Patent ID: 9572195
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: H04W

Claim:
1. A method, at a logic circuitry of a first node that wishes to form a local-area network, for link sharing within a communication system, the method comprising a processor performing the steps of: determining a plurality of other nodes that wish to form the local-area network; sending first host metric information for the first node to each of the plurality of other nodes, wherein the first host metric information for the first node includes, at least in part, a measure of cost associated with data transfer with a wide-area network based, at least in part, on a data plan of the respective node; receiving other host metric information from each respective node of the plurality of other nodes, wherein the other host metric information includes, at least in part, a measure of cost associated with data transfer with a wide-area network based, at least in part, on a data plan of the respective node; determining a user data cost score for each of the plurality of other nodes and the first node, wherein the user data cost score is based on the other host metric information and the first host metric information; ranking the user data cost scores of each of the plurality of nodes and the first node; and determining a network coordinator from the plurality of other nodes and the first node to use as a communication link with the wide-area network by receiving a potential host message from at least one of the plurality of other nodes, wherein the potential host message is based, at least in part, on a high ranking of the user data cost score for the respective at least one of the plurality of other nodes, wherein the network coordinator acts as a data relay access point through which the plurality of other nodes and the first node route data between the local-area network and the wide-area network.