System, method, and computer program product for discovering services in a network device

A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

• receive a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service requiring an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;
• determine the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;
• determine the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node according to a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node;
• and
• determine to provide one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

A node comprising:

• a communication element configured to receive a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service requiring an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;
• and
• an access control element configured to determine the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation and to determine the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node according to a social network diagram associated with respective social networks of the originating node and the requesting node,
• wherein the communication element is further configured to provide one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

A node comprising:

• means for receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service comprising an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network;
• means for determining the requesting node has access rights to the one or more services based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;
• means for determining the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route of each access ticket among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node;
• and
• means for providing one or more access tickets to the requesting node upon determining that the requesting node has access rights to one or more respective services.

A method comprising:

• receiving a request from a requesting node for one or more services provided by an originating node, each service comprising an access ticket for accessing the service via a social network based, at least in part, on a true degree of separation;
• determining the true degree of separation by selecting a shortest delivery route of each access ticket among a plurality of delivery routes between the originating node and the requesting node;
• and
• determining to provide one or more access tickets corresponding to one or more respective services to the requesting node upon determining that the true degree of separation between the originating node and the requesting node is less than or equal to a maximum degree of separation.