Method and apparatus for secure communications and resource sharing between anonymous non-trusting parties with no central administration

Abstract

A unifying network model with a structure and architecture configured to address security, interoperability, mobility, and resource management, including priority and quality of services is provided. The network of the network model is structured as a hierarchical mesh network, with dynamically generated routing tables. The configuration of the network model optimizes routing and distributes communication load. Every device on the network is capable of being both an endpoint and a forwarder of communications. The network model may include underlying networks that are represented with one of two models, the link model or the star model. The nodes are organized in a hierarchical relationship structure to optimizes throughput. The model may include a cryptographic method of dynamically assigning local network addresses.

1 .- 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A system for organizing without central administration a network of non-trusting computing devices so that the computing devices can securely share network resources and communicate with an expected quality of service, comprising: 
 a recipient computing device; and    a sending computing device that sends a circuit establishment request thereby causing a communications circuit to be established between the sending computing device and the recipient computing device such that a route is dynamically calculated from the sending computing device to the recipient computing device via a set of intermediate computing devices without consulting a central administration computing device, the circuit establishment request having an indication of a desired quality of service that is enforced by each computing device in the set of intermediate computing devices.    
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the sending computing device sends a packet to the recipient computing device using a hierarchical dynamic routing protocol.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the dynamic routing protocol propagates quality of service information to each intermediate computing device.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the hierarchical dynamic routing protocol employs a cryptographic method to encrypt communications.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the sending computing device sends a document that is used by the intermediate computing devices to make decisions.  
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the document describes a quality of service.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the document further describes rights and delegations of rights for usage of the network.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the document describes a delegation of a permission.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the delegation of the permission enables a computing device to make a data movement decision.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the hierarchical dynamic routing protocol can use either a reliable or unreliable underlying communications protocol.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the network is organized as a hierarchical mesh network.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37  wherein each computing device of the hierarchical mesh network is identified by a name comprising a set of identifiers separated by a separator.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38  wherein the identifiers are organized in the name from specific to general.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 37  wherein the hierarchical mesh network includes a meta-node.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the meta-node indicates a computing device and a network of computing devices, the indicated computing device and network of computing devices representing peers in a hierarchy.