Patent ID: 8306547

Claim:
An apparatus for resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks, the apparatus comprising: a network interface for interfacing with the plurality of communication networks, each of the plurality of communication networks having a nominal resource allocation of a shared air interface resource and a resource exchange value, wherein each of the plurality of communication networks are allocated nominal resources without consideration of how other networks are managing their nominal resource allocations; an initiating controller for initiating a temporary resource allocation of a first air interface resource from a nominal resource allocation of a first network of the plurality of communication networks; a receiver for receiving offer messages from at least one network of the plurality of communication networks; each offer message from each of the at least one network comprising a resource exchange offer value from its resource exchange allowance for at least part of the first air interface resource of the first network; a selection processor for selecting a second network in response to the received resource exchange offer values; a transmitter for sending a resource allocation message to the second network, the resource allocation message indicating a temporary allocation of at least part of the first air interface resource from the nominal resource allocation of the first network to the second network; and a processor for reducing the resource exchange allowance of the second network by a value determined in response to the resource exchange offer value from the second network; and the processor for increasing a resource exchange allowance of the first network by the value determined in response to the resource exchange offer value of the second network.