Abstract:
A method and apparatus for sharing bandwidth among a plurality of end users increases the bandwidth available to each user. A source signal originating from one user terminal is directed through a master bandwidth sharing device that is connected to a local telecommunications line. The master bandwidth sharing device wirelessly communicates with slave bandwidth sharing devices, each having a connection to a local telecommunications line, and aggregates the available bandwidth of the multiple telecommunications lines. Frequent and regular arbitration of the bandwidth sharing process evaluates the continued availability of slave telecommunications lines and either reconfigures the bandwidth sharing depending on bandwidth availability or terminates the wireless connection upon receipt of a release signal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. The Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to the field of bandwidth aggregation and sharing over telecommunications lines and more particularly to bandwidth aggregation and sharing of “last mile” telecommunications lines among end-users on the Internet.  
           [0003]    2. The Relevant Art  
           [0004]    As Internet usage increases, achieving and maintaining high bandwidth has become an increasingly high priority. Broadband (high bandwidth) Internet connections, are available to some users, but those users tend to pay a high cost for that access.  
           [0005]    Many major telecommunications providers have spent enormous amounts of money within recent years to lay millions of miles of fiber optic cable throughout the United States and the world. While such telecommunications cables are capable of providing great amounts of bandwidth to the network, much of the capacity is unused, because the opportunity for most users to obtain direct, broadband connection to this fiber backbone is constrained by physical, geographical, and financial limitations.  
           [0006]    End user subscribers are commonly connected to this broadband fiber backbone through a network of low bandwidth copper transmission lines. These low bandwidth copper lines, frequently referred to as the “last mile,” do not provide adequate bandwidth to allow for broadband telecommunication over the Internet, despite the availability of high bandwidth on the fiber backbone. Without a solution to this “last mile” bottleneck, much of the broadband fiber backbone may remain unused indefinitely.  
           [0007]    One manner in which the prior art has attempted to deal with this problem involves a device that is located on a user&#39;s premises and that is physically connected to multiple end user terminals through a local area network (LAN). The device receives signals from each of the end user terminals and, in effect, multiplexes the sent information such that multiple users may use a single telecommunications line for interface with the Internet.  
           [0008]    This solution is obviously limited to the capacity of the telecommunications line between the device and the Internet. If this line happens to be susceptible to low bandwidth restrictions, then so too are each of the end user terminals subjected to low bandwidth constraints, regardless of the availability of any high bandwidth lines to which they might be ultimately connected back to the network.  
           [0009]    This solution also has the major disadvantage of requiring physical connections between each of the end users and the prior art device. This limitation may require modification to the network of each subscriber, as well as a physical connection between distinct subscribers hoping to aggregate the available bandwidth of one entity with that of another entity. Such a connection presents a multitude of security issues between the distinct networks that have been physically combined. It also presents a management issue among all participating parties regarding at least the cost, locality, and servicing of the device.  
           [0010]    A second prior art solution proposes a bypass of the low bandwidth “last mile” through the installation of a combination of wireless devices located at the premises of: 1) the end user, and 2) the high bandwidth backbone provider. Such a combination is proposed to offer high bandwidth connection between the end user subscriber and the high bandwidth provided via wireless communications within a prescribed subscriber area.  
           [0011]    This second solution poses a great difficulty in that it requires modification of the existing backbone structure with a generally large financial outlay. Additionally, the high bandwidth service is available only within a relatively close distance to high bandwidth backbone structures. Subscribers who desire high bandwidth telecommunications access outside of the prescribed distance are unable to avail themselves of this system.  
           [0012]    Therefore, what is needed is a method and system that allows for high bandwidth connection between an end user subscriber and a high bandwidth service provider, and which makes use of existing service provider topologies and network structures. Such a method and system should provide a wireless and automatic aggregation process among separate sharing entities, precluding the necessity for either direct physical connection between distinct entity networks or combined management of a single, shared device or group of devices. Such a method and system also should allow for aggregation of bandwidth without specific access to hardware or software not directly related to the bandwidth sharing process.  
         OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available bandwidth sharing devices and processes. Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for peer-to-peer bandwidth sharing that overcome many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art.  
           [0014]    To achieve the foregoing object, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein in the preferred embodiments, an improved bandwidth sharing device is provided and is configured to automatically and wirelessly aggregate and arbitrate available bandwidth with a second bandwidth sharing device. The bandwidth sharing devices are preferably connected to phone lines of a plurality of Internet users to share bandwidth between the users.  
           [0015]    The operation of the bandwidth sharing device is controlled by a logic unit within the device. The logic unit instructions allow for a variety of circumstances, including the dynamic arbitration of multiple shared transmission lines. Additionally, the logic unit is preferably configured to allow for packet transmission among multiple bandwidth sharing devices using commonly employed protocol families, such as TCP/IP and ATM. Other transmission methods may be employed as might be appropriate.  
           [0016]    The preferred embodiment allows the bandwidth sharing device to be a stand-alone unit with standard data and voice interconnections with typical telephone, computer, and service provider equipment and connectors. The bandwidth sharing device described requires neither installation of additional, remote hardware nor changes to the topology or structure of an existing service provider network.  
           [0017]    The bandwidth sharing device is capable of operation in either a master or a slave mode to operate in conjunction with a plurality of bandwidth sharing devices and associated telecommunications connections. One of such bandwidth sharing devices operates in master mode while the remaining devices operate in slave mode. The operations of the slave devices are determined by the commands from the master device, which is connected to the end user terminal initiating the bandwidth sharing process.  
           [0018]    A bandwidth sharing system is also provided and includes multiple end user terminals individually connected to the Internet through a combination of low bandwidth last mile transmission lines and broadband, or high bandwidth, transmission lines. At each interface between an end user terminal and a last mile transmission line, a bandwidth sharing device is installed and is configured to aggregate the available bandwidth of a plurality of last mile transmission lines for use by a single end user subscriber.  
           [0019]    A method of the present invention is also described for sharing bandwidth among a plurality of bandwidth sharing devices. The process begins with the determination of the mode of operation of a master bandwidth sharing device. The master device then procures connection to a local available last mile telecommunications line.  
           [0020]    Through wireless communications, the master device detects other bandwidth sharing devices connected to last mile telecommunications lines that are not currently in use. These other devices are then configured to operate in slave mode, controlled by instructions from the master device. The master device instructs the slave devices to determine the amount of bandwidth on the line that is available for use by communications with the master device.  
           [0021]    Upon designation of available last mile telecommunications lines and associated bandwidth, the method continues with bandwidth sharing arbitration and bandwidth sharing between bandwidth sharing devices. The bandwidth sharing arbitration allows for continual evaluation of line and bandwidth availability. The bandwidth sharing performs all functions necessary to format, transmit, receive, and reconstruct packets and messages using wireless transmission techniques known in the art.  
           [0022]    A bandwidth sharing session between two bandwidth sharing devices is terminated when the master device receives a proper release signal, performs any necessary communication closeout arbitration, and releases the wireless connection between the master and slave devices.  
           [0023]    A proper release signal is sent to or initiated by the master bandwidth sharing device when either the end user subscriber terminates the Internet session or the slave bandwidth sharing device becomes unavailable and communicates its unavailability to the master bandwidth sharing device. A slave device would become unavailable upon processing a recognized priority operation or signal. For example, receipt of an incoming telephone call or commencement of an Internet session by a subscriber directly connected to the slave device (in which case the bandwidth sharing device would terminate operation as a slave device and begin operation in master mode) would be recognized as a priority activity.  
           [0024]    A system and method as described above allows for increased bandwidth transmissions and greater end user transmission capabilities. The system requires minimal changes, if any, to the current structure of telecommunications service providers and the Internet. The method is dynamic and allows for multiple end user subscribers to take advantage of broadband communications on the Internet, without sacrificing any of the bandwidth currently available to any single subscriber—an end user subscriber always has priority over the telecommunications line to which the subscriber is connected. The advantage lies in the capability to aggregate available bandwidth of the subscriber and that of other subscribers for greater communications capacity and speed.  
