Formation and rearrangement of ad hoc networks

• US 9,578,538 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US14/674,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 370/322, 370/328, 370/377, 370/412, 455/307, 455/447, 455/452.1, 455/453
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for the formation and rearrangement of ad hoc networks and more particularly to systems and methods for sharing bandwidth in ad hoc networks. The method comprises broadcasting a table to at least one potential lender requesting pertinent lender information and receiving the table from the at least one potential lender with the pertinent lender information. The method further includes selecting one or more lenders of the at least one potential lender which meet preset criteria and establishing an ad hoc network with the one or more lenders based on the selecting.

Claims

1. A method for forming and rearranging a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network for data transfer among mobile computing devices, comprising providing a computer infrastructure being operable to:

broadcast a table to at least one potential bandwidth lender requesting pertinent lender information;

receive the table from the at least one potential bandwidth lender with the pertinent lender information;

upon receiving the table, select one or more bandwidth lenders of the at least one potential bandwidth lender based on the pertinent lender information in the table meeting preset criteria;

establish a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network with the one or more bandwidth lenders based on the selecting; and

waiting a predetermined amount of time (grace period) for quality of service (QoS) update information from the at least one bandwidth lender,

wherein the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network is a communication network amongst a mobile computing device of the one or more bandwidth lenders and a mobile computing device of a bandwidth borrower, in which the one or more bandwidth lenders selectively lends bandwidth to the bandwidth borrower for downloading data or uploading data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the table includes all of:

node name, node type, location, file requested for transfer, and price.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one bandwidth lender for the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network based on reliability.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one bandwidth lender for the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network based on speed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one bandwidth lender for the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network based on availability.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one bandwidth lender for the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network based on cost.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the at least one bandwidth lender to determine availability.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that at least one of the at least one bandwidth lender is unavailable.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing an unavailable bandwidth lender from the table and one of:

requesting additional transfer of data from existing bandwidth lenders and performing a broadcast to identify new bandwidth lenders to add to the table.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the at least one bandwidth lender is not meeting QoS objectives.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising ceasing using the determined at least one bandwidth lender that is not meeting QoS objectives.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising renegotiating compensation given to the determined at least one bandwidth lender that is not meeting QoS objectives.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth borrower performs the broadcasting the table, the receiving the table, the selecting the at least one bandwidth lender, and the establishing the ad hoc network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the ad hoc network comprises forming the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network between mobile computing devices of the bandwidth borrower and the at least one bandwidth lender in a peer to peer environment.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network is configured such that a borrower computer device communicates with a lender computer device via local wireless communication protocol, and the lender computer device communicates with a remote location on behalf of the borrower computer device to create a virtual fat pipe for the borrower computer device for transmission of data over a network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a multiplexer performs the broadcasting the table, the receiving the table, the selecting the at least one bandwidth lender, and the establishing the ad hoc network.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the table is displayed on the mobile computing device of the bandwidth borrower.

15. A method for forming and rearranging a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network for data transfer among mobile computing devices, comprising providing a computer infrastructure being operable to:

broadcast a table to at least one potential bandwidth lender requesting pertinent lender information;

receive the table from the at least one potential bandwidth lender with the pertinent lender information;

select one or more bandwidth lenders of the at least one potential bandwidth lender which meet preset criteria; and

establish a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network with the one or more bandwidth lenders based on the selecting,

wherein the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network is a communication network amongst a mobile computing device of the one or more bandwidth lenders and a mobile computing device of a bandwidth borrower, in which the one or more bandwidth lenders selectively lends bandwidth to the bandwidth borrower for downloading data or uploading data,

further comprising receiving a portion of a file identified in the table from the at least one bandwidth lender via the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network; and

waiting a predetermined amount of time (grace period) for quality of service (QoS) update information from the at least one bandwidth lender.