Allocating service requests to service providers according to dynamic network service fulfillment cycle

• US 8,798,246 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Ramkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/895,240
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.07, 379/112.08, 379/112.09, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.05, 379/114.09, 379/114.13, 379/121.01, 379/121.02, 705/7.12, 705/7.38, 705/14.1, 705/14.19, 705/14.24, 705/14.45, 705/14.55, 705/14.71, 705/26.25, 705/26.4, 705/26.41
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises setting a first seed price for a network service item offered by a plurality of service providers in a computing network, and advertising a first seed price range for the network service item based on the first seed price; allocating service requests for the network service item among the service providers within a first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, the allocating based on respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the first seed price range and further based on network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests; and calculating a second seed price for a second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle contiguously following the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on the first seed price and the allocating within the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a first seed price for a network service item offered by a plurality of service providers in a computing network, and advertising a first seed price range for the network service item based on the first seed price;

allocating service requests for the network service item among the service providers within a first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, the allocating based on respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the first seed price range and further based on network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests; and

calculating a second seed price for a second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle contiguously following the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on the first seed price and the allocating within the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

advertising a second seed price range for the network service item based on the second seed price; and

allocating a subsequent group of the service requests for the network service among the service providers within the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on second respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the second seed price range and further based on the network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests during the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating includes:

sorting the service providers according to the respective proposed costs; and

allocating the service requests among the sorted service providers, starting with a lowest-cost service provider among the sorted service providers, relative to the network-based performance capacity of the lowest-cost service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the allocating among the sorted service providers further includes:

moving allocation of unfulfilled service requests from a currently-allocated service provider to a next service provider among the sorted service providers, based on the currently-allocated service provider reaching the corresponding network-based performance capacity with currently-allocated service requests; and

repeating moving allocation to the next service provider among the sorted service providers until the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle is complete.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculating of a second seed price includes:

determining a summation of a price influence by each service provider, the price influence by each service provider based on a product of the proposed cost by each service provider multiplied by a count of the service requests allocated to the corresponding service provider; and

dividing the summation of the price influence by the first seed price to determine the second seed price.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network service fulfillment cycle is based on a prescribed number of the service requests being allocated among the service providers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network service fulfillment cycle is based on a prescribed number of the service requests being allocated among the service providers within a prescribed time interval.

8. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution by one or more machines and when executed operable for:

setting a first seed price for a network service item offered by a plurality of service providers in a computing network, and advertising a first seed price range for the network service item based on the first seed price;

allocating service requests for the network service item among the service providers within a first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, the allocating based on respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the first seed price range and further based on network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests; and

calculating a second seed price for a second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle contiguously following the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on the first seed price and the allocating within the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

9. The logic of claim 8, further operable for:

advertising a second seed price range for the network service item based on the second seed price; and

allocating a subsequent group of the service requests for the network service among the service providers within the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on second respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the second seed price range and further based on the network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests during the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

10. The logic of claim 8, wherein the allocating includes:

sorting the service providers according to the respective proposed costs; and

allocating the service requests among the sorted service providers, starting with a lowest-cost service provider among the sorted service providers, relative to the network-based performance capacity of the lowest-cost service provider.

11. The logic of claim 10, wherein the allocating among the sorted service providers further includes:

moving allocation of unfulfilled service requests from a currently-allocated service provider to a next service provider among the sorted service providers, based on the currently-allocated service provider reaching the corresponding network-based performance capacity with currently-allocated service requests; and

repeating moving allocation to the next service provider among the sorted service providers until the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle is complete.

12. The logic of claim 10, wherein the calculating of a second seed price includes:

determining a summation of a price influence by each service provider, the price influence by each service provider based on a product of the proposed cost by each service provider multiplied by a count of the service requests allocated to the corresponding service provider; and

dividing the summation of the price influence by the first seed price to determine the second seed price.

13. The logic of claim 8, wherein the first network service fulfillment cycle is based on a prescribed number of the service requests being allocated among the service providers.

14. The logic of claim 8, wherein the first network service fulfillment cycle is based on a prescribed number of the service requests being allocated among the service providers within a prescribed time interval.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface circuit configured for advertising a first seed price range for a network service item offered by a plurality of service providers in a computing network, the network interface circuit configured for receiving respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers; and

a processor circuit configured for setting a first seed price for the network service item and generating the advertisement for the first seed price range relative to the first seed price, the processor circuit further configured for allocating service requests for the network service item among the service providers within a first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, the processor circuit allocating the service requests based on respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the first seed price range and further based on network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests, the processor circuit further configured for calculating a second seed price for a second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle contiguously following the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on the first seed price and the allocating within the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor circuit is further configured for:

generating an advertisement for a second seed price range for the network service item based on the second seed price; and

allocating a subsequent group of the service requests for the network service among the service providers within the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle, based on second respective proposed costs advertised by the service providers relative to the second seed price range and further based on the network-based performance capacity of the service providers in fulfilling the allocated service requests during the second dynamic network service fulfillment cycle.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor circuit is configured for allocating the service requests based on:

sorting the service providers according to the respective proposed costs; and

allocating the service requests among the sorted service providers, starting with a lowest-cost service provider among the sorted service providers, relative to the network-based performance capacity of the lowest-cost service provider.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor circuit is configured for allocating the service requests based on:

moving allocation of unfulfilled service requests from a currently-allocated service provider to a next service provider among the sorted service providers, based on the currently-allocated service provider reaching the corresponding network-based performance capacity with currently-allocated service requests; and

repeating moving allocation to the next service provider among the sorted service providers until the first dynamic network service fulfillment cycle is complete.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor circuit is configured for calculating the second seed price based on:

determining a summation of a price influence by each service provider, the price influence by each service provider based on a product of the proposed cost by each service provider multiplied by a count of the service requests allocated to the corresponding service provider; and

dividing the summation of the price influence by the first seed price to determine the second seed price.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first network service fulfillment cycle is based on a prescribed number of the service requests being allocated among the service providers within a prescribed time interval.