           [0025]    These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]    In order that the manner in which the advantages and objects of the invention are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a representative Internet system in accordance with the prior art;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a representative Internet system incorporating bandwidth sharing devices in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a representative bandwidth sharing system in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a bandwidth sharing device logic unit in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method of bandwidth sharing in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating specific sub-steps of the bandwidth sharing step of the method of FIG. 5; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating specific sub-steps of the bandwidth sharing step of the method of FIG. 5.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    [0034]FIG. 1 shows an Internet system  100  according to the prior art. The Internet system  100  as depicted includes a plurality of telecommunications providers  102  connected to the Internet  104  via broadband telecommunications lines  106 . These broadband telecommunications lines  106  may be fiber optic, coaxial, or other cables capable of high bandwidth transmission rates. Such broadband telecommunications lines  106  may be new or existing and in current use.  
         [0035]    The telecommunications providers  102  are also connected to end user terminals  108 A,  108 B,  108 C, and  108 D. This connection between the telecommunications providers  102  and the end user terminals  108  typically consists of low bandwidth copper lines, commonly referred to as last mile telecommunications lines  110 .  
         [0036]    Due to low bandwidth capability, the last mile telecommunications lines  110  prove to be a significant bottleneck precluding broadband connectivity between the Internet  104  and the end user terminals  108 , even though abundant transmission capacity is available on the broadband telecommunications lines  106 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2 illustrates an Internet system  200  in which end users employ bandwidth sharing devices  202  capable of aggregating the available bandwidth of the last mile transmission lines  110 . Through this bandwidth sharing, end users are able to avoid the common bottleneck problems presented at the last mile transmission lines  110 .  
         [0038]    In the representation presented, communications signals originating from end user terminal  108 B are sent to a local bandwidth sharing device  202 B. The bandwidth sharing device  202 B then communicates with other nearby bandwidth sharing devices  202 A and  202 C using wireless communications  204  to increase the bandwidth available at end user terminal  108 B.  
         [0039]    In the preferred embodiment, the communications between the end user terminals  108  and the bandwidth sharing devices  202  can occur over land lines, as in the case of a hardwired local area network, as well as through wireless communications over wireless networks as commonly known in the prior art. One such network, for instance, employs the IEEE 802.11 standard.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 3 shows an individual bandwidth sharing system  300  that includes a bandwidth sharing device  202 . The bandwidth sharing device  202  includes a telecommunications line connection terminal  302  that allows for physical connection to a telecommunications provider  102  over a last mile telecommunications line  110 . An existing telephone line into a house or office is representative of the type of last mile telecommunications line  110  that would be connected to the telecommunications line connection terminal  302 .  
         [0041]    The bandwidth sharing device  202  also includes a voice connection terminal, to which a telephone  306  might be connected, and a data connection terminal  308 , to which the end user terminal  108  is connected. Once again, the preferred embodiment allows the use of hardwired and/or wireless connections between the data connection terminal  308  and the end user terminal  108 .  
         [0042]    The bandwidth sharing device  202  is controlled by a logic unit  310 . The wireless communications  204  are transmitted and received by a wireless transceiver  312 . The wireless transceiver  312  is capable of transmitting and receiving communications to and from a plurality of bandwidth sharing devices  202  in order to share bandwidth made available from a plurality of last mile telecommunications lines  110 .  
         [0043]    The logic unit  310  is programmed, hardwired, or otherwise provided within a plurality of modules, shown in FIG. 4. The depicted modules include a master module  402 , a slave module  404 , a detection module  406 , a bandwidth definition module  408 , an arbitration module, a sharing module  410 , a pro rata sharing module  412 , and a release module  514 .  
         [0044]    The master module  402  is configured to operate with a first bandwidth sharing device  202  in a master mode and to allow the first bandwidth sharing device  202  to control a second bandwidth sharing device  202  that is operating in slave mode. The first bandwidth sharing device  202  to initiate wireless communications  204  generally employs the master module  402 , while bandwidth sharing devices  202  that are providing bandwidth to the first bandwidth sharing device  202  operate, at least temporarily, in slave mode.  
