Bandwidth sharing method

An article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for bandwidth sharing, for use on respective interstitial connections between on one side a plurality of users and on the other side a common data-link having a shared packet switching device, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture including:

• One) first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to monitor data-link directed bandwidth from each user;
• Two) tied to the first computer readable program code means, second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to maintain a current sum of the monitored bandwidth;
• and
• Three) tied to the second computer readable program code means, third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to, whenever the current sum exceeds a predetermined overall data-link bandwidth threshold, reduce current collective data-link directed bandwidth by
• a) for substantially each user, comparing the respective user's data-link directed bandwidth with a predetermined user data-link bandwidth threshold for the respective user;
• b) using an allocation function, selecting at least one user who is exceeding his predetermined user data-link bandwidth threshold, and
• c) for a predetermined time interval, cutting the connection between each selected at least one user and the shared switching device, so as to restore a current sum of the monitored bandwidth to be not greater than the predetermined overall data-link bandwidth thresholds,
• wherein at least one of the computer readable code means performs its function above a predetermined frequency.

A computer apparatus for facilitating bandwidth sharing, for use on respective interstitial connections between on one side a plurality of users and on the other side a common data-link having a shared packet switching device, the apparatus including:

• One) a first circuit means for monitoring data-link directed bandwidth from each user;
• Two) tied to the first circuit means, a second circuit means for maintaining a current sum of the monitored bandwidth;
• and
• Three) tied to the second circuit means, a third circuit means for reducing current collective data-link directed bandwidth, whenever the current sum exceeds a predetermined overall data-link bandwidth threshold, by
• a) for substantially each user, comparing the respective user's data-link directed bandwidth with a predetermined user data-link bandwidth threshold for the respective user;
• b) using an allocation function, selecting at least one user who is exceeding his predetermined user data-link bandwidth threshold, and
• c) for a predetermined time interval, cutting the connection between each selected at least one user and the shared switching device, so as to restore a current sum of the monitored bandwidth to be not greater than the predetermined overall data-link bandwidth threshold,
• wherein at least one of the circuit means performs its function above a predetermined frequency.