METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING SHARED CONNECTIVITY

• US 20120079111A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: LUUKKALA, Vesa-Veikko, BOLDYREV, Sergey, BOSCHCREUS, Gerard, GITHINJI, Pauline, IMPIO, Jussi Markus
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing shared path connectivity among devices. A connection sharing platform determines to specify at least one group of devices, the at least one group including at least a first path to establish a network connection and a second path to establish a local connection among the devices. The connection sharing platform also determines to cause at least in part an activation of one or more of the devices to establish the network connection, wherein one or more unactivated devices share the network connection over the local connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining to specify at least one group of devices, the at least one group including at least a first path to establish a network connection and a second path to establish a local connection among the devices; and

determining to cause at least in part an activation of one or more of the devices to establish the network connection, wherein one or more unactivated devices share the network connection over the local connection.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a schedule for circulating an activation state among the devices,

wherein the causing at least in part of the activation of the one or more of the devices is based, at least in part, on the schedule.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining one or more parameters including a number of the devices, one or more characteristics of the first path, one or more characteristics of the network connection, one or more characteristics of the second path, one or more characteristics of the local connection, a turnover rate of the devices, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determining of the schedule is based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the circulating of the activation state comprises passing a token among the devices, and wherein the token represents a responsibility for establishing the network connection.

5. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a duration for the activation of the one or more devices to enable a substantially equal sharing of the activation state among the devices,

wherein the schedule is based, at least in part, on the duration.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to cause at least in part a distribution of one or more computation closures associated with establishing the network connection among the devices,

wherein the causing at least in part of the activation of the one or more of the devices comprises determining to cause at least in part an activation of the one or more computation closures.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the network connection is for accessing one or more services, and wherein the access is by group access, one or more individual access by at least one of the devices, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining to cause at least in part a distribution of a user interface based, at least in part, on the group access, the one or more individual access, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the determining to specify the group is based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the devices, context information associated with the one or more devices, or a combination thereof.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine to specify at least one group of devices, the at least one group including at least a first path to establish a network connection and a second path to establish a local connection among the devices; and

determine cause at least in part an activation of one or more of the devices to establish the network connection, wherein one or more unactivated devices share the network connection over the local connection.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a schedule for circulating an activation state among the devices,

wherein the causing at least in part of the activation of the one or more of the devices is based, at least in part, on the schedule.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more parameters including a number of the devices, one or more characteristics of the first path, one or more characteristics of the network connection, one or more characteristics of the second path, one or more characteristics of the local connection, a turnover rate of the devices, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determining of the schedule is based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circulating of the activation state comprises passing a token among the devices, and wherein the token represents a responsibility for establishing the network connection.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a duration for the activation of the one or more devices to enable a substantially equal sharing of the activation state among the devices,

wherein the schedule is based, at least in part, on the duration.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to cause at least in part a distribution of one or more computation closures associated with establishing the network connection among the devices,

wherein the causing at least in part of the activation of the one or more of the devices comprises determining to cause at least in part an activation of the one or more computation closures.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the network connection is for accessing one or more services, and wherein the access is by group access, one or more individual access by at least one of the devices, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to cause at least in part a distribution of a user interface based, at least in part, on the group access, the one or more individual access, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determining to specify the group is based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the devices, context information associated with the one or more devices, or a combination thereof.

19. A computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform at least the following,

determine to specify at least one group of devices, the at least one group including at least a first path to establish a network connection and a second path to establish a local connection among the devices;

and

determine cause at least in part an activation of one or more of the devices to establish the network connection, wherein one or more unactivated devices share the network connection over the local connection.

20. A computer program product of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine a schedule for circulating an activation state among the devices,

wherein the causing at least in part of the activation of the one or more of the devices is based, at least in part, on the schedule.