         [0045]    The slave module  404  is configured to operate with a second bandwidth sharing device  202  in a slave mode that allows the second bandwidth sharing device  202  to be controlled by a first bandwidth sharing device  202  that is operating in master mode.  
         [0046]    Referring back to FIG. 2, bandwidth sharing device  202 B, might be operating in master mode while the bandwidth sharing devices  202 A and  202 C are operating in slave mode. Under this scenario, the Internet  104  communications originating from the end user terminal  108 B benefits from increased bandwidth available through the aggregation of last mile telecommunications lines  110  connected to the bandwidth sharing devices  202 A and  202 C, in addition to the bandwidth available from the last mile telecommunications line  110  connected to the bandwidth sharing device  202 B.  
         [0047]    The detection module  406  is configured to detect the availability of any and all other last mile telecommunications lines  110  that are connected to operational bandwidth sharing devices  202 . A bandwidth sharing device  202  connected to a last mile telecommunications line  110  with full or partial bandwidth available employs the slave module  404  and affirmatively makes known the availability of bandwidth to the requesting bandwidth sharing device  202 . The detection module is initiated by a bandwidth sharing device  202  that is operating in master mode.  
         [0048]    Following detection of an available last mile telecommunications line  110 , the bandwidth definition module  508  is configured to allow a slave bandwidth sharing device  202  to communicate the amount of bandwidth that will be made available to the master bandwidth sharing device  202 .  
         [0049]    Referring back to FIG. 2, when the bandwidth sharing device  202 B operates in slave mode while each of the bandwidth sharing devices  202 A and  202 C operate in master mode, an appropriate response by bandwidth sharing device  202 B to an updated request by bandwidth sharing device  202 A might be that half of the maximum bandwidth is available for use by the bandwidth sharing device  202 A. The other half of the maximum bandwidth is in this example already in use by the bandwidth sharing device  202 C.  
         [0050]    Based on the response of a slave bandwidth sharing device  202 , a master bandwidth sharing device  202  may be allowed to use the entire amount of bandwidth available on a last mile telecommunications line  110 . In this situation, the sharing module  410  is employed.  
         [0051]    The pro rata sharing module  412 , on the other hand, is configured to allow sharing of a portion only of the available last mile telecommunications line  110 . The pro rata sharing module  412  is employed in the circumstance in which two or more master bandwidth sharing devices  202  are communicating with a single slave bandwidth sharing device  202 .  
         [0052]    In implementation of either the sharing module  410  or the pro rata sharing module  412 , the wireless communication  204  preferably uses transfer protocols such as TCP/IP and ATM that are commonly known in the present art. Further information regarding bandwidth sharing will be presented in the discussion of FIGS. 5, 6, and  7 .  
         [0053]    The logic unit  310  also includes a release module  414  that is configured to terminate wireless communications  204  over a connection to a last mile telecommunications line  110  that has become unavailable. The release module  414  is also configured to terminate wireless communications with a bandwidth sharing device  202  that has become unavailable.  
         [0054]    An example of an operation that triggers the release module  414  is the receipt of a telephone call on a slave bandwidth sharing device  202 . In such a situation, the incoming telephone call takes priority over the bandwidth sharing devices  202 , and the last mile telecommunications line  110  is released and allowed to be dedicated to the signals associated with the telephone call.  
         [0055]    Another operation that may warrant initiation of the release module  414  is termination of the entire connection to the Internet  104  by the user at the master bandwidth sharing device  202 . Obviously, no further bandwidth sharing would be necessary when the user initiating the bandwidth sharing process terminates his or her Internet  104  session.  
