File fragment pricing in a segmented file sharing network

• US 8,204,791 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terrace Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavez, Timothy R., DeLuca, Lisa S., Lauridsen, Christina K., Patel, Sushma B., Peterson, Robert R., Salem, Loulwa F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US12/501,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1082 involving incentive schemes

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for file fragment pricing in a segmented file sharing system. The mechanism allows peers to set a price for distributing a file through the file sharing system. A peer then becomes a file distributor on behalf of an original file provider. The original file provider may compensate the file distributor based on a compensation agreement. The peer'"'"'s client may be configured to download file fragments from file distributors, or the original file provider, based on preferences, such as price, peer rating, upload speed, or similarity. As a result, a peer may download a file for a price that is less than the original price from the original file provider. Thus, the mechanism provides an incentive for peers to participate in file sharing, which results in larger swarms.

Claims

1. A method in a peer-to-peer file sharing client for file sharing in a peer-to-peer file sharing network, the method comprising:

presenting a download user interface for a file to be downloaded in the peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receiving user input via the download user interface specifying maximum file price, maximum file fragment price for a plurality of file fragments that make up the file and peer selection criteria;

identifying a plurality of peers offering the plurality of file fragments that make up the file such that downloading the plurality of file fragments from the plurality of peers satisfies the maximum file price, the maximum file fragment price and the peer selection criteria;

presenting an upload user interface for the file to be uploaded in the peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receiving user input via the upload user interface specifying a file price;

responsive to receiving a request for a given file fragment within the plurality of file fragments from a requesting peer, determining a file fragment compensation price for the given file fragment and uploading the given file fragment to the requesting peer; and

receiving compensation for uploading the given file fragment to the requesting peer according to the file fragment compensation price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the file fragment compensation price comprises setting a flat fee price for each file fragment based on the price information of the file and a number of file fragments that make up the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the file fragment compensation price comprises setting a price for each file fragment within a number of file fragments that make up the file based on rarity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation comprises at least one of a predetermined percentage of the file fragment compensation price or reward points.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a tracker tracks price information in the peer-to-peer file sharing network and wherein the download user interface presents an original price, an average price, and a low price for the file being shared in the pee-to-peer file sharing network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the peer selection criteria comprise a ranked set of parameters including price, peer rating, upload speed, and similarity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a tracker tracks price information in the peer-to-peer file sharing network and wherein the upload user interface presents an original price, an average price, and a low price for the file being shared in the pee-to-peer file sharing network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving compensation for uploading the given file fragment to the requesting peer comprises determining whether the user reaches a maximum compensation limit.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

present a download user interface for a file to be downloaded in a peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receiving user input via the download user interface specifying maximum file price, maximum file fragment price for a plurality of file fragments that make up the file and peer selection criteria;

identify a plurality of peers offering the plurality of file fragments that make up the file such that downloading the plurality of file fragments from the plurality of peers satisfies the maximum file price, the maximum file fragment price and the peer selection criteria;

present an upload user interface for the file to be uploaded in the peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receive user input via the upload user interface specifying a file price;

responsive to receiving a request for a given file fragment within the plurality of file fragments from a requesting peer, determine a file fragment compensation price for the given file fragment and upload the given file fragment to the requesting peer; and

receive compensation for uploading the given file fragment to the requesting peer according to the file fragment compensation price.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein determining the file fragment compensation price comprises setting a price for each file fragment within the plurality of file fragments based on rarity.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the compensation comprises at least one of a predetermined percentage of the file fragment compensation price or reward points.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a tracker tracks price information in the peer-to-peer file sharing network and wherein the download user interface presents an original price, an average price, and a low price for the file beign shared in the peer-to-peer file sharing network.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system and wherein the computer readable program was downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system and wherein the computer readable program is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium with the remote system.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

present a download user interface for a file to be downloaded in a peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receive user input via the download user interface specifying maximum file price, maximum file fragment price for a plurality of file fragments that make up the file and peer selection criteria;

identify a plurality of peers offering the plurality of file fragments that make up the file such that downloading the plurality of file fragments from the plurality of peers satisfies the maximum file price the maximum file fragment price and the peer selection criteria;

present an upload user interface for The file to be uploaded in the peer-to-peer file sharing network;

receive user input via the upload user interface specifying a file price;

responsive to receiving a request for a given file fragment within the plurality of file fragments from a requesting peer, determine a file fragment compensation price for the given file fragment and upload the given file fragment to the requesting peer; and

receive compensation for uploading the given file fragment to the requesting peer according to the file fragment compensation price.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining the file fragment compensation price comprises setting a price for each file fragment within the plurality of file fragments based on rarity.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the compensation comprises at least one of a predetermined percentage of the file fragment compensation price or reward points.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a tracker tracks price information in the peer-to-peer file sharing network and wherein the download user interface presents an original price, an average price, and a low price for the file beign shared in the peer-to-peer file sharing network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the peer selection criteria comprise a ranked set of parameters including price, peer rating, upload speed, and similarity.