Systems and methods for allocating alternative network access resources

• US 10,009,481 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BandwidthX Inc.
• Original Assignee: BandwidthX Inc.
• Inventors: Seuken, Sven, Visuri, Pertti Juhani, Salo, Randy, Van Hamersveld, Christian, Visuri, Johanna Katariina, Zagursky, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US14/586,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/785 Reserving amount on the account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method of allocating access to alternative access networks may include: inputting, by one or more parties, needs for alternative network access and representative values for satisfying the needs; and allocating, by providers of alternative network access, alternative network access to the one or more parties based on the stated needs and values.

Claims

1. A method of allocating access to alternative access networks, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor to:

receive first parameters representing a need of one or more operators of a primary network for access to bandwidth of an alternative network via a first interface, wherein the first parameters comprise an identification of a sector of the primary network and an offload profile indicating an amount of bandwidth needed for the identified sector over a time period;

receive second parameters representing an available supply of bandwidth, during the time period, in the alternative network via a second interface;

based on the first parameters and the second parameters, reserve, for the time period, at least a portion of the available supply of bandwidth in the alternative network to satisfy the need of the one or more operators for the access to bandwidth of the alternative network by at least

comparing a network topology of the primary network to a network topology of the alternative network to identify at least one available access point that is in the alternative network and available within the identified sector of the primary network during the time period, and

reserving, for the time period, at least a portion of a bandwidth capacity of the at least one available access point for the one or more operators based on the offload profile for the identified sector;

allocate the reserved at least a portion of the available supply of bandwidth to the one or more operators for the time period; and

,

during the time period, offload one or more mobile devices, within the identified sector, from a base station of the primary network to the at least one available access point in the alternative network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operators comprise one or more of a mobile network operator, a mobile virtual network operator, a provider of content, and a provider of mobile device services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reserving at least a portion of the available supply of bandwidth in the alternative network comprises maximizing a solution to a mixed integer program expression.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mixed integer program expression comprises an offloading demand from the one or more operators in a certain sector of the primary network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first interface and the second interface are an application programming interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first interface and the second interface are a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary network is a cellular network, and the sector of the primary network is a cell of the cellular network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameters comprise identifications of a plurality of sectors of the primary network, and wherein the offload profile indicates an amount of bandwidth needed for each of the plurality of sectors over the time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first parameters comprise an offload profile indicating an amount of bandwidth needed for each of the plurality of sectors over each of a plurality of time periods, and wherein the reservation for the time period comprises reservations for each of the plurality of time periods.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation for the time period is performed a plurality of months before the time period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation for the time period is performed a plurality of weeks before the time period.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation for the time period is performed a plurality of days before the time period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation for the time period is performed in real time.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive first parameters representing a need of one or more operators of a primary network for access to bandwidth of an alternative network via a first interface, wherein the first parameters comprise an identification of a sector of the primary network and an offload profile indicating an amount of bandwidth needed for the identified sector over a time period;

receive second parameters representing an available supply of bandwidth, during the time period, in the alternative network via a second interface;

based on the first parameters and the second parameters, reserve, for the time period, at least a portion of the available supply of bandwidth in the alternative network to satisfy the need of the one or more operators for the access to bandwidth of the alternative network by at least

comparing a network topology of the primary network to a network topology of the alternative network to identify at least one available access point that is in the alternative network and available within the identified sector of the primary network during the time period, and

reserving, for the time period, at least a portion of a bandwidth capacity of the at least one available access point for the one or more operators based on the offload profile for the identified sector;

allocate the reserved at least a portion of the available supply to the one or more operators for the time period; and

,

during the time period, offload one or more mobile devices, within the identified sector, from a base station of the primary network to the at least one available access point in the alternative network.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein reserving at least a portion of the available supply of bandwidth in the alternative network comprises maximizing a solution to a mixed integer program expression.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the mixed integer program expression comprises an offloading demand from the one or more operators in a certain sector of the primary network.