         [0056]    Finally, the logic unit  310  includes an arbitration module  416  configured to arbitrate the wireless communications  204  between the first and second bandwidth sharing devices  202 . Such arbitration involves frequent and regular verification of the continued availability of last mile telecommunications lines  110  and re-evaluation of the amount of available bandwidth to the master bandwidth sharing device  202 . The arbitration module  416  implements necessary changes, i.e., adding or removing bandwidth sharing devices to and from the current sharing method and structure in order to accommodate dynamic availability and releasing operations.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 5 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a bandwidth sharing method  500  in accordance with the present invention. The method  500  is preferably used in conjunction with the system of FIGS.  2 - 4 , but may also be conducted independent thereof. The method  500  begins  502  and determines  504  the operation mode of the bandwidth sharing device  202 . If the bandwidth sharing device  202  in question initiates the bandwidth sharing, then it employs  504  the master module  402  and operates in master mode. Otherwise, it employs  504  the slave module  404  and operates in slave mode.  
         [0058]    The bandwidth sharing method  500  continues by connecting  506  the master bandwidth sharing device  202  to an available last mile telecommunications line  110 . Upon successful connection  506 , the master bandwidth sharing device  202  proceeds to detect  508  other available last mile telecommunications lines  110  through the bandwidth sharing devices  202  to which they may be connected.  
         [0059]    If an available last mile telecommunications line  110  is detected  508 , then the master bandwidth sharing device  202  employs  504  the slave module  404  of the second bandwidth sharing device  202  and connects  510  the slave bandwidth sharing device  202  to the corresponding available last mile telecommunications line  110 .  
         [0060]    Upon connection  510 , the slave bandwidth sharing device  202  defines  512  the amount of available bandwidth on the last mile telecommunications line  110  to which it is connected  510  and transmits any necessary information to the master bandwidth sharing device  202  for arbitration  514  purposes. This is conducted for each available bandwidth sharing device.  
         [0061]    Bandwidth sharing arbitration  514  is conducted for the connected bandwidth sharing devices and includes initial configuration of the bandwidth sharing system, which is characterized by the number of active bandwidth sharing devices  202  and the corresponding amount of available bandwidth for each device. The arbitration  514  of the bandwidth sharing also necessitates frequent and regular re-evaluation of device and bandwidth availability status. Any changes to the availability of devices and/or bandwidth may require dynamic reconfiguration of the bandwidth sharing system. This is handled through bandwidth sharing arbitration  514 . Actual bandwidth sharing  516  involving transmission of wireless communications  204  between bandwidth sharing devices  202  is then conducted.  
         [0062]    As was mentioned previously, any last mile telecommunications line  110  that is needed for other purposes of higher priority, as determined by the system, is released  518  and bandwidth sharing with that entity is terminated  520 . Released devices may be reconnected under an embodiment of the present invention upon detection that the device is once again available.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a method of sending communications to a remote site on the Internet during the bandwidth sharing step  516  of FIG. 5. The sending method  600  includes the steps of a master bandwidth sharing device  202  generating  602  packets for transmission from the master to one or more slaves, the master bandwidth sharing device  202  sending  604  some of the packets directly to an intended recipient at a remote site on the Internet and sending  604  an allocated portion of the packets to the slave bandwidth sharing device, preferably with wireless communication  204 .  
         [0064]    The slave bandwidth sharing device  202  receives  606  the packets, and sends  608  the packets to the intended recipient at the remote site on the Internet. The remote site then receives  610  and assembles the packets, some of which are preferably received from the master bandwidth sharing device  202  and some of which are preferably received from one or more of the slave bandwidth sharing devices.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 7 illustrates one example of a method of receiving communications from a remote site on the Internet during the bandwidth sharing step  516  of FIG. 5. The receiving method  700  includes the step of the remote site generating  702  packets for transmission to the master bandwidth sharing device  202 . The remote site then sends  704  some of the packets directly to the master bandwidth device  202  and sends  704  some of the packets to one or more slave bandwidth sharing devices  202 .  
         [0066]    Thus, some of the packets are received  706  by the Master bandwidth sharing devices  202  and some are received  708  by the one or more slave bandwidth sharing devices  202 . The packets received by the slave bandwidth sharing devices  202  are then transmitted  710 , preferably wirelessly, to the master bandwidth sharing device  202 . The master bandwidth sharing device  202  then receives  712  and assembles  714  the packets.  
         [0067]    Many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.  
         [0068]    Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.  
         [0069]    Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.