Patent ID: 6798780
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A communication system having at least a first computing node, a second computing node and a third computing node, the communication system comprising:means for the first computing node of the communication system attempting to contact the second computing node of the communication system; means for, upon the second computing node failing to correctly respond to the attempt by the first computing node to contact the second computing node, the third computing node attempting to contact the second computing node on behalf of the first computing node, wherein the third computing node's attempt is responsive to the second computing node failing to respond to the first computing node; and means for assessing a penalty to the second computing node based on the second computing node failing to respond to at least one of the first computing node and the third computing node, wherein the penalty comprises a financial assessment against the second computing node, and wherein the penalty is determined as a function of at least one of the following: number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the first computing node; an amount of time the first computing node or other computing nodes were delayed as a result of the second computing node failing to respond thereto; and a number of times the second computing node failed to respond to the third computing node or other computing nodes.