Global data service device connection manager

• US 9,667,809 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lpez Quirarte, Juan Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US14/989,291
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A global data service connection manager determines a shared data account balance for data available to a user as a function of data amounts previously made available to a shared data system by the first user for the use of other registered users. In response to a request by the first user to execute a data transaction by using data from the shared system, the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price are automatically arbitrated to acquire at least one of data from a wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system in an amount that does not exceed the first user'"'"'s shared data account balance, and data purchased from a wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system in a purchased amount that does not exceed data available at a brokered purchase price.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a global data service connection manager, the method comprising executing on a computer processor the steps of:

determining a shared data account balance for data available to a first user as a function of data amounts previously made available to a shared data system by the first user for the use of another registered user of the shared data system;

determining a current market purchase price for data available now and brokered by the system to the first user from offers available from at least one other registered user of the shared data system; and

in response to a first request by the first user to execute a data transaction for a registered connection by using data from the shared system, automatically arbitrating between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire at least one of;

an amount of shared data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a shared amount that does not exceed the shared data account balance of the first user; and

an amount of purchased data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a purchased amount that does not exceed an amount of the data available at a brokered purchase price.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising a processor, a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processor, and a computer readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processor; and

wherein the processor executes program code instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby performs the steps of determining the shared data account balance for data available to the first user as the function of data amounts previously made available to the shared data system by the first user for the use of another registered user of the shared data system, determining the current market purchase price for data available now and brokered by the system to the first user from offers available from at least one other registered user of the shared data system, and automatically arbitrating between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire the at least one of the amount of shared data from the at least one wireless service account of the another registered user of the shared system via the at least one network connection registered on the shared system in the shared amount that does not exceed the shared data account balance of the first user, and the amount of purchased data from the at least one wireless service account of the another registered user of the shared system via the least one network connection registered on the shared system in the purchased amount that does not exceed the amount of the data available at the brokered purchase price.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable program code is provided as a service in a cloud environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the shared data account balance for data available to the first user is a function of data amounts previously made available to the shared data system by the first user for the use of the second user over a certain time period, such as during a current or last billing period of a cellular data service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically increasing the shared balance of the first user as a function of amounts of data acquired by another user of the shared service system from a registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically reducing the shared data account balance for data available to the first user in an amount that corresponds to the amount of shared data acquired by the first user from the at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically arbitrating between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire the data in the respective amounts comprises:

acquiring the shared data from the at least one wireless service account of the another registered user of the shared system until the acquired amount of data equals the shared data account balance of the first user; and

acquiring the amount of purchased data in response to the acquired amount of the shared data equaling the shared data account balance of the first user; and

wherein a total of the shared amount and the purchased amount satisfies a data requirement of the first request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of acquiring the purchased amount of data comprises:

acquiring a first portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a lowest priced offer of the first portion amount of a plurality of brokered offers from other registered users of the shared system; and

acquiring a remainder portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a next lowest priced offer of the remainder portion amount of the plurality of brokered offers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a brokered sales price for consideration to the first user for sale of amounts of data service of a registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user to the system for sharing with the other registered users; and

compensating the first user for a monetary value, determined as a function of the brokered sales price, for an amount of data acquired by another user of the shared service system from the registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

increasing at least one of the brokered sales price and the brokered purchase price in response to replacing a first registered connection with a second, higher-data rate registered connection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first requested data transaction comprises at least one of an access via a web browser to the internet to stream video or audio data, or to upload video or image or other data to a cloud storage address.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processor; and

a computer readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processor;

wherein the processor executes program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby;

determines a shared data account balance for data available to a first user as a function of data amounts previously made available to a shared data system by the first user for the use of another registered user of the shared data system;

determines a current market purchase price for data available now and brokered by the system to the first user from offers available from at least one other registered user of the shared data system; and

in response to a first request by the first user to execute a data transaction for a registered connection by using data from the shared system, automatically arbitrates between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire at least one of;

an amount of shared data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a shared amount that does not exceed the shared data account balance of the first user; and

an amount of purchased data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a purchased amount that does not exceed an amount of the data available at a brokered purchase price.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further automatically arbitrates between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire the data in the respective amounts by:

acquiring the shared data from the at least one wireless service account of the another registered user of the shared system until the acquired amount of data equals the shared data account balance of the first user; and

acquiring the amount of purchased data in response to the acquired amount of the shared data equaling the shared data account balance of the first user; and

wherein a total of the shared amount and the purchased amount satisfies a data requirement of the first request.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further acquires the purchased amount of data by:

acquiring a first portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a lowest priced offer of the first portion amount of a plurality of brokered offers from other registered users of the shared system; and

acquiring a remainder portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a next lowest priced offer of the remainder portion amount of the plurality of brokered offers.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further:

determines a brokered sales price for consideration to the first user for sale of amounts of data service of a registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user to the system for sharing with the other registered users; and

compensates the first user for a monetary value, determined as a function of the brokered sales price, for an amount of data acquired by another user of the shared service system from the registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further:

increases at least one of the brokered sales price and the brokered purchase price in response to replacing a first registered connection with a second, higher-data rate registered connection.

17. A computer program product for a global data service connection manager, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for execution by a processor that cause the processor to;

determine a shared data account balance for data available to a first user as a function of data amounts previously made available to a shared data system by the first user for the use of another registered user of the shared data system;

determine a current market purchase price for data available now and brokered by the system to the first user from offers available from at least one other registered user of the shared data system; and

in response to a first request by the first user to execute a data transaction for a registered connection by using data from the shared system, automatically arbitrate between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire at least one of;

an amount of shared data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a shared amount that does not exceed the shared data account balance of the first user; and

an amount of purchased data from at least one wireless service account of another registered user of the shared system via at least one network connection registered on the shared system, in a purchased amount that does not exceed an amount of the data available at a brokered purchase price.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code instructions for execution by the processor further cause the processor to automatically arbitrate between the shared data account balance and the data available at the brokered purchase price to acquire the data in the respective amounts by:

acquiring the shared data from the at least one wireless service account of the another registered user of the shared system until the acquired amount of data equals the shared data account balance of the first user; and

acquiring the amount of purchased data in response to the acquired amount of the shared data equaling the shared data account balance of the first user; and

wherein a total of the shared amount and the purchased amount satisfies a data requirement of the first request.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code instructions for execution by the processor further cause the processor to acquire the purchased amount of data by:

acquiring a first portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a lowest priced offer of the first portion amount of a plurality of brokered offers from other registered users of the shared system; and

acquiring a remainder portion amount of the purchased amount of data from a next lowest priced offer of the remainder portion amount of the plurality of brokered offers.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code instructions for execution by the processor further cause the processor to:

determine a brokered sales price for consideration to the first user for sale of amounts of data service of a registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user to the system for sharing with the other registered users; and

compensate the first user for a monetary value, determined as a function of the brokered sales price, for an amount of data acquired by another user of the shared service system from the registered cellular or other data service connection of the first user.