Method for discovering and discriminating devices on local collaborative networks to facilitate collaboration among users

Abstract

A method for identifying participants of a collaborative network is disclosed. The participants communicate over a larger electronic network wherein not all members may be participating in the collaborative session. The method begins by determining a unique session identifier for only the participants of the collaborative network. Next, a message having the session identifier is sent to all members of the network by an inquiring participant of the collaborative network. Only participants that have the session identifier respond to the inquiring participant. Finally, communication is established between the participants that responded to the message and the inquiring participant. In this regard, a collaborative network is formed including the inquiring participant.

1 . A method for identifying participants of a collaborative network from all members of a computing network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) determining a unique session identifier for the participants of the collaborative network;    b) transmitting, by an inquiring participant, a message having the session identifier to all members of the computing network;    c) responding by participants having the session identifier to the transmitted message sent by the inquiring participant; and    d) establishing communication between the participants that responded to the message and the inquiring participant such that the collaborative network is formed including the inquiring participant.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of creating a participant list with the inquiring participant.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the participant list includes all of the participants of the collaborative network with the same session identifier.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the participants are computing devices.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the computing devices are selected from the group consisting of PDA's, computers, and wireless devices.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collaborative network is capable of transmitting and receiving messages to and from computing devices.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the collaborative network is a wired or wireless network.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (b) comprises transmitting a UDP datagram containing the session identifier to all members of the network.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the datagram is a broadcast or multicast datagram.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 e) transmitting by each participant of the collaborative network a stay alive message; and  
 f) removing a participant if the stay alive message is not received for a prescribed period of time.  
 
     
     
         11 . A method of identifying participants of a collaborative session communicating with an electronic network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) establishing a session identifier for the collaborative session;    b) transmitting the session identifier to all members of the electronic network; and    c) finding participants of the electronic network having the same session identifier in order to identify members of the collaborative network.    
     
     
         12 . A system for identifying members of a collaborative network, the system comprising: 
 at least two computing devices in electronic communication with one another;    a unique session identifier for distinguishing members of the collaborative network; and    an identification message having the unique session identifier that is sent between the two computing devices such that if the session identifier is the same between the two devices then the devices are members of the collaborative network.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the electronic devices are in a wireless or wired network.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  further comprising a participant list created on the computing devices in order to store members of the collaborative network.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the computing devices are selected from the group consisting of PDA's, computers, and wireless devices.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the at least two computing devices comprises a plurality of computing devices configured in an electronic network.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the identification message is a UDP datagram.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the UDP datagram is a broadcast or multicast message.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a stay alive message transmitted between the electronic devices and operative to inform if a device has left the collaborative network.