Price offerings for bandwidth-sharing ad hoc networks

• US 10,623,998 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Emmett K.
• Application Number:
  US11/755,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,702 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11, 705 711- 742, 705 261, 705400-418, 705307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems to establish and execute price offerings among the lenders and borrowers in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. The method comprises establishing a price offering among a lender and borrower in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. The method further includes executing the price offering upon acceptance of a lender to the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage amongst a first computer device and plural second computer devices;

performing a download of a file using the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network in which the each of the plural second computer devices use their own bandwidth to download a separate portion of the file from at least one of a central location and a distributed location, on behalf of the first computer device; and

downloading the respective separate portions of the file to the first computer device from the plural second computer devices,

wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network is configured such that the first computer device communicates with the plural second computer devices via local wireless communication protocol and the plural second computer devices communicate with a remote location via wireless telephony protocol to complete the download on behalf of the first computer device to increase the data transfer rate for the first computer device in communicating with the remote location,

wherein the establishing the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network comprises;

the first computer device scanning a plurality of potential second computer devices; and

the first computer device selecting the plural second computer devices from the plurality of potential second computer devices, based on the scanning, to create a single virtual fat pipe for transmission of data for the first computer device over a network to the remote location,

wherein the scanning comprises the first computer device requesting bandwidth-sharing information, including a data transfer rate provided by the respective one of the plurality of potential second computer devices, from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices;

wherein the selecting is based on the bandwidth-sharing information received from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices, and

wherein the bandwidth-sharing information includes the data transfer rate provided by the respective one of the plurality of potential second computer devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage is one of a peer-to-peer environment and a multiplexed environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first computer device receiving a price offering from at least one of the plurality of potential second computer devices, wherein:

the price offering is set using predefined factors including at least one of;

a given location of the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network determined using location based services; and

the first computer device'"'"'s historical borrowing and lending;

the price offering is arranged such that a first price applies to data transfer up to a first predefined threshold, a second price applies to data transfer between the first predefined threshold and a second predefined threshold, and a third price applies to data transfer above the second predefined threshold;

the second price is greater than the first price; and

the third price is greater than the second price.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth-sharing information includes a price offered by the respective one of the plurality of potential second computer devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the price is a price per volume of data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the price is a price per unit of time.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the price is a combination of a price per volume of data and a price per unit of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network comprises:

receiving, by the first computer device, user input defining a file requested for download;

automatically generating, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table in response to the receiving the user input.

10. A method for managing a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network, comprising:

selecting, by a borrower, plural lenders from a plurality of potential lenders in the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network, wherein the borrower comprises a first computer device and each of the plurality of potential lenders comprises a respective second computer device;

performing a download of a file using the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network in which the each of the selected lenders lend their own bandwidth to download a separate portion of the file from at least one of a central location and a distributed location, on behalf of the first computer device;

downloading the respective separate portions of the file to the first computer device from the plural second computer devices; and

creating a virtual fat pipe to perform the download on behalf of the borrower to increase the data transfer rate for the first computer device in communicating with the remote location by configuring the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network for the borrower communicating with the selected one or more lenders via local wireless communication protocol and the selected one or more lenders communicating with a remote location via wireless telephony protocol,

wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network is established by;

scanning a plurality of potential second computer devices by sending, by the first computer device, a borrower/lender table to the plurality of potential second computer devices requesting information regarding increasing the data transfer rate of the first computer device for communicating with the remote location;

receiving, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices; and

selecting, by the first computer device, the at least one second computer device from the plurality of potential second computer devices based on information regarding increasing the data rate of the first computer device in the borrower/lender table received back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 10.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the establishing of the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network further comprises:

receiving, by the first computer device, user input defining a file requested for download; and

automatically generating, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table in response to the receiving the user input.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage is one of a peer-to-peer environment and a multiplexed environment.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage device having readable program code embodied in the storage device, the computer program product includes at least one component to:

establish a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage amongst a borrower and plural lenders, wherein the borrower comprises a first computer device and each of the plural lenders comprises a respective second computer device;

wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network is configured for the borrower communicating with the plural lenders via local wireless communication protocol and the plural lenders communicating with a remote location via wireless telephony protocol to perform the download on behalf of the borrower to increase the data transfer rate for the first computer device in communicating with the remote location; and

the establishing the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network comprises the borrower receiving a respective price offering and a respective service level from each of the plural lenders, wherein the establishing the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network further comprises;

the first computer device scanning a plurality of potential second computer devices; and

the first computer device selecting plural second computer devices from the plurality of potential second computer devices based on the scanning, wherein the scanning comprises the first computer device requesting bandwidth-sharing information, including a data transfer rate provided by each of the plurality of potential second computer devices, from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices by;

sending, by the first computer device, a borrower/lender table to the plurality of potential second computer devices requesting information regarding increasing the data transfer rate of the first computer device for communicating with the remote location;

receiving, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices; and

selecting, by the first computer device, the plural second computer devices from the plurality of potential second computer devices based on information regarding increasing the data rate of the first computer device in the borrower/lender table received back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices,

wherein the selecting is based on the bandwidth-sharing information received from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices, and

wherein the bandwidth-sharing information includes the data transfer rate provided by the respective one of the plurality of potential second computer devices,

the computer program product further including at least one component to;

perform a download of a file using the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network in which the each of the selected second computer devices lend their own bandwidth to download a separate portion of the file from at least one of a central location and a distributed location, on behalf of the first computer device; and

download the respective separate portions of the file to the first computer device from the selected second computer devices.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer program product includes at least one component to:

receive, by the first computer device, user input defining a file requested for download;

automatically generate, by the first computer device, a borrower/lender table in response to the receiving the user input.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer program product includes at least one component to:

send, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table to the plurality of potential second computer devices;

receive, by the first computer device, the borrower/lender table back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices; and

select, by the first computer device, the the plural second computer devices from the plurality of potential second computer devices based on the receiving the borrower/lender table back from each of the plurality of potential second computer devices.