System and method for fair-sharing in bandwidth sharing ad-hoc networks

• US 8,249,984 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass, Harish T
• Application Number:
  US11/755,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/39, 705/14, 705/30, 705/14.27, 370/230, 348/581
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for fair-sharing in bandwidth sharing ad-hoc networks. A method includes maintaining a borrower account and lender account of a borrower and a lender of an ad hoc network. The method also includes adjusting at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the lender for the borrower.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a borrower account and lender account of a bandwidth borrower and a bandwidth lender of a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network; and

adjusting at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the bandwidth lender for the bandwidth borrower,

wherein at least one of the maintaining and the adjusting is performed by a processor comprised in a computing device;

the adjusting comprises at least one of crediting the lender account and debiting the borrower account; and

the crediting comprises crediting points and the debiting comprises debiting points, and further comprising offering points for sale.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the crediting and the debiting are performed at a predetermined rate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined rate is a fixed-rate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined rate is a negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined rate is an automatically negotiated rate between the borrower and the lender.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the crediting the lender account comprises debiting an escrow account, and

the debiting the borrower account comprises crediting the escrow account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider under at least one of:

a subscription agreement, a fee agreement; and

based on advertising content to one or more third parties.

8. 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.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising imposing a reduced rate of data transfer or preventing data transfer when a balance of the borrower account falls below a predetermined level.