Patent ID: 9596125
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method of identifying nodes or distribution centers for decentralized distribution of information or materials throughout a network or throughout a geographic area, comprising: (a) starting with an empty forest of potential nodes or distribution centers of said network or said geographic area, a computer assigning each potential node or distribution center of the forest to be a member of its own connected component; (b) for each potential node or distribution center that has not yet been assigned to be a node or distribution center, the computer adding a cut edge of a connected component to the forest and merging the cut edge with a potential node or distribution center on the other end of the cut edge; (c) when a potential node or distribution center is merged with another potential node or distribution center that has been assigned to a node or distribution center, the computer assigning the same node or distribution center to the potential node or distribution center and stopping a resulting merged node from actively growing; (d) the computer repeating steps (a)-(c) until all potential nodes or distribution centers have been assigned to a node or distribution center and each connected component has at least one distribution center for distribution of said information or materials to other nodes in said each connected component; wherein each potential node or distribution center has a unique identifier with a globally agreed ordering, the processor further implementing the step of using the unique identifiers of potential nodes or distribution centers to construct a total ordering over the cut edges of the connected components by combining unique identifiers of incident potential nodes or distribution center.