Commercial distributed processing by personal computers over the internet
First Claim
1. A method of charging for use of a computer network comprising:
- measuring an amount of processing power of a computer that is being made available to said computer network;
measuring an amount of network resources being used by said computer;
determining a charge for access to said computer network by said computer based on a difference between said measured amount of processing power of said computer being made available to said computer network and said measured amount of network resources being used by said computer;
coupling the computer via the network to one or more other computers of the computer network using a wireless network connection;
controlling, based on input received from a user of the computer, one or more processing units of a microprocessor of a microchip of the computer; and
selectively permitting access through the computer network to one or more of the processing units using a firewall of the microchip, the firewall being configured to permit access through the computer network to execute all or a portion of a shared computer processing operation.
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Abstract
This invention generally relates to one or more computer networks having computers like personal computers or network servers with microprocessors linked by broadband transmission means and having hardware, software, firmware, and other means such that at least one parallel processing operation occurs that involve at least two computers in the network. More particularly, this invention relates to one or more large networks composed of smaller networks and large numbers of computers connected, like the Internet, wherein more than one separate parallel processing operation involving more than one different set of computers occurs simultaneously and wherein ongoing processing linkages can be established between virtually any microprocessors of separate computers connected to the network. Still more particularly, this invention relates to business arrangements enabling the shared used of network microprocessors for parallel and other processing, wherein personal computer owners provide microprocessor processing power to a network, preferably for parallel processing, in exchange for network linkage to other personal and other computers supplied by network providers, including linkage to other microprocessors for parallel or other processing; the basis of the exchange between owners and providers being whatever terms to which the parties agree, subject to governing laws, regulations, or rules, including payment from either party to the other based on periodic measurement of net use or provision of processing power.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1. A method of charging for use of a computer network comprising:
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measuring an amount of processing power of a computer that is being made available to said computer network;
measuring an amount of network resources being used by said computer;
determining a charge for access to said computer network by said computer based on a difference between said measured amount of processing power of said computer being made available to said computer network and said measured amount of network resources being used by said computer;
coupling the computer via the network to one or more other computers of the computer network using a wireless network connection;
controlling, based on input received from a user of the computer, one or more processing units of a microprocessor of a microchip of the computer; and
selectively permitting access through the computer network to one or more of the processing units using a firewall of the microchip, the firewall being configured to permit access through the computer network to execute all or a portion of a shared computer processing operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
said measuring of said amount of processing power of said computer made available to said computer network is based on an amount of time said computer is made available to said computer network;
said measuring of said amount of said network resources being used by said computer is based on an amount of time said computer uses said computer network; and
said determining said charge for access comprises comparing said amount of time said computer is made available to said computer network with said amount of time said computer uses said computer network to arrive at a net cost.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein said measuring of said amount of said network resources being used by said computer includes time spent downloading data from a site connected to said computer network.
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7. The method of claim 5, wherein said measuring of said amount of said network resources being used by said computer includes a measure of parallel processing resources allocated to said computer.
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8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
making available a standard number of personal computers, connected to said computer network, for shared processing by said computer.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer network includes an Internet.
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing power involves peer-to-peer processing.
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein said network includes a peer-to-peer architecture.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein said network resources include shared file resources.
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13. A method of allocating use of a computer in a network of computers, including an Internet which is utilized to provide shared computer processing resources, comprising:
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coupling the computer via the network to one or more other computers of the computer network using a wireless network connection;
controlling, based on input received from a user of the computer, one or more processing units of a microprocessor of a microchip of the computer;
selectively permitting access through the computer network to one or more of the processing units using a firewall of the microchip, the firewall being configured to permit access through the computer network to execute all or a portion of a shared computer processing operation;
estimating an amount of computer network resources, including said shared computer processing resources, required to fulfill a processing request from a personal computer to said computer network, the estimating being based on input from a meter;
approving said processing request; and
allocating said computer network resources to said personal computer, wherein said allocating controls, on a default-to-standard-of-class-usage basis, a number of personal computers to be made available to said personal computer for the shared computer processing services and an extent of use of said personal computer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
providing a real-time readout of a cost of fulfilling said processing request, said readout being visible to a user of said personal computer.
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15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
alerting a user of said personal computer that said processing request falls outside of predetermined parameters when said processing request falls outside of said predetermined parameters.
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16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
alerting a user of said personal computer that said processing request falls outside of predetermined parameters when said processing request falls outside of said predetermined parameters.
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17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
setting of said predetermined parameters by said user.
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18. The method of claim 13, wherein said default-to-standard-of-class usage basis comprises allowing said computer to expend an amount of resources of said computer network based on a total credit limit of a user of said computer.
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19. The method of claim 13, wherein said network includes a World Wide Web.
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20. A system for a network of computers, comprising:
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a monitoring mechanism to monitor on a net basis a provision of network services both to and by one of at least two personal computers within said network, said network services including connection functions, as well as shared computer processing, including at least one of parallel and multitasking processing, to be provided both to and by said at least two personal computers, wherein said one personal computer includes an availability mechanism configured to make said one personal computer, when idled, available temporarily to provide said shared computer processing services to said network; and
a charge determining mechanism to determine a net charge for network services for said one personal computer based on a difference between the monitored provision to said network of said shared computing processing by said one computer and the monitored use of said network services by said one personal computer;
at least one of the personal computers including a wireless network connection capable of coupling the personal computers to one or more of the other personal computers via the network; and
at least one of the personal computers including a microchip having a microprocessor with at least a control unit and one or more processing units, the control unit including means for a user of the personal computer to control the one or more processing units;
wherein the microchip further includes a firewall configured to permit access through the network to one or more of the processing units to execute all or a portion of the shared computer Processing operation. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A system for a network of computers, comprising:
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network services including connection functions, as well as shared computer processing, including at least one of parallel and multitasking processing, to be provided both to and by at least two personal computers within said network, wherein at least one of said personal computers includes an availability mechanism configured to make said one personal computer, when idled, available temporarily to provide said shared computer processing services to said network;
a cost control mechanism to maintain a standard cost basis for a provision of said network services both to and from one personal computer and both to and from a network services provider in order to control a compensation between said one personal computer and said network services provider, wherein said cost control mechanism controls, on a default-to-standard-of-class-usage basis, both use of network services by said one personal computer and use of said one personal computer by said network services provider for said shared computer processing services;
at least one of the personal computers including a wireless network connection capable of coupling the personal computers to one or more of the other personal computers via the network; and
at least one of the personal computers including a microchip having a microprocessor with at least a control unit and one or more processing units, the control unit including means for a user of the personal computer to control the one or more processing units;
wherein the microchip further includes a firewall configured to permit access through the network to one or more of the processing units to execute all or a portion of the shared computer processing operation. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A system for a network of computers, comprising:
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a monitoring mechanism to monitor on a net basis a provision of network services both to and by one of at least two personal computers within said network, said network services including connection functions, as well as shared computer processing, including at least one of parallel and multitasking processing, to be provided both to and by said at least two personal computers, wherein said one personal computer includes an availability mechanism configured to make said one personal computer, when idled, available temporarily to provide said shared computer processing services to said network, wherein said network includes an Internet;
at least one of the personal computers including a wireless network connection capable of coupling the personal computers to one or more of the other personal computers via the network; and
at least one of the personal computers including a microchip having a microprocessor with at least a control unit and one or more processing units, the control unit including means for a user of the personal computer to control the one or more processing units;
wherein the microchip further includes a firewall configured to permit access through the network to one or more of the processing units to execute all or a portion of the shared computer processing operation. - View Dependent Claims (77)
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Specification