System, method, and computer program product for discovering services in a network device

• US 8,149,697 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Parkkinen, Jukka, Hyvarinen, Mikko A., Kaarela, Kari, Kauniskangas, Hannu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/615,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9, 726/27, 726/4, 726/2, 705/319, 455/445, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/230
• 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 the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;

determining the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node according to a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node; and

determining 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.

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

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 the true degree of separation is further based on past delivery routes of past access tickets.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining 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, further comprising:

determining the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

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

receiving a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

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

determining to update a social network diagram including the requesting node based on the one or more services provided to the requesting node.

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

determining 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.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

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;

determine the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;

determine the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node according to a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node; and

determine 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.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine 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.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the true degree of separation is further based on past delivery routes of past access tickets.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine 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.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receiving a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to update a social network diagram including the requesting node based on the one or more services provided to the requesting node.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine 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.

17. 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 the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation and to determine the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node according to a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node,

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.

18. A node according to claim 17, 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.

19. A node according to claim 18, wherein the access control element is further configured to determine the true degree of separation is less than or equal to the maximum degree of separation, and 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.

20. A node according to claim 17, further comprising:

an updating element configured to determine the originating node and the requesting node are within the same social network.

21. A node according to claim 17, wherein the communication element is configured to receive a request for one or more services via a peer-to-peer social network.

22. A node according to claim 17, 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.

23. A node according to claim 17, 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.

24. 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 the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;

means for determining the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route of each access ticket among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node; 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.

25. 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 based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;

determining the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route of each access ticket among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node; and

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

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

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.

28. A method according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining to store the delivery route; and

determining to compare the delivery route to past delivery routes to determine a closest relationship between the originating node and the requesting node based on the plurality of delivery routes and the past delivery routes.

29. A method according to claim 25, further comprising performing a security function on each access ticket.