Apple Inc.

Barry A Whitebook

Joe S Abuan

Roberto Garcia, Jr

Hyeonkuk Jeong

Yan Yang

Roberto Garcia

Berkat S Tung

Robert Quattlebaum

Ming Jin

Graeme J Devine

Jonathan J Bennett

At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a framework for turning one or more multifunctional devices coupled to a personal area network (PAN) into virtual accessories of another multifunctional device coupled to the PAN. In one embodiment, connection between a multifunctional device and a PAN is established, where the PAN is further coupled to a set of multifunctional devices. One or more distributed functionalities associated with a multi-device capable application are assigned to each multifunctional device based on relationship between the multifunctional devices. At least part of the multi-device capable application is shared between the multifunctional devices. Using the multifunctional device, the one or more distributed functionalities are performed in collaboration with the other multifunctional devices.

Multifunctional devices as virtual accessories

In the described embodiments, a connection data exchange ('CDX') service serves as an exchange point for connection data for establishing peer-to-peer ('P2P') connections between devices. During operation, the CDX service can receive a connection data structure (a &#x201c;ticket&#x201d;) that was created by a matchmaker or an invitation service in response to requests from devices attempting to establish P2P connections. Each ticket can identify a corresponding device and can include encrypted NAT hole-punch data associated with the corresponding device. The CDX service can authenticate each ticket and decrypt the NAT hole punch data from the ticket using a corresponding key. The CDX service can then use corresponding NAT hole punch data to send connection data to each of the devices that reside behind NAT devices.

Apparatus and method for efficiently and securely exchanging connection data

A method and apparatus of a device that distinguishes multiplexed media and signaling data traffic is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives, on a single port, a packet of the multiplexed data traffic, where the multiplexed data traffic includes a plurality of packets and each of the plurality of packets is one of a media packet and an encapsulated signaling packet. The device further examines an initial data element of a header of the received packet to determine if the received packet is one of a media packet and a signal packet. The device further forwards the packet to a corresponding module for further processing based on the examining.

Network stream identification for open FaceTime

An apparatus, method, and machine-readable medium are described for establishing, maintaining and utilizing backup channels in a peer-to-peer ('P2P') network. For example, in one embodiment, each mobile device can establish a primary P2P communication channel with one or more other mobile devices. Once the primary channel is established, each mobile device can use the primary channel to exchange secondary channel connection data and can subsequently open one or more secondary P2P communication channels with the other mobile devices. Upon detecting that the primary P2P communication channel has failed or has degraded below a specified threshold (e.g., a bandwidth or bitrate threshold), one of the secondary P2P communication channels can be automatically promoted to a primary P2P communication channel.

Apparatus and method for establishing and utilizing backup communication channels

An apparatus, method, and machine-readable medium are described for securely and efficiently exchanging connection data for a peer-to-peer ('P2P') session on a network comprising. For example, in one embodiment, a connection data exchange ('CDX') service can perform the function of a central exchange point for connection data. In one embodiment, the CDX service can perform the operations of receiving a connection data structure, sometimes referred to herein as a &#x201c;ticket,&#x201d; created by a matchmaker or an invitation service in response to requests from a group of mobile computing devices attempting to establish peer-to-peer (&#x201c;P2P&#x201d;) connections. The ticket can identify each of the group of mobile computing devices and can include encrypted NAT hole punch data associated with each of the mobile computing devices. The CDX service can authenticate the ticket and decrypt the NAT hole punch data contained in the ticket using a CDX ticket key used by the matchmaker service or the invitation service to encrypt the ticket. Once the ticket is authenticated and the hole punch data retrieved, the CDX service can send connection data to each of the mobile computing devices residing behind NAT devices using the NAT hole punch data.

Growing community of inventors

Charles Town, WV, United States of America

Barry A Whitebook