Method of doing business over a network by transmission and retransmission of digital information on a network during time slots
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive a request for transmitting digital information, the request comprising an identification of a user and transmission constraints including a start time after which transmission may begin and an end time by which transmission is to be completed, wherein the digital information comprises a number of packets; and
a processing unit, where the processing unit is configured;
to determine an estimated time required to transmit the digital information based at least on the number of packets and a network speed;
to schedule a transmit time by a local server for the transmission of the digital information based upon at least the start time, the end time, and the estimated time required to transmit;
to determine a cost for transmitting the digital information based at least on the transmission constraints, the estimated time required to transmit, and the scheduled transmit time;
to accept the digital information for transmission only if the estimated time required to transmit is less than or equal to a difference between the transmit time and the end time and if the determined cost is less than or equal to a maximum cost associated with the user; and
in response to the digital information being accepted for transmission, to transmit the digital information using a network after the start time and prior to the end time, and to bill the determined cost to an account associated with the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method of doing business over a network that: receives a request for transmitting digital information after a start time and before an end time, determines the time required to transmit the digital information based on the number of packets in the information and the network speed, schedules a transmit time for the digital information, and accepts the digital information for transmission only if the time required to transmit is less than or equal to the difference between the transmit time and the end time. Pricing of the transmission can be determined by the priority of transmission, whether the information is transmitted the first time or rescheduled, and whether the user receives an acknowledgment.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive a request for transmitting digital information, the request comprising an identification of a user and transmission constraints including a start time after which transmission may begin and an end time by which transmission is to be completed, wherein the digital information comprises a number of packets; and a processing unit, where the processing unit is configured; to determine an estimated time required to transmit the digital information based at least on the number of packets and a network speed; to schedule a transmit time by a local server for the transmission of the digital information based upon at least the start time, the end time, and the estimated time required to transmit; to determine a cost for transmitting the digital information based at least on the transmission constraints, the estimated time required to transmit, and the scheduled transmit time; to accept the digital information for transmission only if the estimated time required to transmit is less than or equal to a difference between the transmit time and the end time and if the determined cost is less than or equal to a maximum cost associated with the user; and in response to the digital information being accepted for transmission, to transmit the digital information using a network after the start time and prior to the end time, and to bill the determined cost to an account associated with the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification