Collaborative downloading for multi-homed wireless devices
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsGanesh Ananthanarayanan, Venkata N. Padmanabhan, Chandramohan A. Thekkath, Lenin Ravindranath Sivalingam
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Abstract
A system is disclosed for collaborative downloading that uses both the WLAN and the WWAN in combination, in an attempt to bridge the range-speed dichotomy. Devices in close vicinity band together their WWAN links, with the high-speed WLAN serving as the glue, to boost the effective wide-area bandwidth available to the active nodes.
Claims20
A computer implemented method of collaborative downloading of content to an initiator using the WLAN and the WWAN in combination, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) offering an incentive to a collaborator to bid on the download of content using the collaborator's resources;
- (b) participating in the formation of a collaboration group including one or more collaborators having interest in bidding on the download of content using their resources;
- (c) receiving one or more bids from collaborators for the download of the content based at least in part on the incentive offered in said step (a);
- (d) forwarding to one or more collaborators of an acceptance of a bid;
- and
- (e) receiving a download of the content from one or more collaborators in the collaboration group.
In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of controlling a system for collaborative downloading of content to an initiator using the WLAN and the WWAN in combination, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) offering an incentive to a collaborator to bid on the download of content to be sent to the initiator;
- (b) receiving one or more bids from collaborators for the download of the content based at least in part on the incentive offered in said step (a);
- (c) notifying a collaborator that they have been accepted into a collaboration group including the initiator and one or more collaborators for the download of the content;
- and
- (d) receiving a download of the content from one or more collaborators in the collaboration group.
A computer implemented method of collaborative downloading of content to an initiator using the WLAN and the WWAN in combination, the method comprising one or more collaborators executing the steps of:
- (a) receiving an incentive offer to bid on the download of content to be sent to the initiator;
- (b) forwarding a bid to an initiator for the download of the content based at least in part on the incentive offer received in said step (a);
- (c) receiving an indication of whether the bid forwarded in said step (b) has been accepted;
- (d) participating in a collaboration group of the initiator and one or more collaborators for the download of the content based on the evaluation received in said step (c);
- and
- (e) forwarding the content to the initiator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.