iChat 4 to Include Peer to Peer Sharing

Back in January Apple was granted a patent describing a "peer-to-peer active content sharing" application. Although it is not directly mentioned it is expected that such a technology will be built into the next iChat to be included with Mac OS X Leopard.

Abstract from Patent

Fig. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a chat module according to an embodiment of the present invention

A system and method to allow chat modules in a peer network to share active content. A sender peer includes an application module to activate a media content file from a content repository. The sender peer also includes a chat module to detect active content on the common peer and send information about the active content for display at a recipient peer. The recipient peer includes a chat module to receive active content information and an application module to active the media in substantially synchronous to active media at the sender peer. A content enhancement server provides supplemental active content information for display at the recipient peer and previews of the active content. The content enhancement server also enables a transaction related to the active media content file such as a purchase of an MP3 copy of the active content.

In the patent filed by Michael Stochosky in July 2003 claims some of the following:

Claims and Summary

Figure 4a — Fig. 4A is an illustration of a user interface displaying a recipients peer's chat module with integrated active content information

1. A system for sharing information about an active content of a sender peer with a recipient peer, comprising: a sender peer comprising: a first application module, for activating and outputting active content from a data file; a first chat module, communicatively coupled to the first application module for sending information about the active content; and a recipient peer comprising: a second chat module, communicatively coupled to the first chat module, for receiving and outputting the information about the active content active on the sender peer.

Fig 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating a method of completing a transaction in the content enhancement server concerning shared active content according to an embodiment of the present invention

One problem with existing instant messaging applications is that they limit the real time information shared between a user and a contact to, for example, text messages, simple graphic files, and static file transfers. Significantly, current instant messaging applications do not allow users of a peer to directly and easily share information about active content on the peer. The instant messaging applications lack the software architecture to track active content in applications on a common peer, and lack the network communications architecture to share active content with other peers on the network.