the message from the second device, the processor is to:
 receive, from the second device, one of:
 a short message service message, or 
 a multimedia messaging service message. 
 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first device, cause the processor to:
 send, to a second device, a request for establishing a peer-to-peer Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the first device and the second device; 
 receive, from the second device, a message that includes information identifying:
 an identifier associated with the first device, and 
 an IP address associated with the second device; 
 
 generate, based on the identifier, a signature associated with the first device; and 
 send the signature to the IP address of the second device to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection,
 the second device authenticating the first device based on the signature, and 
 the peer-to-peer IP connection being established based on the second device authenticating the first device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to share multimedia content with the second device via the peer-to-peer IP connection. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to send the request for establishing the peer-to-peer IP connection include:
 one or more instructions to use a telephone number associated with the second device to send one of a short message service message or a multimedia messaging service message to the second device,
 the one of the short message service message or the multimedia messaging service message including the request for establishing the peer-to-peer IP connection. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to send the request to establish the peer-to-peer IP connection include:
 one or more instructions to use an application to send the request for establishing the peer-to-peer connection to the second device,
 where the request for establishing the peer-to-peer connection includes a trigger,
 where the trigger causes the second device to start a same application on the second device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to send the request for establishing the peer-to-peer IP connection include:
 direct the request for establishing the peer-to-peer IP connection to a particular port of the second device,
 where the particular port is associated with a particular application, and 
 where receiving the request for establishing the peer-to-peer IP connection at the particular port causes the second device to automatically start the particular application. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to browse a server associated with the second device via the peer-to-peer IP connection.