Patent ID: 7620816

Claim:
A method for secure automatic selection of a designated service provider in a peer-to-peer network, comprising: receiving and verifying a digitally signed election initiating packet by a receiving node from a sending node in the network, the election packet containing a value for at least one criteria; determining one of the receiving node and the sending node as current winner by comparing the value for the at least one criteria in the election initiating packet and a value for the at least one criteria of the receiving node; awaiting for, verifying, and storing election result in an election result broadcast if the sending node is the current winner; awaiting one of expiry of response delay period and receipt of an additional election packet if the receiving node is the current winner; and broadcasting a digitally signed election result packet indicating the receiving node is a designated service provider if the expiry of the response delay period occurs prior to the receipt of any additional election packet.