Patent ID: 8254393

Claim:
A system that optimizes usage of resources in a communication network comprising: a bandwidth sensing component that: learns from monitoring communication channels over time and identifies one or more communication channels of unidentified availability to use in an opportunistic manner based at least upon a prediction of duration of availability of the bandwidth; and infers future availability of the one or more identified channels of unidentified availability, a duration of future availability of the one or more identified channels of unidentified availability, or both, by utilizing statistical machine learning and a set of stored event data comprising mean inter-availability intervals or bursts of usage from the monitoring of the communication channels over time; and a bandwidth allocation component that adaptively determines time allocations and price predictions for the one or more identified communication channels of unidentified availability, and allocates the one or more identified channels of unidentified availability based on frequency demands, the bandwidth allocation component comprising: a preference model that: guides decisions regarding proactive switching of channels versus an imposed reactive switch; maximizes duration of usage of a first channel by monitoring time of first channel usage and switching to a second channel pre-selected from the one or more communication channels of unidentified availability based on a decision-theoretic employing probability distribution based on likelihoods, costs, and benefits of different switching times; and proactively switches channels prior to an imposed reactive switch upon rising probability of being forced into the reactive switch.