Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080259789 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RE-ESTABLISHING ANONYMOUS DATA TRANSFERS - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for re-establishing anonymous data transfers between a first endpoint and a second endpoint in a network includes receiving, from a first node, the identity of a second node connected to the first node, where at least the first node is a neighbor node. A third node (a neighbor node) is then selected, and instructed to connect to the second node in order to establish a link for the path. In this manner, the first endpoint and the second endpoint remain unknown at least to each other (e.g., where “unknown” means that neither endpoint knows any identifying information, such as network address, about the other endpoint), and likely to all other nodes in the path as well. In another embodiment, a failure is detected at a neighbor node, where the neighbor node is part of an original path between the first endpoint and the second endpoint. The neighbor node's repair server is contacted for a repair node associated with the neighbor node, and a connection to the repair node is made such that the path is established in a manner that maintains anonymity of the first endpoint and the second endpoint relative to each other. | 10-23-2008 |
20080259940 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PEER-TO-PEER CONNECTION ASSISTANCE - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for assisting a peer-to-peer connection between a first node and a second node includes receiving, at a third node, a request for connection assistance from one of the first and second nodes. The third node then connects to both the first node and the second node, receives the data from the first node and delivers the data to the second node. In this manner, data may be transferred between the first and second nodes even if the first and second nodes are unable to directly connect to each other (e.g., due to permanent or temporary limitations). | 10-23-2008 |
20080263166 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING DATA TRANSFERS IN PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for improving data transfers in peer-to-peer networks includes receiving a search request message from a requesting node, where the search request message requests specific data. A responding node then sends a response message to the requesting node including a referral message comprising at least one referred node that is expected to have the requested data, based on knowledge of the referred node's previous incoming and outgoing data transfers. The responding node may also indicate that the responding node has the requested data. In addition to increasing the requesting node's view of the peer-to-peer network, this also enables the identification of nodes (e.g., referred nodes) with which the requesting node may wish to establish direct peer-to-peer connections, e.g., to build peer-to-peer communities of nodes having similar interests. | 10-23-2008 |
20080263167 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INFERRING READ STATUS OF INSTANT MESSAGES - In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for inferring the read status of instant messages. One embodiment of the inventive method involves displaying the instant message on the receiver's computing device and sending a message to the sender indicating a probability with which the receiver has viewed the instant message. In one embodiment, this probability is based at least in part on an amount of the instant message that is in view on the receiver's computing device and on user input that is received by the receiver's computing device, e.g., from the receiver. | 10-23-2008 |
20080263202 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING SPAM ON PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for reducing spam in peer-to-peer networks includes forming a search message including at least one decoy word and sending the search request message, including the decoy word(s), to one or more nodes in the network. Embodiments of the present invention make it possible to weed out nodes in the network that send spam in response to every search message (e.g., regardless of the search message's content). | 10-23-2008 |
20080263204 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USER MODERATION OF ONLINE CHAT ROOMS - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for user-moderation of an online chat room in which a plurality of users are exchanging messages includes providing the chat room and controlling a manner in which the users send and receive the messages in the chat room in accordance with user feedback relating to the messages. In one embodiment, the user feedback is received in the form of user chat profiles, which describe the respective users' participation in the chat room, and flags, which users may be given in response to messages that are deemed inappropriate for the chat room. | 10-23-2008 |
20080270539 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFICIENTLY EXPANDING A P2P NETWORK - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for efficiently expanding a P2P network includes receiving a search request message from a requesting node and sending a response message to the requesting node on behalf of a node that has the requested data, where the response message originates at an intermediate node. The intermediate node may respond on behalf of the “responding” node, for example, in cases where the responding node is too far away from the requesting node to receive the search request message. | 10-30-2008 |
20110208823 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING DATA TRANSFERS IN PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS - One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for improving data transfers in peer-to-peer networks includes receiving a search request message from a requesting node, where the search request message requests specific data. A responding node then sends a response message to the requesting node including a referral message comprising at least one referred node that is expected to have the requested data, based on knowledge of the referred node's previous incoming and outgoing data transfers. The responding node may also indicate that the responding node has the requested data. In addition to increasing the requesting node's view of the peer-to-peer network, this also enables the identification of nodes (e.g., referred nodes) with which the requesting node may wish to establish direct peer-to-peer connections, e.g., to build peer-to-peer communities of nodes having similar interests. | 08-25-2011 |