Shared Resource Management

• US 20080109343A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qinetiq Limited (QinetiQ Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Qinetiq Limited (QinetiQ Group PLC)
• Inventors: Barclay, Graeme James, Robinson, David Leslie, Tyson, Judith Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US11/661,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109343A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and programs for computers are provided for automatic allocation of resource occupiers (e.g. data, people) to available resources (e.g. bandwidth, radio frequency spectrum, theatre seats). Allocation of resources to resource occupiers is based on a measure of urgency of allocation derived from the size of the resource occupier, the resource available, and the time remaining in which to allocate resource to the resource occupier. One, two, or more time thresholds may be associated with each resource occupier: in particular a timeliness threshold up to which allocation urgency increases but after which it decreases, and a perishability threshold after which allocation of resource to the resource occupier ceases to be at all useful, and after which no more resource is allocated. Also automated auction methods, systems, and programs for real-time allocation of radio frequency spectrum.

Claims

1. An automated method of allocating a plurality of resource occupiers to resources, the method comprising:

associating with each resource occupier a timeliness threshold;

for each resource occupier calculating a measure of urgency of allocation responsive to the timeliness threshold and a measure of the size of the resource occupier;

allocating the resources responsive to the respective measures of urgency of allocation.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising:

associating with each resource occupier a perishability threshold;

calculating the measure of urgency of allocation responsive to the timeliness threshold, the perishability threshold, and the measure of the size of the resource occupier.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which no resource is allocated to a resource occupier whose perishability threshold lies in the past.

4. A method according to claim 1 in which urgency of allocation is a rising convex function up to the timeliness threshold.

5. A method according to claim 1 in which urgency of allocation is a falling convex function between the timeliness threshold and the perishability threshold.

6. A method according to claim 1 in which urgency of allocation is zero after the perishability threshold.

7. A method according to any preceding claim 1 in which the measure of urgency, A, is calculated as:

$A=\{\begin{array}{c}{P}^3<br><br>\mathrm{arc}<br><br><br><br>\tan <br><br>\left(\frac{l_t}{<br><br>t_j-t<br><br>}\right)<br><br>\frac{{\left(1+t\right)}^2}{{\left(1+t_j^2\right)}^2}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{\dots <br><br>}<br><br><br><br>0\le <br><br>t\le <br><br>t_j\\ P^3<br><br>\mathrm{arc}<br><br><br><br>\tan <br><br>\left(\frac{l_t}{<br><br>t_j-t<br><br>}\right)<br><br>\frac{{\left(1+t_j\right)}^2}{{\left(1+t_j^2\right)}^2}<br><br>\left(\frac{{\left(t-p_j\right)}^n}{{\left(t_j-p_j\right)}^n}\right)<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{\dots <br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t_j<<br><br>t\le <br><br>p_j\\ 0<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{\dots <br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t><br><br>p_j.\end{array}$

in which;

P is the priority

l_t is the amount of resource required

t_j is the timeliness threshold

p_j is the persihability threshold

t is the current time.

8. A method according to claim 1 in which the resources comprise transmission bandwidth.

9. A method according to claim 1 in which the resources comprise radio spectrum bandwidth.

10. A method according to claim 1 in which the resources comprise entities for occupation by people and the resource occupiers comprise people.

11. A method according to claim 1 in which the resource occupiers comprise vehicles.

12. A method according to claim 1 in which the resource comprises Willingness to Pay values.

17. A method according to claim 15 in which resources are allocated to members of the second set according to the method of claim 1.

13. A system for allocating a plurality of resource occupiers to resources, the system comprising:

means for associating with each resource occupier a timeliness threshold;

means for calculating, for each resource occupier, a measure of urgency of allocation responsive to the timeliness threshold and a measure of the size of the resource occupier;

means for allocating the resources responsive to the respective measures of urgency of allocation.

14. A computer program located on a computer readable medium for allocating a plurality of resource occupiers to resources, the program comprising code portions arranged for:

associating with each resource occupier a timeliness threshold;

for each resource occupier calculating a measure of urgency of allocation responsive to the timeliness threshold and a measure of the size of the resource occupier;

allocating the resources responsive to the respective measures of urgency of allocation.

15. A An automated method of allocating radio spectrum between a first set of prospective spectrum users, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting an first automated auction between the members of the first set in which the bid price offered by a first member of the first set is determined responsive to a second automated auction held between members of a second set of prospective spectrum users associated with the first member of the first set;

allocating spectrum to members of the first set responsive to the first automated auction.

16. A method according to claim 15 in which the first auction and second auction are conducted in real time.

18. An automated system for allocating radio spectrum between a first set of prospective spectrum users, the system comprising:

means for conducting an first automated auction between the members of the first set in which the bid price offered by a first member of the first set is determined responsive to a second automated auction held between members of a second set of prospective spectrum users associated with the first member of the first set;

means for allocating spectrum to members of the first set responsive to the first automated auction.

19. A computer program located on a computer readable medium for allocating radio spectrum between a first set of prospective spectrum users, the program comprising code portions arranged for:

conducting an first automated auction between the members of the first set in which the bid price offered by a first member of the first set is determined responsive to a second automated auction held between members of a second set of prospective spectrum users associated with the first member of the first set;

allocating spectrum to members of the first set responsive to the first automated auction.