Patent ID: 7113990
Filing Date: 2006-09-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for allocating bandwidth to a set of users accessing a computer network through a portal, comprising the steps of: (a) defining a set of bandwidth rules for a set of restriction agents, said defined set of bandwidth rules including a plurality of rate-limit rules, wherein said rate-limit rules include a range of bandwidth limits less than a maximum allowable bandwidth; (b) defining a single data volume limit for a time period; (c) registering a set of communication devices with the set of users via a registration server, wherein each of said communication devices has a unique identity and each one of the users individually registers at least one communication device; (d) associating the set of users with said set of communication devices accessing the portal, wherein the portal comprises at least one restriction agent in said set of restriction agents; (e) communicating a set of data flows through said set of restriction agents between the set of users and the computer network, wherein said communicating step further comprises the steps of: (f) monitoring said communicated set of data flows, wherein said monitoring step further comprises the steps of: (g) selecting a set of bandwidth rules from said defined set of bandwidth rules, said selected set of bandwidth rules being determined by said processing agent, and wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of (h) allocating bandwidth to said data flows according to said selected set of bandwidth rules transmitted from said processing agent to said restriction agents, wherein said data flows for said identified set of users are respectively within said plurality of rate-limit rules.