System and Method for Creating a Secure Trusted Social Network

Abstract

A system for a plurality of users to share resources with access, control and configuration based on pre-defined relationships of trust between the users of the system. A computer-based authority provides the services of authentication, identification and verification of each user within network. Processes are described that leads to the formation of an electronic community, which facilitates electronic communication and transactions in a defined manner.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method for facilitating games on a network, the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing unique network identifiers for each user in a plurality of users;   establishing authorization settings for each user in the plurality of users according to a criterion, the criterion relating to a degree of separation between a first user and one or more other users, the degree of separation representative of the number of pre-existing relationships of trust which link the first user and the one or more other users;   associating a resource of the first user with the unique network identifier of the first user;   connecting the plurality of users to one or more gaming servers on the network, wherein the one or more gaming servers facilitate exchange of resources between the plurality of users, and wherein there sources include information relating to a game in which two or more users of the plurality of users are participants; and   facilitating transfer of the resource associated with the unique network identifier of the first user to the one or more other users if the criterion relating to the first user and the one or more other users is in accordance with the authorization settings defined by the first user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of facilitating transfer of the resource associated with the unique network identifier of the first user to the one or more other users further requires a subsequent user accessing the resource associated with the unique network identifier of the first user to the one or more other users to fall within the authorization settings defined by the first user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gaming servers include at least one of a gaming console or a handheld gaming device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gaming servers are implemented by a cloud configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gaming servers function as a proxy to establish connection between users. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gaming servers manages the interactions between the plurality of users according to pre-set rules. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resources can be any of the following: information, data, computer files, software, hard drive space, or processing power.