System and method of sharing content among multiple social network nodes using an aggregation node

• US 7,730,216 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Walsh, Richard, Issa, Alfredo, Amidon, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US11/639,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 709214-223, 709/229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to communication and controlled sharing of digital content among networked users, and is more particularly concerned with creation of an improved sharing network for relaying data among linked nodal members of a social network. An ad hoc network may be a hybrid P2P network that conforms to a virtual peer representation accessible as a single node from outside the given social network nodes. Members of a pre-existing social network may selectively activate embedded latent peers and link to an aggregation node to form a hybrid P2P network. Content may be shared in a controlled distribution according to level rights among participating network nodes. Playlists and/or specialized user interfaces may also be employed to facilitate content sharing among social network members of a virtual peer.

Claims

1. A method of sharing content among social network nodes, comprising the following steps:

connecting, by a first of a plurality of social network nodes, to an aggregation node, wherein the first of the plurality of social network nodes comprises embedded peer software enabling content sharing with others of the plurality of social network nodes that connect to the aggregation node;

sending, by the aggregation node, an invitation to the others of the plurality of social network nodes to join the aggregation node, wherein each of the others of the plurality of social network nodes comprise embedded peer software;

in response to the invitation, connecting, by each of the others of the plurality of social network nodes, to the aggregation node;

forming a virtual peer comprising the aggregation node and the plurality of social network nodes, wherein all nodes participating in the virtual peer are collectively addressable by a unique identifier;

obtaining, by the aggregation node, metadata describing at least one portion of selected pieces of digital content available for sharing from one of the plurality of social network nodes; and

receiving level rights corresponding to the digital content from the one of the plurality of social network nodes, wherein the level rights identify access rights by the others of the plurality of social network nodes to the digital content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of providing each of the plurality of social network nodes with a user interface for viewing content being shared by each of the plurality of social network nodes connected to the aggregation node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each social network node'"'"'s user interface displays a list of identifiers for each social network node connected to the aggregation node.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step of establishing a maximum limit of levels from an originating social network node that content shared by the originating social network node may be viewable by other social network nodes in a network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation node calculates a distance in levels between an originating social network node sharing given content and one or more recipient social network nodes receiving the given content, and creates a version of the given content in accordance with level rights established by the originating social network node for the calculated level of each recipient social network node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation node calculates a distance in levels between an originating social network node sharing given content and a recipient social network node receiving the given content, and sends the given content along with appropriate level rights for the calculated level to the recipient social network node.

7. A method of sharing content among social network nodes, comprising the following steps:

connecting, by a first of a plurality of social network nodes, to an aggregation node, wherein the first of the plurality of social network nodes comprises embedded peer software enabling content sharing with others of the plurality of social network nodes that connect to the aggregation node;

sending, by the aggregation node, an invitation to the others of the plurality of social network nodes to join the aggregation node, wherein each of the others of the plurality of social network nodes comprise embedded peer software;

in response to the invitation, connecting, by each of the others of the plurality of social network nodes, to the aggregation node;

forming a virtual peer comprising the at least one aggregation node and the plurality of social network nodes, wherein all nodes participating in the virtual peer are collectively addressable by a unique identifier;

obtaining, by the aggregation node, metadata describing at least one portion of selected pieces of digital content available for sharing from one of the plurality of social network nodes; and

organizing content shared by selected of the plurality of social network nodes into a playlist for access by selected of the plurality of social network nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the playlist created by the at least one aggregation node is organized from a perspective of one or more recipient social network nodes who are configured to access the playlist, and wherein the at least one aggregation node places content onto the playlist by node positions relative to a position of the one or more recipient nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one aggregation node places content on a playlist for a given recipient node higher on the playlist for content from social network nodes that are closer in level distance to the given recipient node than content from social network nodes that are father away.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one aggregation node places content on a playlist for a given recipient node higher on the playlist for content from social network nodes that are more interconnected with other social network nodes than content from social network nodes that are less interconnected.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of granting an external node access to the virtual peer upon authorization by at least one of the plurality of social network nodes in the virtual peer.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of social network nodes connecting to the virtual peer must provide a predetermined security parameter in order to connect to the virtual peer.