Method and System for Establishing a Trusted and Decentralized Peer-to-Peer Network

Abstract

The present invention offers a new and improved method and system to establish a trusted and decentralized peer-to-peer network for: the sharing of computer files between and among computing devices; trusted chat sessions; and for other applications of trusted peer-to-peer networks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user computing device comprising:
 a user interface having a display;   a processor;   storage having a trusted member list of computing devices of a decentralized peer-to-peer network;   a transceiver that communicates with the computing devices of the trusted member list via a communication mechanism;   a peer-to-peer network program which communicates through the transceiver with the computing devices running a copy of the peer-to-peer network program, the peer-to-peer network program sends computer files, queries and instructions to and receives computer files, queries and instructions from the other computer devices; and   a crypto API that encrypts and decrypts files, the processor sending a first search request created by the peer-to-peer network program for a first desired computer file from the transceiver to the computing devices via the communication mechanism, the peer-to-peer network program via the user interface displays on the display computer file names related to the first desired computer file received from all computer devices that have responded to the first search request, the user interface producing a signal which selects a computer file name of a first user computing device related to the first desired computer file that the peer-to-peer network program is to download via the trusted peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network program transmits through the transceiver a download request to the first user computing device for the first computer file, and the transceiver receiving the first desired computer file from the first user computing device of the computing devices via the communication mechanism; the processor sending a second search request created by the peer-to-peer network program for a second desired computer file from the transceiver to the computing devices via that communication mechanism, and the transceiver receiving the second desired computer file from a second user computing device of the computing devices via the communication mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . A method for a user computing device comprising the steps of:
 storing with a processor in a storage a trusted member list of computing devices of a decentralized peer-to-peer network;   sending by the processor a first search request created by a peer-to-peer network program, which communicates through a transceiver with the computing devices running a copy of the peer-to-peer network program, for a first encrypted desired computer file from the transceiver to the computing devices via a communication mechanism;   displaying by the peer-to-peer network program on a display of a user interface computer file names related to the first desired computer file received from all computer devices that have responded to the first search request, the user interface producing a signal which selects a computer file name of a first user computing device related to the first desired computer file that the peer-to-peer network program is to download via the trusted peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network program transmits through the transceiver a download request to the first user computing device for the first computer file;   receiving by the transceiver the first desired computer file from a first user computing device of the computing devices via the communication mechanism;   decrypting with a crypto API, that encrypts and decrypts files, the first encrypted desired computer file;   sending by the processor a second search request created by the peer-to-peer network program for a second encrypted desired computer file from the transceiver to the computing devices via the communication mechanism;   receiving by the transceiver the first desired computer file from a second user computing device of the computing devices via the communication mechanism;   decrypting with the crypto API the second encrypted desired computer file; and   sending with the peer-to-peer network program computer files, instructions and queries to and receiving computer files, instructions and queries from the other computer devices.