Network service selection
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications network controller to control a communications network which offers services including a dynamically-priced service and a fixed-price service, said method comprising operating said communications network controller to:
- store utility data representing a utility of one or more corresponding levels of communication resource available from said communications network for a communication;
store resource stability data indicative of a stability in the amount of said communications resource provided by said communications network when operated to provide said fixed price service for said communication;
store price stability data indicative of a stability in the price of said dynamically-priced service offered by said communications network;
calculate, from said resource stability data, a measure of a likelihood of a predetermined variation occurring in an amount of resource provided by said communications network for said communication when operated to provide said fixed price service at a future time during said communication;
calculate, in dependence upon said stored utility data, a measure of a likelihood of the price of said dynamically-priced service reaching a marginal price which would result in said predetermined variation occurring in the amount of resource provided for said communication by said communications network when operated to provide said dynamically-priced service at a future time during said communication;
select between said dynamically-priced service and said fixed-price service in dependence upon calculated likelihood measures for said dynamically-priced service and said fixed price service; and
control said communications network to provide said selected service for said communication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of selecting a suitable service for the delivery of a communication across an integrated network is disclosed. Before now, users had to select the service that best suited their needs at the time of each delivery. By providing a computer programmed to act as a purchasing agent with data indicating the desirability of stability in the network service (that data representing the price the user is prepared to pay for stability) an automatic selection of the service to be provided to the communication is enabled. An embodiment is described in which different degrees of stability are given to different content file deliveries in dependence on the importance attached to the recipient by a content provider. The invention could equally be used to provide an appropriate services for many different types of network traffic.
128 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications network controller to control a communications network which offers services including a dynamically-priced service and a fixed-price service, said method comprising operating said communications network controller to:
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store utility data representing a utility of one or more corresponding levels of communication resource available from said communications network for a communication; store resource stability data indicative of a stability in the amount of said communications resource provided by said communications network when operated to provide said fixed price service for said communication; store price stability data indicative of a stability in the price of said dynamically-priced service offered by said communications network; calculate, from said resource stability data, a measure of a likelihood of a predetermined variation occurring in an amount of resource provided by said communications network for said communication when operated to provide said fixed price service at a future time during said communication; calculate, in dependence upon said stored utility data, a measure of a likelihood of the price of said dynamically-priced service reaching a marginal price which would result in said predetermined variation occurring in the amount of resource provided for said communication by said communications network when operated to provide said dynamically-priced service at a future time during said communication; select between said dynamically-priced service and said fixed-price service in dependence upon calculated likelihood measures for said dynamically-priced service and said fixed price service; and control said communications network to provide said selected service for said communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A network service selection apparatus comprising:
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a non-transitory storage medium having recorded therein processor readable code executable to select a network service for a communication, said code comprising; fixed price service stability calculation code executable to calculate from resource stability data, a measure of a likelihood of a predetermined variation occurring in an amount of resource provided for said communication by said fixed price service at a future time during said communication; dynamically-priced service stability calculation code executable to calculate in dependence upon stored utility data, a measure of a likelihood of the price of said dynamically-priced service reaching a marginal price which would result in said predetermined variation occurring in the amount of resource provided for said communication by said dynamically-priced service at a future time during said communication; network service selection code executable to select between said dynamically-priced service and said fixed-price service in dependence upon calculated likelihood measures for said dynamically-priced service and said fixed price service. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification