Ad hoc social work space

• US 9,112,709 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eslambolchi, Hossein, Tofigh, Mostafa, Hushyar, Kaveh, Nadji, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US11/068,151
• Time in Patent Office: 3,823 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design

Abstract

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an architecture and method is presented for proving an ad hoc work space environment. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an end user operates a graphical user interface (GUI) to input requirements defining an ad hoc work space. Software robots are launched and they provision network resources to implement the requirements. The end user may then collaborate with others in the ad hoc work space while activities are logged. When there is no longer a need for the ad hoc work space, the provisioned resources may be returned to the network and the ad hoc work space may be dismantled.

Claims

1. A method of creating a network environment, comprising:

receiving, via a software robot server located in a network, work space requirements, wherein the work space requirements comprise an application selected by a user to be provided in an ad hoc work space, a plurality of members selected by the user to participate in the ad hoc work space, a required memory amount selected by the user to be provided in the ad hoc work space, and a required bandwidth amount selected by the user to be provided in the ad hoc work space, wherein the application selected by the user is selected from among a plurality of different applications that is available and that is presented to the user, wherein, after the application is selected by the user, a plurality of options is provided to the user, the plurality of options comprising;

a suggested memory amount, a suggested bandwidth amount, an option for a memory amount that is greater than the suggested memory amount, and an option for a bandwidth amount that is greater than the suggested bandwidth amount, wherein the required memory amount and required bandwidth amount are selected by the user from among the plurality of options that is provided;

mapping, via the software robot server, the work space requirements to network resources, wherein the mapping comprises identifying from among a plurality of hardware a memory and a bandwidth available to satisfy the required memory amount and the required bandwidth amount, wherein each one of the plurality of hardware is in a different location, and identifying a location and an access right of a software application that is required for the work space requirements;

configuring, via the software robot server, the network resources for operation;

integrating, via the software robot server, the network resources to create the ad hoc work space comprising the work space requirements;

identifying, via the software robot server, software needed by an endpoint device of the user to support the application selected by the user; and

providing, via the software robot server, the software to configure the endpoint device of the user.

2. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method is performed on demand.

3. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network resources include computing hardware.

4. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the configuring the network resources further comprises setting parameters associated with the network resources so that the network resources would interoperate.

5. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the integrating the network resources further comprises operating the network resources to create the ad hoc work space.

6. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network resources are distributed across the network.

7. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network resources have varying levels of access rights.

8. The method of creating the network environment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network resources are borrowed network resources.

9. A software robot server for creating a network environment, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving work space requirements, wherein the work space requirements comprise an application selected by a user to be provided in an ad hoc work space, a plurality of members selected by the user to participate in the ad hoc work space, a required memory amount selected by the user to be provided in the ad hoc work space, and a required bandwidth amount selected by the user to be provided in the ad hoc work space, wherein the application selected by the user is selected from among a plurality of different applications that is available and that is presented to the user, wherein, after the application is selected by the user, a plurality of options is provided to the user, the plurality of options comprising;

a suggested memory amount, a suggested bandwidth amount, an option for a memory amount that is greater than the suggested memory amount, and an option for a bandwidth amount that is greater than the suggested bandwidth amount, wherein the required memory amount and required bandwidth amount are selected by the user from among the plurality of options that is provided, wherein the software robot server is located in a communication network;

mapping the work space requirements to network resources, wherein the mapping comprises identifying from among a plurality of hardware a memory and a bandwidth available to satisfy the required memory amount and the required bandwidth amount, wherein each one of the plurality of hardware is in a different location, and identifying a location and an access right of a software application that is required for the work space requirements;

configuring the network resources for operation;

integrating the network resources to create the ad hoc work space comprising the work space requirements;

identifying software needed by an endpoint device of the user to support the application selected by the user; and

providing the software to configure the endpoint device of the user.