SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A SECURE TRUSTED SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20060259957A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barjinderpal S. Gill, Chung Ming Tam, Paramjit S. Gill
• Original Assignee: Barjinderpal S. Gill, Chung Ming Tam, Paramjit S. Gill
• Inventors: TAM, CHUNG MING, GILL, BARJINDERPAL S., GILL, PARAMJIT S.
• Application Number:
  US11/381,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259957A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A system for a plurality of users to share resources with access, control and configuration based on pre-defined relationships of trust between the users of the system. A computer-based authority provides the services of authentication, identification and verification of each user within network. Processes are described that leads to the formation of an electronic community, which facilitates electronic communication and transactions in a defined manner.

Claims

1. A system for a plurality of users to share resources comprising:

one or more software clients, each of said software clients installed on a computing device;

one or more trusted servers;

one or more communication means allowing communication between said one or more trusted servers and said one or more software clients,

wherein said trusted servers comprise;

a network interface operable to receive data packets from the software clients and further operable to send processed data packets to the software clients;

a processing engine in communication with the network interface, said engine operable to associate each data packet with an identifier and to thereby provide said processed data packets;

a database containing an identifier associated with each software client in said system, and

wherein each identifier in said database is related to each other identifier by means of a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user of a software client and a second user of a software client based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the resources can be any of the following:

information, data, computer files, software, hard drive space, or processing power.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a user can access the system remotely by communicating with the software client via a communication protocol which can include HTTP, telnet, or custom protocols.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the communication means allows communication between the software clients.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each user grants access to resources on their computing device to other users within the system who fall within one or more criteria.

8. A method of searching for information, resources or services contained on a computing device connected to the system of claim 1, based on the properties of the object as well as criteria as specified by the user wherein the search can be conducted either by said software client or be the trusted server.

6. A system for a plurality of users to share resources, said system produced by the following process:

a. providing a software client to a first user for installation on a first computing device;

b. receiving a first set of data packets relating to said first user from said software client to one or more trusted servers via one or more communication means;

c. compiling a database of said first data packets;

d. receiving a second set of data packets relating to at least one second user with whom said first user has a pre-existing relationship defined by a criterion, wherein said criterion is trust, as defined by said first and second user;

e. adding said second set of data packets to the database and relating said second set of data packets to said first set of identifying data by means of said criterion;

f. providing the software client to the second user for installation on a second computing device;

wherein, said first, second, or new user can repeat steps b to f resulting in additional users being added to said system.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the resources can be any of the following:

information, data, computer files, software, hard drive space, or processing power.

9. A method for creating a market on a system for a plurality of users to share resources, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a network of computing devices used by two or more users wherein each of said users possesses a unique network identifier and wherein each unique identifier can be related to each other unique identifier based on a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user and another user based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users; and

providing a market server connected to said network wherein said computing devices can exchange processed data packets with said market server;

wherein said processed data packets relate to the buying and selling of goods and wherein said market server coordinates interactions between said users of said computing devices.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said goods comprises electronic or non-electronic goods.

11. A method for creating an auction on a system for a plurality of users to share resources, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a network of computing devices used by two or more users wherein each of said users possesses a unique network identifier and wherein each unique identifier can be related to each other unique identifier based on a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user and another based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users; and

providing an auction server connected to said network wherein said computing devices can exchange processed data packets with said auction server;

wherein said processed data packets contain information relating to the designation of objects that are available to be auctioned, and bids for said by one or more of said users; and

wherein said auction server manages said processed data packets to manage and regulate auctions on said network according to pre-set rules.

12. A method for playing games via a system for a plurality of users to share resources, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a network of computing devices used by two or more users wherein each of said users possesses a unique network identifier and wherein each unique identifier can be related to each other unique identifier based on a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user and another based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users; and

providing a game server connected to said network wherein said computing devices can exchange processed data packets with said game server;

wherein said processed data packets contain information relating to a game in which the users are participants; and

wherein said game server coordinates and manages the interactions between the users according to pre-set rules.

13. A method for distributing one or more objects to members of a system for a plurality of users to share resources, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a network of computing devices used by two or more users wherein each of said users possesses a unique network identifier and wherein each unique identifier can be related to each other unique identifier based on a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user and another based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users;

providing one or more trusted servers connected to said network wherein said computing devices can exchange processed data packets with said one or more trusted servers;

establishing a list of unique network identifiers corresponding to users who wish to receive the object and the location of a folder on said computing devices of said users designated to receive said one or more objects, said list located on said trusted servers;

transmitting said one or more objects to said one or more trusted servers with instructions to distribute said object to the members on said list; and

transmitting said one or more objects from said one or more trusted servers to the members of said list;

14. The method of claim 13 where said one or more objects comprise data, digital information, or one or more electronic files or folders.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said users on said list can edit said object and transmit the resulting edited object to said one or more trusted servers with instructions to transmit said edited object to the members of said list as well as to the user who originally distributed said object;

and wherein said edited object is then transmitted from said trusted servers to the members of said list as well as to the user who originally distributed said object.

16. A method for banking via a system for a plurality of users to share resources, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a network of computing devices used by two or more users wherein each of said users possesses a unique network identifier and wherein each unique identifier can be related to each other unique identifier based on a criterion, wherein said criterion is the degree of separation between one user and another based on a pre-existing relationship of trust, as defined by said users; and

providing a banking server connected to said network wherein said computing devices can exchange processed data packets with said banking server;

wherein said processed data packets contain information relating to communication between said two or more users relating to borrowing or loaning money from one of said two or more users to another of said two or more users; and

wherein said banking server coordinates and manages the interactions between said users according to pre-set rules.