Trusted User List Based P2P File Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users are discouraged from sharing electronic files due to high data transfer costs via subscribed wireless connections and face security risks with direct P2P connections, which are limited in range and insecure.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a direct P2P wireless connection between portable devices based on social network connections, where an online system generates lists of trusted users and uses limited range signals to ensure secure content sharing without relying on cellular data plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If direct P2P wireless connection is established to avoid cellular data fees, then data transfer cost is reduced, but security risk increases due to potential connection with malicious entities
Solution Approach 1:
The online system acts as an intermediary that mediates between portable devices seeking to establish P2P connections. It generates lists of trusted users based on social network connections and provides these lists to portable devices, enabling them to verify the trustworthiness of connection requests before establishing direct wireless connections, thus maintaining security while enabling cost-effective file sharing
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating lists of trusted users based on social network connection information before actual file transfer occurs. These lists are provided to portable devices in advance, allowing users to identify and connect only with trusted devices within range, thereby preventing connection with malicious entities before the connection is established
2Loss of energy
If direct P2P wireless connection is established for file sharing, then cellular data usage is reduced, but connection reliability deteriorates due to limited transmission range
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from social network connection data to guide the P2P connection process. Portable devices receive feedback in the form of trusted user lists that indicate which devices within range are safe to connect with, enabling automatic connection establishment without manual configuration or user effort, thus making the process easy despite limited transmission range
3Reliability
If trusted user lists are generated and provided by online system, then connection security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The online system automatically generates trusted user lists using existing social network connection information without requiring manual user configuration. The system self-services by leveraging already-available social graph data to create security credentials, eliminating the need for complex manual trust management interfaces while maintaining strong security guarantees
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system allows two devices operated by two users from a plurality of trusted users to establish a direct peer to peer limited range wireless connection based on a social network connection between the users. The first client device associated with a first user receives a list of the plurality of trusted users from the computer system. The first client device receives a limited range signal broadcast by a second client device. The first client device determines that the second client device is associated with a second user from the plurality of trusted users based on the list and the limited range signal. Responsive to determining that the second client device is associated with the second user from the plurality of trusted users, the first client device establishes a direct peer to peer wireless connection. The first client device transmits content to the second client device via the peer to peer wireless connection.