Patent ID: 7830890

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to receive a request for transmitting digital information, the request comprising an identification of a user and transmission constraints including a start time after which transmission may begin and an end time by which transmission is to be completed, wherein the digital information comprises a number of packets; and a processing unit, where the processing unit is configured: to determine an estimated time required to transmit the digital information based at least on the number of packets and a network speed; to schedule a transmit time by a local server for the transmission of the digital information based upon at least the start time, the end time, and the estimated time required to transmit; to determine a cost for transmitting the digital information based at least on the transmission constraints, the estimated time required to transmit, and the scheduled transmit time; to accept the digital information for transmission only if the estimated time required to transmit is less than or equal to a difference between the transmit time and the end time and if the determined cost is less than or equal to a maximum cost associated with the user; and in response to the digital information being accepted for transmission, to transmit the digital information using a network after the start time and prior to the end time, and to bill the determined cost to an account associated with the user.