System for the marketing of telecommunications traffic capacity

• US 6,421,434 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Rosu, Corneliu S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/199,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 379/113, 379/114, 379/133, 379/134, 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.05, 379/112.06, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/115.01, 379/219, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.08, 379/121.01, 379/220.01, 379/221.01
• US Class Current: 379/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0066 Bandwidth allocation or management

Abstract

A plurality of telecommunication traffic providers are connected to supply information about the current utilization of their networks to a dedicated network element to which is also connected a plurality of potential buyers of traffic capacity. The dedicated network element includes local and wide area data networks over which information about the existence of available network capacity among the providers is communicated to an administration center. The administration center makes that information available via the data network to the participating potential buyers and, thereafter, brokers the sale of the available telecommunication capacity from providers to buyers. It also monitors and assures that the buyers receive the benefit of their purchased capacity and the terms under which their sales were made.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing the utilization of network traffic carrying capacity comprising:

a dedicated network element for communicating information related to traffic capacity on various routes within said network;

a dedicated network element for communicating information related to traffic capacity on various routes within said network;

a plurality of network traffic capacity providers connected to said dedicated network element for making available to said network element traffic carrying capacity on idle routes within the respective elements of their network;

a plurality of traffic capacity users connected to said dedicated network element for utilizing available traffic carrying capacity within the network elements of said providers;

a traffic capacity and brokerage administration center connected to said dedicated network element for gathering data with respect to the availability of traffic carrying capacity within the network elements of said providers, formatting those gathered data in a usable form and presenting the formatted data to said plurality of traffic capacity users for possible purchase;

means responsive to purchase of traffic carrying capacity by a purchasing user for interconnecting available traffic routes from providers to said purchasing user; and

means for monitoring the continued availability of traffic carrying capacity for a duration of a purchase agreement to ensure that the purchasing user receives the traffic carrying capacity purchased pursuant to said purchase agreement.

2. A system for optimizing the utilization of network traffic carrying capacity as set forth in claim I wherein the traffic capacity and brokerage administration center comprises:

a local area network (LAN) connected to said dedicated network element for collecting and distributing data related to traffic carrying capacity within said network elements;

means for initiating traffic measurements within the traffic carrying elements of said network connected to said LAN; and

means connected to said LAN for collecting traffic carrying data received in response to said traffic measurements.

3. A system for optimizing the utilization of network traffic carrying capacity as set forth in claim 2 wherein the traffic measurements initiated are performed by systems located with each traffic capacity providing network element.

4. A system for optimizing the utilization of network traffic carrying capacity as set forth in claim 2 which also includes:

means for configuring received traffic carrying capacity data in a vendor independent format and making said data available to traffic capacity users on said LAN for consideration for possible purchase.

5. A system for optimizing the utilization of network traffic carrying capacity as set forth in claim 2 which also includes:

means for accumulating and storing traffic carrying capacity data within said system to provide potential purchasing users connected to said LAN with historical traffic capacity information to assist them with a purchasing decision related to currently available capacity.

6. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network comprising:

gathering information related to available traffic carrying capacity on various routes within the network elements of traffic capacity providers within said network;

organizing and formatting the gathered information related to available traffic carrying capacity;

furnishing said organized and formatted information to a plurality of traffic capacity users;

brokering the purchase of available traffic carrying capacity by one or more of said users;

arranging the delivery of access to the purchased traffic carrying capacity of said providers by said purchasing user(s); and

monitoring the continued availability of traffic carrying capacity purchased by a user for a duration of a purchase agreement and ensuring that the capacity purchased pursuant to said purchase agreement is received thereby.

7. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 6 wherein said steps are performed utilizing a local area network (LAN) to which are connected both traffic capacity providers and traffic capacity users.

8. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 6 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following information:

the bandwidth of the available capacity;

the time period within which that bandwidth is available;

the endpoints of the route over which the capacity is available for the specified period; and

the traffic capacity provider offering the capacity for purchase.

9. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 8 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against link failure by the provision of alternative routing.

10. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 8 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against node failure by the provision of alternative routing.

11. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 8 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against overflow traffic by the provision of alternative routing.

12. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 6 wherein said traffic carrying routes comprise part of a dedicated telecommunications network.

13. A method for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 6 wherein at least some of said traffic carrying routes comprise a telecommunications network superimposed upon an electrical power distribution grid.

14. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network comprising:

means for gathering information related to available traffic carrying capacity on various routes within the network elements of traffic capacity providers within said network;

means for organizing and formatting the gathered information related to available traffic carrying capacity;

means for furnishing said organized and formatted information to a plurality of traffic capacity users;

means for brokering the purchase of available traffic carrying capacity by one or more of said users;

means for arranging the delivery of access to the purchased traffic carrying capacity of said provider(s) by said purchasing user(s); and

means for monitoring the continued availability of traffic carrying capacity purchased by a user for a duration of a purchase agreement and ensuring that the capacity purchased pursuant to said purchase agreement is received thereby.

15. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means include a local area network (LAN) to which are connected both traffic capacity providers and traffic capacity users.

16. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 14 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following information:

the bandwidth of the available capacity;

the time period within which that bandwidth is available;

the endpoints of the route over which the capacity is available for the specified period; and

the traffic capacity provider offering the capacity for purchase.

17. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 16 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against link failure by the provision of alternative routing.

18. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 16 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against node failure by the provision of alternative routing.

19. A system for optimizing the utilization of available traffic carrying routes within a network as set forth in claim 16 wherein the format within which said traffic capacity data is presented to potential purchasing users includes the following additional information:

an indication of whether or not the available bandwidth of the traffic carrying routes offered for purchase is guaranteed against overflow traffic by the provision of alternative routing.