Demand pull and supply push communication methodologies

• US 8,040,863 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US11/755,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/329, 370/338, 370/431, 370/437
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining whether a node in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network should advertise as a borrower or a lender of bandwidth, or alternatively not advertise as either a borrower or lender of bandwidth. The method comprises establishing an ad-hoc network between nodes configured to be a borrower of bandwidth or a lender of bandwidth. At least one of the nodes advertises to be the borrower of bandwidth or the lender of bandwidth in the ad hoc network based on at least one selected factor.

Claims

1. A method comprising establishing an ad-hoc network between nodes configured to be a borrower of bandwidth or a lender of bandwidth, at least one of the nodes advertising to be the borrower of bandwidth or the lender of bandwidth in the ad hoc network based on at least one selected factor,

wherein the at least one selected factor comprises at least one of current bandwidth need;

download urgency;

bandwidth sharing history of at least one of the nodes;

current market driven price for bandwidth;

current fixed price for bandwidth; and

importance to receive compensation for lent bandwidth,

each selected factor of the at least one selected factor has an associated value, and each value is analyzed to determine whether to advertise as the borrower or the lender,

the value is expressed as a ratio,

the ratio is at least one of a download urgency ratio;

a bandwidth sharing ratio;

a current market driven price ratio;

a current fixed price ratio; and

an importance of payment ratio, and

the ratio above a predetermined threshold suggests advertising as the borrower, the ratio below the predetermined threshold suggests advertising as the lender.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the lender or the borrower, determining an importance of payment value expressed by:

(importance of payment number)/1.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the lender or the borrower, determining a current fixed price value expressed by:

(average number of data minutes)/(current data minutes).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender, determining a current fixed price value expressed by:

(average fixed price)/(current fixed price).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a weighting to, each value to provide a weighted factor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the weighted factors are summed to determine a final-weighted value, the final weighted value being used to make a determination as to whether to advertise as the borrower or the lender.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender, determining a current bandwidth need value expressed by:

(current bandwidth required)/(current bandwidth capacity).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender, determining a download urgency value expressed by:

fixed period/(download window−

download time).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender, determining a bandwidth sharing value expressed by:

(total bandwidth lent over a period time)/(total bandwidth borrowed over the period of time).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender, determining a market driven price value expressed by:

(average market price)/(current market price).

13. A system comprising a server having a database containing data associated with nodes capable of being lenders and borrowers of bandwidth in an ad-hoc network, the database further containing a selection of pertinent factors used by the nodes to determine whether the nodes should advertise as a lender of bandwidth or a borrower of bandwidth in the ad hoc network, and at least one of a hardware and software component for establishing the ad-hoc network between the borrowers of bandwidth and lenders of bandwidth by using certain factors of the pertinent factors in making a determination as to whether the nodes advertise as either the lender or the borrower,

wherein the at least one of a hardware and a software component calculates a weighted factor based on the certain factors, the weighted factor for each of the certain factors being used to provide a final weighted value, the final weighted value being associated with a suggestion to advertise at least as one of the borrower and the lender.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the at least one of a hardware and software component.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one of a hardware and software component resides on a server provided by a service provider.

16. A method comprising establishing an ad-hoc network between nodes configured to be a borrower of bandwidth or a lender of bandwidth, at least one of the nodes advertising to be the borrower of bandwidth or the lender of bandwidth in the ad hoc network based on at least one selected factor, wherein the at least one selected factor comprises at least one of current bandwidth need;

download urgency;

bandwidth sharing history of at least one of the nodes;

current market driven price for bandwidth;

current fixed price for bandwidth; and

importance to receive compensation for lent bandwidth;

basing the advertising as the borrower or the lender on at least two selected factors;

providing a weighting to each of the at least two selected factors to provide weighted factors; and

summing the weighted factors to arrive at a final weighted value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the final weighted value is <

0.5, then strongly advertise as the lender;

the final weighted value is ≧

0.5 and <

0.8, then weakly advertise as the lender;

the final weighted value is ≧

0.8 and ≦

1.2, then not advertise;

the final weighted value is of >

1.2 and ≦

1.5, then weakly advertise as the borrower; and

the final weighted value is >

1.5, then strongly advertise as the borrower.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the weighted factors are determined according to one of:

(ratio*weighting number)/(sum of weighting numbers) and (ratio*weighting).

19. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, wherein the computer usable medium comprises an apparatus that stores the program code, the computer program product includes at least one component to establish an ad-hoc network between at least one borrower of bandwidth and at least one lender of bandwidth by permitting advertising as a borrower or a lender of bandwidth based on at least one selected factor used by a node in determining whether to advertise as one of the borrower and the lender, wherein the ad hoc network comprises communication using a local wireless communication protocol between the at least one borrower and the at least one lender,

wherein the computer program product is further configured to perform one of the following when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender:

determine a current bandwidth need value expressed by;

(current bandwidth required)/(current bandwidth capacity);

determine a download urgency value expressed by;

fixed period/(download window−

download time);

determine a bandwidth sharing value expressed by;

(total bandwidth lent over a period time)/(total bandwidth borrowed over the period of time);

determine a market driven price value expressed by;

(average market price)/(current market price);

determine a current fixed price value expressed by;

(average fixed price)/(current fixed price);

determine a current fixed price value expressed by;

(average number of data minutes)/(current data minutes); and

determine an importance of payment value expressed by;

(importance of payment number)/1.

20. A method for providing a formation of a multiplexed ad-hoc network, comprising providing a computer infrastructure that includes at least one computer device that operates to establish an ad-hoc network between at least one borrower of bandwidth and at least one lender of bandwidth by permitting advertising as a borrower or a lender of bandwidth, the advertising being based on at least one selected factor used by a node in determining whether to advertise as one of the borrower and the lender, wherein the ad hoc network comprises communication using a local wireless communication protocol between the at least one borrower and the at least one lender,

wherein the computer device is further configured to perform one of the following when considering to advertise as the borrower or the lender:

determine a current bandwidth need value expressed by;

(current bandwidth required)/(current bandwidth capacity);

determine a download urgency value expressed by;

fixed period/(download window−

download time);

determine a bandwidth sharing value expressed by;

(total bandwidth lent over a period time)/(total bandwidth borrowed over the period of time);

determine a market driven price value expressed by;

(average market price)/(current market price);

determine a current fixed price value expressed by;

(average fixed price)/(current fixed price);

determine a current fixed price value expressed by;

(average number of data minutes)/(current data minutes); and

determine an importance of payment value expressed by;

(importance of payment number)/1.

21. A method, comprising:

selecting one or more pertinent factors based on a willingness to be a lender or a borrower of bandwidth in an ad hoc network; and

advertising as the borrower or the lender based on the selected pertinent factors to establish a bandwidth-sharing ad-hoc network,

wherein a computer device is used to perform the selecting and the advertising,

the selected pertinent factors comprise at least one of current bandwidth need;

download urgency;

bandwidth sharing history of at least one of the nodes;

current market driven price for bandwidth;

current fixed price for bandwidth; and

importance to receive compensation for lent bandwidth,

each selected pertinent factor has an associated value expressed as a ratio, and each value is analyzed to determine whether to advertise as the borrower or the lender, and

further comprising providing a weighting to each value to provide weighted factors and summing the weighted factors to determine a final weighted value used to make a determination as to whether to advertise as the borrower or the lender.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 21.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the steps of claim 21 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.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the ratio is at least one of a download urgency ratio;

a bandwidth sharing ratio;

a current market driven price ratio;

a current fixed price ratio; and

an importance of payment ratio.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the ratio above a predetermined threshold suggests advertising as the borrower and the ratio below the predetermined threshold suggests advertising as the lender.