SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FAIR-SHARING IN BANDWIDTH SHARING AD-HOC NETWORKS

• US 20080301039A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for fair-sharing in bandwidth sharing ad-hoc networks. A method includes maintaining a borrower account and lender account of a borrower and a lender of an ad hoc network. The method also includes adjusting at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the lender for the borrower.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a borrower account and lender account of a borrower and a lender of an ad hoc network; and

adjusting at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the lender for the borrower.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of crediting the lender account and debiting the borrower account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the crediting and the debiting are performed at a predetermined rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined rate is a fixed-rate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined rate is a negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined rate is an automatically negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the crediting comprises crediting points and the debiting comprises debiting points, and further comprising offering points for sale.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the crediting the lender account comprises debiting an escrow account, and

the debiting the borrower account comprises crediting the escrow account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider under a subscription and/or fee agreement and/or based on advertising content to one or more third parties.

10. 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.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising imposing a reduced rate of data transfer or preventing data transfer when a balance of the borrower account falls below a predetermined level.

12. A method, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

maintain at least one of a borrower account associated with a borrower and a lender account associated with a lender of an ad hoc network; and

at least one of debit the borrower account and credit the lender account based on borrowing and lending of bandwidth, respectively.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the crediting and the debiting are based upon data transfer performed by the lender for the borrower.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the crediting and the debiting are performed at a predetermined rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined rate is a fixed-rate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined rate is a negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined rate is an automatically negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to impose a reduced rate of data transfer or prevent data transfer when a balance of the borrower account falls below a predetermined level.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program embodied in the medium, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computing device causes the computing device to:

maintain a borrower account associated with a borrower of an ad hoc network;

maintain a lender account associated with a lender of the ad hoc network; and

at least one of credit the lender account and debit the borrower account.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the crediting and the debiting are based upon data transfer performed by the lender for the borrower.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the crediting and the debiting are performed at a predetermined rate.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the predetermined rate is a fixed-rate.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the predetermined rate is a negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the predetermined rate is an automatically negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to impose a reduced rate of data transfer or prevent data transfer when a balance of the borrower account falls below a predetermined level.

26. A system comprising a server having a database containing data associated with a lender and a borrower in an ad-hoc network, and at least one of a hardware and software component configured to:

maintain a borrower account and lender account of a borrower and a lender of an ad hoc network; and

adjust at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the lender for the borrower.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of crediting the lender account and debiting the borrower account.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one of a hardware and software component is further configured to impose a reduced rate of data transfer or prevent data transfer when a balance of the borrower account falls below a predetermined level.

29. A method, comprising:

monitoring data transfer performed by at least one lender for a borrower in an ad hoc network;

adjusting a balance of an account of the at least one lender and a balance of an account of the borrower based upon the data transfer; and

imposing a reduced rate of data transfer or preventing further data transfer when the balance of the account of the borrower falls below a predetermined level.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the adjusting is based upon a rate that is either fixed by an account manager or negotiated between the borrower and the at least one lender.