System and method for enhanced experience with a peer-to-peer network

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a peer to peer (P2P) network that includes a plurality of nodes, wherein each of a majority of the nodes has less than a threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network. A P2P network connection is established between a first node from the majority and an enhanced connection node in the network, wherein the enhanced connection node has more than the threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network. A search request is issued from the first node by transmitting the search request from the first node to the enhanced connection node, and then forwarding the search request from the enhanced connection node to other nodes in the network. Responses to the search request are collected at the enhanced connection node, which filters, ranks or adds additional content to the responses prior to forwarding the responses back to the first node.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for implementing a peer to peer (P2P) network that includes a plurality of nodes, wherein each of a majority of the nodes has less than a threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network, said method comprising:
 (a) establishing a P2P network connection between a first node from said majority and an enhanced connection node in the network, wherein the enhanced connection node has more than the threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network and has more connections than the first node acting alone in performing a search request, the enhanced connection node thereby increasing a likelihood of responses to the search request;   (b) issuing the search request from the first node by transmitting the search request from the first node to the enhanced connection node, and then forwarding the search request from the enhanced connection node to other nodes in the network; and   (c) collecting, at the enhanced connection node, the responses to the search request, and thereafter performing at least one of the following steps at the enhanced connection node:
 (i) filtering said responses, and then forwarding results of the filtering to the first node; 
 (ii) ranking said responses, and then forwarding ranked responses to the first node; and 
 (iii) adding additional content to said responses, and forwarding said additional content and at least some of said responses to the first node. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional content in step (c)(iii) is an advertisement selected in response to one or more search terms included in the search request. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced connection node accesses user profile information associated with the first node, and step (c) further comprises performing at least one of the following steps at the enhanced connection node:
 (i) filtering said responses in accordance with the profile information, and then forwarding results of the filtering to the first node;   (ii) ranking said responses in accordance with the profile information, and then forwarding ranked responses to the first node; and   (iii) adding additional content to said responses wherein the additional content is selected at least in part using the profile information, and forwarding said additional content and at least some of said responses to the first node.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced connection node includes dedicated content that is unavailable on all other nodes in the network, or pointers to dedicated content that is unavailable on all other nodes in the network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first node uses middleware on the first node to establish the P2P network connection between the first node and the enhanced connection node. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the middleware monitors for transmission of content that should not be shared on the P2P network and performs at least one of the following:
 (i) blocks transmission of the content that should not be shared; and   (ii) notifies another system that there has been transmission of content that should not be shared.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced connection node sends a cached list of search responses back to the first node. 
     
     
         8 . A system for implementing a peer to peer (P2P) network that includes a plurality of nodes, wherein each of a majority of the nodes has less than a threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network, comprising:
 means for establishing a P2P network connection between a first node from said majority and an enhanced connection node in the network, wherein the enhanced connection node has more than the threshold number of P2P connections to other nodes in the network and has more connections than the first node acting alone in performing a search request, the enhanced connection node thereby increasing a likelihood of responses to the search request;   means for issuing the search request from the first node by transmitting the search request from the first node to the enhanced connection node, and then forwarding the search request from the enhanced connection node to other nodes in the network; and   means for collecting, at the enhanced connection node, the responses to the search request, and thereafter performing at least one of the following at the enhanced connection node:
 (i) filtering said responses, and then forwarding results of the filtering to the first node; 
 (ii) ranking said responses, and then forwarding ranked responses to the first node; and 
 (iii) adding additional content to said responses, and forwarding said additional content and at least some of said responses to the first node. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the additional content is an advertisement selected in response to one or more search terms included in the search request. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the enhanced connection node includes dedicated content that is unavailable on all other nodes in the network, or pointers to dedicated content that is unavailable on all other nodes in the network. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first node uses middleware on the first node to establish the P2P network connection between the first node and the enhanced connection node. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the middleware is configured to monitor for transmission of content that should not be shared on the P2P network and configured to perform at least one of the following:
 (i) blocks transmission of the content that should not be shared; and   (ii) notifies another system that there has been transmission of content that should not be shared.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the enhanced connection node is configured to send a cached list of search responses back to the first node.