SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DISCOVERING SERVICES IN A NETWORK DEVICE

• US 20080155078A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kauniskangas, Hannu, Kaarela, Kari, Parkkinen, Jukka, Hyvarinen, Mikko A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method for discovering services within a social network is provided. The method includes receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service comprising an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network. The method further includes determining whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services, and providing one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service requiring an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;

determining whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services; and

providing one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining comprises determining a maximum degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node required to obtain access rights to the one or more services.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein determining comprises determining a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a delivery route of each access ticket and past delivery routes of past access tickets.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein determining comprises determining whether the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation, wherein the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services when the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining comprises determining whether the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein determining comprises determining a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a shortest distance between the originating node and the requesting node using a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving comprises receiving a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising updating a social network diagram including the requesting node based on the one or more services provided to the requesting node.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising updating a social network diagram including the requesting node based on one or more new services added to a social network associated with the requesting node.

10. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service requiring an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;

a second executable portion for determining whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services; and

a third executable portion for providing one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

11. A computer-program product according to claim 10, wherein the second executable portion comprises instructions for determining a maximum degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node required to obtain access rights to the one or more services.

12. A computer-program product according to claim 11, wherein the second executable portion comprises instructions for determining a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a delivery route of each access ticket and past delivery routes of past access tickets.

13. A computer-program product according to claim 12, wherein the second executable portion comprises instructions for determining whether the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation, wherein the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services when the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation.

14. A computer-program product according to claim 11, further comprising a fourth executable portion comprising instructions for determining whether the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

15. A computer-program product according to claim 14, wherein the second executable portion comprises instructions for determining a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a shortest distance between the originating node and the requesting node using a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node.

16. A computer-program product according to claim 10, wherein said first executable portion comprises instructions for receiving a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

17. A computer-program product according to claim 10, further comprising a fifth executable portion comprising instructions for updating a social network diagram including the requesting node based on the one or more services provided to the requesting node.

18. A computer-program product according to claim 10, further comprising an sixth executable portion comprising instructions for updating a social network diagram including the requesting node based on one or more new services added to a social network associated with the requesting node.

19. A node comprising:

a communication element configured to receive a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service requiring an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network; and

an access control element configured to determine whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services,

wherein the communication element is further configured to provide one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

20. A node according to claim 19, wherein the access control element is further configured to determine a maximum degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node required to obtain access rights to the one or more services.

21. A node according to claim 20, further comprising an updating element configured to determine a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a delivery route of the access ticket and past delivery routes of past access tickets.

22. A node according to claim 21, wherein the access control element is further configured to determine whether the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation, wherein the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services when the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation.

23. A node according to claim 19, further comprising an updating element configured to determine whether the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

24. A node according to claim 23, wherein the access control element is further configured to determine a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a shortest distance between the originating node and the requesting node using a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node.

25. A node according to claim 19, wherein the communication element is configured to receive a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

26. A node according to claim 19, further comprising an updating element configured to update a social network diagram including the requesting node based on the one or more services provided to the requesting node.

27. A node according to claim 19, further comprising an updating element configured to update a social network diagram including the requesting node based on one or more new services added to a social network associated with the requesting node.

28. A node comprising:

means for receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service comprising an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;

means for determining whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services; and

means for providing one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

29. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service comprising an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;

determining a degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on a delivery route of each access ticket; and

providing one or more access tickets corresponding to one or more respective services to the requesting node upon determining that the degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node is less than or equal to a maximum degree of separation.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein determining comprises determining whether the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein determining comprises determining a maximum degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node required to obtain access rights to the one or more services.

32. A method according to claim 29, wherein determining comprises determining a true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node based on the delivery route of each access ticket and past delivery routes of past access tickets.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein determining comprises storing the delivery route and comparing the delivery route to the past delivery routes to determine a closest relationship between the originating node and the requesting node based on all of the delivery routes.

34. A method according to claim 29, further comprising performing a security function on each access ticket.