Patent ID: 8194700

Claim:
A method of resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks each having a nominal resource allocation of a shared air interface resource and a resource exchange allowance, the method comprising: initiating, by a sharing instigation processor, a temporary resource allocation of a first air interface resource from a nominal resource allocation of a first network; executing a plurality of offer rounds including offer requests to a first plurality of networks, each offer round comprising determining offer values for the first air interface resource; selecting, by a selection processor, a second network from the first plurality of networks in response to the determined offer values; sending, by a transceiver, 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 reducing, by a resource exchange allowance processor, the resource exchange allowance of the second network by a value determined in response to a resource exchange offer value from the second network; and wherein each offer round comprises: the first network transmitting the offer request to the first plurality of networks; the first plurality of networks transmitting offer messages to the first network in response to the offer request, each offer message comprising the resource exchange offer value a particular network from the first plurality of networks is willing to offer in return for the temporary allocation of the at least part of the first air interface resource from the nominal resource allocation of the first network; and determining the offer values for the first air interface resource in response to the resource exchange offer values.