Patent ID: 8281001

Claim:
A method for communicating data, comprising: receiving a request from a source device to access a network of devices, said network of devices includes a first set of devices, which said source device is authorized to access, and which have been authenticated based on an associated identifier, and a second set of devices, which said source device is not authorized to access, said first set of devices being distributed across a global network; determining that said source device is authorized to access first set of devices based on a correspondence between an identifier of said source device and said associated identifier; and responsive to said determining, allowing communication between said source device and said first set of devices, and not allowing communication between said source device and said second set of devices; wherein allowing communication includes: receiving, at an intermediate entity, and from said source device, a request to search; forwarding said request to search from said intermediate entity to said first set of devices; performing searches at said first set of devices based on said request to search; attempting to provide results from said searches directly to said source device from said first set of devices via direct connections which bypass said intermediate entity; and providing said results from said searches to said source device from said first set of devices via said intermediate entity if said direct connections cannot be established, said intermediate entity receiving a request to access a network of devices.