US 7188180

US Patent 7188180, titled "Method for establishing secure communication link between computers of virtual private network," was issued to VimetX Inc. (currently Virnetx Inc.). The patent lists Victor Larson, Robert Durham Short, III, Edmund Colby Munger, and Michael Williamson as the inventors. The filing date for application number US10/702,486 was November 7, 2003, and the patent was granted on March 6, 2007.

Abstract:
The patent describes a method for establishing a secure communication link, such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN), between computers over a network like the Internet. The method allows a user to establish this secure link with minimal or no input of cryptographic information, often by a single action like clicking an icon. It involves determining if a secure communication software module is present on the first computer, loading it if not, and then establishing the secure link. This VPN can utilize techniques like inserting pseudo-random data values into packets, employing a computer network address hopping regime that changes network addresses pseudo-randomly, or comparing a discriminator field in packets against a table of valid fields. The invention also encompasses a secure domain name service (SDNS) for non-standard top-level domain names and a method for encapsulating application-layer traffic to securely communicate with a server protected by an agile network protocol, allowing easier firewall traversal.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a method for setting up a secure communication mode on a first computer without requiring the user to enter cryptographic information (like a password or encryption key). This can be initiated by a simple action, such as clicking an icon. Once enabled, the method establishes a secure communication link (specifically, a virtual private network or VPN) between this first computer and a second computer over a public network. The process involves checking if a necessary secure communication software module is on the first computer and, if not, accessing a specific network address to load it. The VPN communication involves sending data packets that include values which change according to a pseudo-random sequence. This also includes using an address hopping scheme where network addresses in packets change pseudo-randomly, and the receiving computer validates these packets by comparing the data values to a moving window of expected valid values.
• Independent Claim 13: This claim outlines a method for communicating using a private link between a client computer and a server computer over a computer network (like the Internet). It involves the client computer sending an information packet where specific data, used to form a virtual private connection, is inserted into the payload at the application layer. This modified packet can then traverse a firewall and is received at the kernel layer of the server's operating system. The server's kernel layer determines if the packet contains the data for forming the virtual private connection. If so, the server responds by sending a reply packet, also modified at the kernel layer, containing virtual private connection information in its payload. Both the client's information packet and the server's reply packet can be UDP, TCP/IP, or ICMP protocol packets.
• Independent Claim 21: This claim describes a computer system designed for secure communication. It includes a computer with a link to a network and a display showing a hyperlink. When a user activates this hyperlink, a virtual private network (VPN) is established through the network. The system then sends a non-standard top-level domain name (like .scom, .sorg, etc.) over this VPN connection to a secure domain name service (SDNS). The SDNS provides secure network addresses for these non-standard domain names.
• Independent Claim 22: This claim is directed to a secure domain name service (SDNS) for a computer network. The service includes a portal connected to the network (e.g., the Internet) and a domain name database linked through this portal. The portal is responsible for authenticating requests for secure computer network addresses. The domain name database stores these secure network addresses, which are based on non-standard top-level domain names such as .scom, .sorg, .snet, .sedu, .smil, and .sint.
• Independent Claim 23: This claim describes a computer system featuring a secure communication link. This system has a communication link to a computer network and includes a display that shows an icon. When a user selects this icon, a secure communication mode is enabled on the computer without requiring the user to enter cryptographic information. After enabling this mode, a secure communication link, specifically a Virtual Private Network (VPN), is established between the computer and a second computer over the network.

USPTO and CAFC Docket Search:
A search of USPTO records confirms the patent number US7188180B2 and its associated details (inventors, assignees, dates, and priority data). The Google Patents page for US7188180B2 indicates that the patent expired on December 15, 2020. It also lists various litigation cases related to this patent family, including cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). However, a review of the provided CAFC 2026 dockets does not show any specific cases for patent 7188180 scheduled for 2026.