Patent ID: 8239676
Filing Date: 2012-08-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of determining proximity of a target node to a source node in a network for imposing restrictions on the distribution of files from the source node to the target node based on the determined proximity, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a first response at the target node prior to receiving any part of a query from the source node, communicating the query from the source node to the target node, communicating the first response from the target node to the source node, immediately after the query is received and before the query is processed at the target node, receiving the first response at the source node, processing the query at the target node to produce therefrom a second response that facilitates a verification of the target node and its first response, communicating the second response from the target node to the source node, determining a measure of communication time between communicating the query and receiving the first response, and determining the proximity of the target node based on the measure of communication time, wherein determining proximity includes comparing the measure of communication time with a threshold value, and if the communication time is below the threshold value, the target node is determined to be local, otherwise the target node is determined to be remote, wherein the source node uses the remote/local proximity determination to control subsequent communications with the target node based on the determined proximity, and wherein selected files are permitted to be transferred from the source node to the target node only when the target node is determined to be local.