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Route optimization of services provided by one or more service providers for combined links

  • US 20070100776A1
  • Filed: 01/20/2006
  • Published: 05/03/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for minimizing costs associated with services provided by a plurality of service providers (SPs) over one or more combined links, wherein each SP charges for utilization of its service based on a tiered pricing structure comprising one or more tiers and wherein each tier correlates to an amount of service provided by the SP and a cost, the method comprising the steps of:

  • merging performance characteristics and statistics (link data) for two or more combined links to form link data for a single virtual combined link; and

    applying a route optimization technique to one or more virtual combined links based on the combined link data, in addition to link data for zero or more conventional single links, wherein the route optimization technique comprises i) generating a target tier for each virtual combined link of each SP based on link utilization data for the virtual combined links wherein the target tier represents a tier contained in the SP'"'"'s tiered pricing structure, ii) generating a momentary target utilization rate (MTUR) for each virtual combined link of each SP based on the generated target tier for each virtual combined link of each SP and utilization of the virtual combined links wherein the MTUR represents a cumulative utilization of a virtual combined link at a particular instance of time, and iii) distributing utilization of the virtual combined links among each of the virtual combined link of each SP based on the MTUR of each virtual combined link and based on the tiered pricing structure of each SP in a manner that minimizes the cost of the services provided by the SPs.

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