Communications Hub

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016373372-A1
Application number	US-201615251977-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	May 8, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for bandwidth sharing is provided. The method may include getting a list of neighboring communications hubs, the neighboring communications hubs being disposed in respective neighboring residences. The neighboring communications hubs may be communicatively coupled to the first communications hub using a first broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and the neighboring residences may be within a same predetermined geographic region as the first residence or within a predetermined temporal distance on a data network from the first residence. The method determines if a data requirement exceeds bandwidth available to the first communications hub and provides a request for data to a neighboring communications hub. The request corresponds to the data requirement. The method then receives data responsive to the request from the neighboring communications hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for bandwidth sharing by a first communications hub disposed in a first residence comprising:
getting a list of neighboring communications hubs, the neighboring communications hubs being disposed in respective neighboring residences, the neighboring communications hubs being communicatively coupled to the first communications hub using a first broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the neighboring residences being at least one of within a same predetermined geographic region as the first residence and within a predetermined temporal distance on a data network from the first residence; determining a data requirement exceeds bandwidth available to the first communications hub; providing a request for data to a neighboring communications hub of the neighboring communications hubs, the request corresponding to the data requirement; and receiving data responsive to the request from the neighboring communications hub.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communications hub is communicatively coupled to at least one computing device, the computing device being disposed in the first residence.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communications device receives the list from a communications service provider, the Internet being disposed between the first communications device and the communications service provider.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the communications service provider produces the list using a measured round-trip time for messages sent between the first communications hub and the neighboring communications hubs.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is: at least one of cable Internet access, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and satellite Internet access.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first communications hub and neighboring communications hubs have a respective second broadband data network.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second broadband data network is at least one of cable Internet access, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and satellite Internet access.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second broadband data network is at least one of mobile broadband and a wireless local area network (LAN).

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second broadband data network of the first communications hub is different from the second broadband data network of the neighboring communications hub.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communications hub and the neighboring communications hub are provisioned by a communications service provider.

11 . A first communications hub for bandwidth sharing comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least on processor to perform a method comprising:
getting a list of neighboring communications hubs, the neighboring communications hubs being disposed in respective neighboring residences, the neighboring communications hubs being communicatively coupled to the first communications hub using a first broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the neighboring residences being at least one of within a same predetermined geographic region as the first residence and within a predetermined temporal distance on a data network from the first residence;
determining a data requirement exceeds bandwidth available to the first communications hub;
providing a request for data to a neighboring communications hub of the neighboring communications hubs, the request corresponding to the data requirement; and
receiving data responsive to the request from the neighboring communications hub.

12 . The first communications hub of claim 11 , wherein the first communications hub is communicatively coupled to at least one computing device, the computing device being disposed in the first residence.

13 . The first communications hub of claim 11 , wherein the first communications device receives the list from a communications service provider, the Internet being disposed between the first communications device and the communications service provider.

14 . The first communications hub of claim 13 , wherein the communications service provider produces the list using a measured round-trip time for messages sent between the first communications hub and the neighboring communications hubs.

15 . The first communications hub of claim 11 , wherein the at least one broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is: at least one of cable Internet access, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and satellite Internet access.

16 . The first communications hub of claim 11 , wherein each of the first communications hub and neighboring communications hubs have a respective second broadband data network.

17 . The first communications hub of claim 16 , wherein the second broadband data network is at least one of cable Internet access, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and satellite Internet access.

18 . The first communications hub of claim 16 , wherein the second broadband data network is at least one of mobile broadband and a wireless local area network (LAN).

19 . The first communications hub of claim 16 , wherein the second broadband data network of the first communications hub is different from the second broadband data network of the neighboring communications hub.

20 . The first communications hub of claim 11 , wherein the first communications hub and the neighboring communications hub are provisioned by a communications service provider.

Assignees

• Ooma Inc

Inventors

• Gillon William M
• Lei Hai
• Farrand Tobin E
• Bryan David A

Classifications

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L47/74 Primary

  measures in reaction to resource unavailability · CPC title

• H04L47/283

  in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT] · CPC title

• H04L12/2801

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title