Chargeable peer-to-peer file download system
First Claim
1. A method for transferring data over a network, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining at least one portion of a data file from a first client terminal over a network, based on a location of said at least one data file portion as received from one of a server terminal and a tracking application associated with the server terminal; and
transmitting accounting data to one of the tracking application and the server terminal, said accounting data relating to the transfer of the at least one data file portion by the first client terminal over the network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A server terminal is interconnected with a number of client/peer terminals, as part of a network. For chargeable peer-to-peer file downloads, a client terminal establishes and accesses an account on the server. An information file associated with a data file of interest is obtained by the client from the server. The information file contains the network address of a tracker module. The client terminal accesses the tracker module to obtain the network locations of one or more peer terminals having sections/pieces of the data file stored thereon. The client terminal selects and contacts peer terminals for obtaining the data file sections. The client terminal and/or selected peer terminals securely transmit accounting data, relating to the amount of data transferred, to the tracker module, which forwards it to the server for billing purposes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for transferring data over a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining at least one portion of a data file from a first client terminal over a network, based on a location of said at least one data file portion as received from one of a server terminal and a tracking application associated with the server terminal; and transmitting accounting data to one of the tracking application and the server terminal, said accounting data relating to the transfer of the at least one data file portion by the first client terminal over the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for transferring data over a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting to a first client terminal a location of at least one section of a data file stored on a second client terminal, upon request from the first client terminal; and receiving accounting data originating from at least one of said first client terminal and said second client terminal, said accounting data relating to a transfer of said at least one data file section from the second terminal to the first terminal over the network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A file download system comprising:
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a client module configured to run on a first client terminal for managing transfer of data files to said first client terminal; wherein the client module is configured to obtain one or more network locations of each of said data files from one of a server terminal and a tracker module in communication with said server terminal; and wherein the client module is configured to automatically securely transmit accounting data to one of said server terminal and said tracker module, said accounting data relating to the transfer of said data files from one or more second client terminals to the first client terminal, said one or more second client terminals being associated with the one or more network locations. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification