OPTIMIZATION PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR A HETEROGENEOUS AD HOC NETWORK

• US 20080298314A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S., DAWSON, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,520,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Method and system for optimizing selection of a network. The method includes identifying available lenders and existing networks within a vicinity of a borrower, selecting an optimization technique for completing a task of the borrower, calculating, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the borrower'"'"'s task according to the optimization technique, and selecting an optimum network option to complete the borrower'"'"'s task. The plurality of network options includes forming a heterogeneous network composed of both a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying available lenders and existing networks within a vicinity of a borrower;

selecting an optimization technique for completing a task of the borrower;

calculating, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the borrower'"'"'s task according to the optimization technique; and

selecting an optimum network option to complete the borrower'"'"'s task,

wherein the plurality of network options includes forming a heterogeneous network composed of both a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein optimization technique comprises at least one of fastest time for completion of task, least expensive completion of task, minimizing risk of drop-offs, and maximizing lender capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network options further includes joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the borrower'"'"'s task comprises one of an upload and a download of the at least one file.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising dividing the at least one file into parts and distributing the parts among the lenders of the selected optimum network option for the one of uploading or downloading.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reassembling the parts of the at least one file after the one of the upload and the download.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the borrower as a new borrower.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new borrower is not currently part of an existing network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, when the new borrower selects minimizing time as the optimization technique, the method further comprises selecting a number of the available lenders for the calculating, which comprises calculating an amount of time for each network option to complete the borrower'"'"'s task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network options further include joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network, and the calculated amount of time includes a wait time for the existing networks to complete existing tasks.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

comparing each of the calculated amounts of time; and

identifying the optimum network option for selection.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, for the heterogeneous network, the method further comprises:

ranking the number of available lenders according to their bandwidth;

assigning the lower bandwidth available lenders of the number of available lenders to a multiplexer; and

assigning the remaining available lenders of the number of available lenders to form a peer-to-peer network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, when the new borrower selects minimizing cost as the optimization technique, the method further comprises selecting a number of the available lenders for the calculating, which comprises calculating an amount of money for each network option to complete the borrower'"'"'s task.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network options further include joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network, and the method further comprises comparing each of the calculated amounts of cost and identifying the optimum network option for selection.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

one of forming and joining the selected optimum network option;

performing the borrower'"'"'s task; and

monitoring performance of the selected network option.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the monitoring of performance of the selected optimum network option comprises determining whether a diminution in performance related to the optimization technique has occurred in the borrower'"'"'s selection of the optimum network option.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the borrower predefines a percentage value related to an acceptable diminution in performance of the selected optimum network option from that expected when the optimum network option was selected.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, when the diminution in performance exceeds the predefined percentage value, the method further comprises:

determining how much of the task remains to be completed;

determining, for the plurality of network options, a value for completing the remaining task according to the optimization technique; and

selecting a new optimum network option to complete the remaining task.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the borrower as an existing borrower.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the existing borrower is currently part of an existing network.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

monitoring performance of the selected optimum network option.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the monitoring of performance of the selected optimum network option comprises determining whether a diminution in performance related to the optimization technique has occurred in the borrower'"'"'s selection of the optimum network option.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the borrower predefines a percentage value related to an acceptable diminution in performance of the selected optimum network option from that expected when the optimum network option was selected.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, when the diminution in performance exceeds the predefined percentage value, the method further comprises:

determining how much of the task remains to be completed;

determining, for the plurality of network options, a value for completing the remaining task according to the optimization technique; and

selecting a new optimum network option to complete the remaining task.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

one of forming and joining the selected new optimum network option; and

completing the remaining task.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a fee and/or subscription basis.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, deploys, maintains, supports an infrastructure for implementing the steps of claim 1.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed in a suitable architecture as part of an ad hoc mobile network.

29. A system for finding an optimum network for a requester of bandwidth, comprising:

a device to identify available bandwidth lenders and existing networks within a vicinity of the requester;

a selector unit to select an optimization technique for completing a task of the requester;

a calculator to calculate, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the requester'"'"'s task according to the optimization technique; and

a selection device to select the optimum network from the calculated values,

wherein the network options include a heterogeneous network composed of a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network.

30. The system in accordance with claim 29, wherein optimization technique comprises at least one of fastest time for completion of task, least expensive completion of task, minimizing risk of drop-offs, and maximizing lender capabilities.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of network options further includes joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network.

32. The system in accordance with claim 29, further comprising an identifying unit to determine whether the requester is currently in an existing network.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the requester'"'"'s task comprises one of an upload and a download of at least one file.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising an allocating device to divide the at least one file into parts and to distribute the parts among at least one of the lenders and the networks of the selected optimum network option for the one of uploading or downloading.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising a reassembling unit to reassemble the parts of the at least one file after the one of the upload and the download.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the values calculated by the calculator for the plurality of network options are compared to each other to identify the optimum network.

37. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a monitoring device to monitor performance of the selected optimum network.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the monitoring device includes a performance device to determine whether a diminution in performance related to the optimization technique has occurred in the requester'"'"'s selection of the optimum network.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the performance device includes a threshold composed of a predefined percentage value related to an acceptable diminution in performance of the selected optimum network from that expected when the optimum network was selected.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

a task manager to monitor how much of the task remains to be completed,

wherein, when the diminution in performance exceeds the threshold, the task manager determines how much of the task remains, the calculator determines, for the plurality of network options, values for completing the remaining task according to the optimization technique, and the selection device selects a new optimum network to complete the remaining task.

41. A system comprising:

a server having a database containing data associated with one or more instructions for implementing peer-to-peer, multiplexed, and heterogeneous ad-hoc networks; and

at least one of a hardware and software component for optimizing selection of, from a plurality of network options, an optimum network based upon an optimization technique selected by the borrower, wherein the plurality of network options includes a heterogeneous network composed of a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network, and wherein the optimum network is one of joined by the borrower or formed to include the borrower.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein optimization technique comprises at least one of fastest time for completion of task, least expensive completion of task, minimizing risk of drop-offs, and maximizing lender capabilities.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the plurality of network options further includes joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network.

44. A method for optimizing selection of a network in an ad hoc network architecture, comprising:

a computer infrastructure operable to;

select an optimization technique for completing a task;

calculate, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the task according to the optimization technique; and

select an optimum network to complete the task,

wherein the plurality of network options includes forming a heterogeneous network composed of both a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to:

monitor performance of a current network.

46. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium and including at least one component to:

identify available lenders and existing networks within a vicinity of a borrower;

select an optimization technique for completing a task of the borrower;

calculate, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the borrower'"'"'s task according to the optimization technique; and

select an optimum network option to complete the borrower'"'"'s task,

wherein the plurality of network options includes forming a heterogeneous network composed of both a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein optimization technique comprises at least one of fastest time for completion of task, least expensive completion of task, minimizing risk of drop-offs, and maximizing lender capabilities.

48. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the plurality of network options further includes joining an existing multiplexed network, joining an existing peer-to-peer network, forming a new multiplexed network, and forming a new peer-to-peer network.