System and method for providing a virtual peer-to-peer environment

Abstract

An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables the creation of a virtual endpoint that may operate within a peer-to-peer network to represent a device that is unable to operate as an endpoint.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for establishing a peer-to-peer session between a real endpoint and a mapped endpoint, wherein the real endpoint is a first device configured to directly access a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a shadow server, a login request from the mapped endpoint, wherein the mapped endpoint is a second device that lacks the functionality needed to directly access the peer-to-peer network;   creating, by the shadow server, a virtual endpoint corresponding to the mapped endpoint;   receiving, by the virtual endpoint, authentication information from the mapped endpoint, wherein the authentication information is needed to gain access to the peer-to-peer network by the virtual endpoint;   sending, by the virtual endpoint, the authentication information to an access server in the peer-to-peer network to log the virtual endpoint into the network;   receiving, by the virtual endpoint, a message from the mapped endpoint that is to be sent to the real endpoint; and   sending, by the virtual endpoint, the message directly to the real endpoint, wherein all communications between the mapped endpoint and the real endpoint pass through the virtual endpoint.