Delayed data delivery options

• US 9,125,045 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chetlur, Malolan, Gupta, Parul, Kalyanaraman, Shivkumar, Kokku, Ravindranath
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/689,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient

Abstract

Systems and methods for effecting delayed delivery of data. There are received, at a scheduler, from a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of requests for transmission of data objects. Responsive to the requests, communication is made to at least one of the devices at least one offer for a delayed transmission deadline of at least one data object. There is received, at the scheduler, at least one response to the at least one offer, and there is determined a scheduling priority of transmissions based on the at least one response.

Claims

1. A method of effecting delayed delivery of data, said method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a processor to execute computer code configured to perform the steps of;

receiving at a scheduler, from a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of requests for transmission of data objects;

responsive to the requests, communicating to at least one of said mobile computing devices at least one offer for a delayed transmission deadline of at least one data object;

receiving, from the mobile computing device, at least one response selecting at least one offer for delayed transmission;

determining a scheduling priority of transmissions based on the at least one response, said determining comprising assigning a lower priority to a request for immediate transmission than to a scheduled transmission time for which a deadline has already been reached;

wherein the request for immediate transmission is received from another mobile computing device other than the mobile computing device; and

transmitting, based on the scheduling priority, the requested data objects;

wherein the at least one response is based on a user selection on the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises altering a scheduled transmission time ad-hoc to ensure that at least one delayed transmission deadline is met.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said receiving at least one response to the at least one offer comprises receiving positive responses to offers for a delayed transmission deadline; and

said altering comprises increasing a scheduled transmission time in response to a predetermined rate of accumulation of positive responses to offers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said altering comprises altering a scheduled transmission time in response to a fluctuation in transmission network capacity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one offer includes a guarantee of transmission free of monetary charge if the delayed transmission deadline is not met.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one offer includes an offer of immediate transmission of the at least one data object if a monetary charge above a predetermined threshold is involved.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one offer includes an offer of transmission of the at least one data object at a reduced transmission rate and at a discounted charge.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises allocating at least one increased priority in response to approach of a delayed transmission deadline.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive at a scheduler, from a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of requests for transmission of data objects;

computer readable program code configured to communicate to at least one of the mobile computing devices, responsive to the requests, at least one offer for a delayed transmission deadline of at least one data object;

computer readable program code configured to receive, from the mobile computing device, at least one response selecting at least one offer for delayed transmission;

computer readable program code configured to determine a scheduling priority of transmissions based on the at least one response, said determining comprising assigning a lower priority to a request for immediate transmission than to a scheduled transmission time for which a deadline has already been reached;

wherein the request for immediate transmission is received from another mobile computing device other than the mobile computing device; and

transmitting, based on the scheduling priority, the requested data objects;

wherein the at least one response is based on user selection on said mobile computing device.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive at a scheduler, from a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of requests for transmission of data objects;

computer readable program code configured to communicate to at least one of the mobile computing devices, responsive to the requests, at least one offer for a delayed transmission deadline of at least one data object;

computer readable program code configured to receive, from the mobile computing device, at least one response selecting at least one offer for delayed transmission;

computer readable program code configured to determine a scheduling priority of transmissions based on the at least one response, said determining comprising assigning a lower priority to a request for immediate transmission than to a scheduled transmission time for which a deadline has already been reached;

wherein the request for immediate transmission is received from another mobile computing device other than other than the mobile computing device; and

transmitting, based on the scheduling priority, the requested data objects;

wherein the at least one response is based on user selection on said mobile computing device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to alter a scheduled transmission time ad-hoc to ensure that at least one delayed transmission deadline is met.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to increase a delayed transmission time in response to a predetermined rate of accumulation of received positive responses to offers for delayed transmission time.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to alter a scheduled transmission time in response to a fluctuation in transmission network capacity.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the at least one offer includes a guarantee of transmission free of monetary charge if the delayed transmission deadline is not met.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the at least one offer includes an offer of immediate transmission of the at least one data object if a monetary charge above a predetermined threshold is involved.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the at least one offer includes an offer of transmission of the at least one data object at a reduced transmission rate and at a discounted charge.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to allocate at least one increased priority in response to approach of a delayed transmission deadline.