Patent ID: 7062555

Claim:
A method for secure automatic selection of a designated service provider in a peer-to-peer network, comprising: broadcasting a digitally signed election initiating packet over the network by a sending node in the network, the election packet containing a value for at least one criteria; awaiting one of expiry of response time-out period and receipt of a response election packet; broadcasting a digitally signed election result packet indicating the sending node is the designated service provider if expiry of response time-out period occurs prior to receipt of a response election packet; and awaiting for, verifying, and storing election result in an election result broadcast if receipt of a response election packet occurs prior to expiry of response time-out period; wherein the response election packet contains a value for the at least one criteria; wherein said verifying election result includes verifying that the value for at least one criteria in the response election packet wins over the value for at least one criteria in the initiating election packet.