Granted Patent B2

US 9,537,943 · App. 11/539,454 · Granted Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a communication element of a recipient node, an access ticket originating from an originating node, the access ticket for accessing content via a network and providing an identifier of the content, wherein the access ticket includes at least a public key;

determining, at an updating element of the recipient node, a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node based on a comparison of a current delivery route of the access ticket and a social diagram stored in memory device of the recipient node that reflects degrees of separation between the recipient node and other nodes based on past delivery routes of the recipient node, a true degree of separation being a smallest degree of separation between two nodes;

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, determining, at the updating element, a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node based on the comparison of the current delivery route of the access ticket and the stored social diagram, wherein each of the originating node, the recipient node, and the intermediate node comprises a peer node in a peer-to-peer network; and

determining, by an access control element of the recipient node, to access the content via the network when the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node is less than a predetermined threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the access control element, to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node when attempting to access the content.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the access control element, to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node in response to a failed attempt to access the content.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

updating, the by updating element, the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node each time a new access ticket is received; and

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, updating, the by updating element, the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node each time a new access ticket is received.

5. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising determining to reconcile the updated social diagram with a social diagram of the originating node.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: determining to perform a security function on the access ticket.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein receiving the access ticket comprises receiving the access ticket which includes a public key, a location of content associated with the access ticket, and an encrypted block that was encrypted using the public key.

8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein determining to perform the security function on the access ticket comprises determining to perform a hash of the access ticket, the encrypted block and each user information segment associated with the access ticket and thereafter encrypting the hash using the public key.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, when executed on a processor, cause an apparatus to perform at least the steps of:

receiving, at a recipient node, an access ticket originating from an originating node, the access ticket for accessing content via a network and providing an identifier of the content, wherein the access ticket includes at least a public key;

determining a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node based on a comparison of a current delivery route of the access ticket and a social diagram stored on the recipient node, a true degree of separation being a smallest degree of separation between two nodes;

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, determining a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node based on the comparison of the current delivery route of the access ticket and the stored social diagram, wherein each of the originating node, the recipient node, and the intermediate node comprises a peer node in a peer-to-peer network; and

accessing the content via the network when the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of determining to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node when attempting to access the content.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of determining to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node in response to a failed attempt to access the content.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the steps of:

updating the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node each time a new access ticket is received; and

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, updating the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node each time a new access ticket is received.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of determining to reconcile the updated social diagram with a social diagram of the originating node.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of determining to perform a security function on the access ticket.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of receiving the access ticket which includes a public key, a location of content associated with the access ticket, and an encrypted block that was encrypted using the public key.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the step of determining to perform a hash of the access ticket, the encrypted block and each user information segment associated with the access ticket and thereafter encrypting the hash using the public key.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the steps of:

receiving an access ticket originating from an originating node, the access ticket for accessing content via a network and providing an identifier of the content, wherein the access ticket includes at least a public key;

determining a true degree of separation between the apparatus embodied as a recipient node and the originating node based on a comparison of a current delivery route of the access ticket and a stored social diagram that reflects degrees of separation between the recipient node and other nodes based on past delivery routes of the recipient node, a true degree of separation being a smallest degree of separation between two nodes;

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, determining a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node based on the comparison of the current delivery route of the access ticket and the stored social diagram, wherein each of the originating node, the recipient node, and the intermediate node is a peer node in a peer-to-peer network; and

accessing the content via the network when the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node when attempting to access the content.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node in response to a failed attempt to access the content.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

update the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node each time a new access ticket is received; and

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, update the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node each time a new access ticket is received.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to reconcile the updated social diagram with a social diagram of the originating node.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to perform a security function on the access ticket.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the access ticket includes a public key, a location of content associated with the access ticket, and an encrypted block that was encrypted using the public key.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to perform a hash of the access ticket, the encrypted block and each user information segment associated with the access ticket, and wherein the access control element is configured to thereafter encrypt the hash using the public key.

25. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is embodied in a mobile terminal.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a recipient node, an access ticket originating from an originating node, the access ticket for accessing content via a network and providing an identifier of the content, wherein the access ticket includes at least a public key; and

means for determining a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node based on a comparison of a current delivery route of the access ticket and a stored social diagram that reflects degrees of separation between the recipient node and other nodes based on past delivery routes of the recipient node, a true degree of separation being a smallest degree of separation between two nodes;

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, determining a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node based on the comparison of the current delivery route of the access ticket and the stored social diagram, wherein each of the originating node, the recipient node, and the intermediate node comprises a peer node in a peer-to-Deer network; and

means for accessing the content via the network when the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node is less than a predetermined threshold.

27. A system comprising an originating node and a recipient node in communication with each other via a peer-to-peer network, the recipient node comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the recipient node to:

receive an access ticket originating from the originating node, the access ticket for accessing content via the network and providing an identifier of the content, wherein the access ticket includes at least a public key;

determine a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node based on a comparison of a current delivery route of the access ticket a stored social diagram that reflects degrees of separation between the recipient node and other nodes based on past delivery routes of the recipient node, a true degree of separation being a smallest degree of separation between two nodes;

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, determine a true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node based on the comparison of the current delivery route of the access ticket and the stored social diagram, wherein each of the originating node, the recipient node, and the intermediate node comprises a peer node in a peer-to-peer network; and

access the content via the network when the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node is less than a predetermined threshold.

28. A system according to claim 27 , wherein the memory stores instructions for causing the recipient node to:

provide the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node to the originating node when attempting to access the content.

29. A system according to claim 27 , wherein the memory stores instructions for causing the recipient node to:

update the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the originating node each time a new access ticket is received; and

when the current delivery route indicates an intermediate node between the recipient node and the originating node, update the stored social diagram with the true degree of separation between the recipient node and the intermediate node each time a new access ticket is received.

30. A system according to claim 29 , further comprising instructions for causing the recipient node to reconcile the updated social diagram with a social diagram of the originating node.

31. A system according to claim 30 , wherein the memory stores instructions for causing the recipient node to perform a security function on the access ticket.

Assignments (12)