Data bandwidth management method and apparatus

Abstract

A data bandwidth management method is provided. The data bandwidth management method is applied to a data bandwidth management device. The data bandwidth management method comprises the steps of: obtaining one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more shared devices; receiving a service request of a client device connected to the data bandwidth management device; and allocating data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device based on the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service request of the client device. The present application achieves the beneficial effects of more efficient and flexible allocation of the total bandwidth of the client device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to data bandwidth management technology, and more specifically, to a data bandwidth management technology in which a data bandwidth management device can allocate data bandwidth of a client device based on the data bandwidth sharing configuration of the client device. Background Technology

[0002] When a client device within the service range of Customer-Premises Equipment (CPE) accesses the Internet, its temporary data bandwidth requirements may exceed those of the CPE network and its own Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). However, another client device with its own SIM card may have unused bandwidth within the CPE's service range.

[0003] Therefore, how to efficiently allocate the total data bandwidth of CPE client devices is worth discussing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a data bandwidth management method and device to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] This invention provides a data bandwidth management method. The data bandwidth management method is applied to a data bandwidth management device. The method includes the steps of: obtaining one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices; receiving service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device; and allocating data bandwidth of the one or more sharing devices to the client devices based on the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service requests from the client devices.

[0006] This invention provides a data bandwidth management method. This data bandwidth management method is applied to a data bandwidth management device. The data bandwidth management method includes the following steps: obtaining one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices; receiving service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device; determining whether the data bandwidth of one or more sharing devices is congested; and, based on the determined data bandwidth congestion of the one or more sharing devices, inquiring whether nearby devices agree to share their data bandwidth.

[0007] This invention provides a data bandwidth management device. The data bandwidth management device includes a data bandwidth allocator. The data bandwidth allocator acquires one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more shared devices, receives service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device, and allocates data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client devices based on the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service requests from the client devices.

[0008] This invention provides a data bandwidth management method and device, which achieves the beneficial effect of more efficient and flexible allocation of the total bandwidth of client devices.

[0009] Other aspects and features of this application will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of specific embodiments of the data bandwidth management method and its device. Attached Figure Description

[0010] A more comprehensive understanding of this application can be obtained by referring to the accompanying drawings and reading the following detailed description and examples, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a data bandwidth management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a data bandwidth management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a data bandwidth management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figures 4A-4C This is another flowchart illustrating a data bandwidth management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following description represents the best-intentioned mode for carrying out the invention. This description is intended to illustrate the general principles of the invention and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of the invention is best determined by referring to the appended claims.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a data bandwidth management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the data bandwidth management device 100 may include a communication circuit 111, a processor 112, a memory device 113, and a data bandwidth management module 114. It is worth noting that, in order to illustrate the concept of the present invention, Figure 1 A simplified block diagram showing only the elements relevant to this invention is presented. However, the data bandwidth management device 100 should not be limited to... Figure 1 shown.

[0017] In embodiments of the present invention, the data bandwidth management device 100 can provide internet connectivity to client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device 100 via a wired or wireless network. The data bandwidth management device 100 can be a router or a customer-premises equipment (CPE), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0018] In embodiments of the present invention, the communication circuit 111 may include different network interfaces, such as wired network interfaces or wireless network interfaces. Wired network interfaces may include Ethernet interfaces, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Wireless network interfaces may include Wi-Fi interfaces or Bluetooth interfaces, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The data bandwidth management device 100 can be connected to the client device via the communication circuit 111. The data bandwidth management device 100 can provide the client device with the default data bandwidth from the default network (e.g., a wired wide area network (WAN) or cellular WAN) of the data bandwidth management device 100 via the communication circuit 111. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, the communication circuit 111 may also include multiple radio frequency (RF) modules. Each RF module may include multiple antennas, and each RF module may correspond to a virtual subscriber identity module (SIM). In some embodiments, the RF modules may be integrated into a single module including multiple sets of antennas, and each set of antennas may correspond to a virtual SIM. The communication circuit 111 can provide data bandwidth corresponding to each virtual SIM through the RF module corresponding to each virtual SIM. However, in other embodiments, the data bandwidth management device 100 may not provide any default data bandwidth, but instead provide the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices to one or more client devices. In one embodiment, a sharing device is a device that shares its bandwidth.

[0019] In embodiments of the present invention, processor 112 can control the operation of communication circuit 111, memory device 113, and data bandwidth management module 114. According to embodiments of the present invention, processor 112 can also be configured to execute program code of a software module. Program code containing specific data in a data structure can also be referred to as a processor logic unit or stack instance during execution. Therefore, processor 112 can be considered as consisting of multiple processor logic units, each processor logic unit being used to execute one or more specific functions or tasks of a corresponding software module.

[0020] In embodiments of the present invention, memory device 113 may store software and firmware code, system data, user data, and so on, of data bandwidth management device 100. Memory device 113 may be volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM); non-volatile memory, such as flash memory or read-only memory (ROM); a hard disk; or a combination thereof.

[0021] In embodiments of the present invention, the data bandwidth management module 114 may include a data bandwidth allocator 1141, a virtual SIM management module 1142, and a data bandwidth monitor 1143. The data bandwidth management module 114 may be implemented and configured via hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. When executed by the processor 112 (e.g., by executing program code stored in the memory device 113), the data bandwidth management module 114 allows the data bandwidth management device 100 to execute embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can acquire one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices. A sharing device is a device that provides its data bandwidth sharing configuration to the data bandwidth management device 100. A sharing device can be a client device currently or already connected to the data bandwidth management device 100. A sharing device can also be a client device not yet connected to the data bandwidth management device 100. When a service request is received from a client device connected to the data bandwidth management device 100, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can allocate bandwidth to the client device based on one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations. Details of the bandwidth allocation will be discussed below.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a data bandwidth sharing configuration for the shared device can be set on the shared device, and the data bandwidth management device 100 can obtain the data bandwidth sharing configuration of the shared device from the shared device via a WAN (e.g., a cellular (4G / 5G) network) or a local area network (LAN) (e.g., a Wi-Fi network). In another embodiment, the data bandwidth sharing configuration of the shared device can be set directly on the data bandwidth management device 100.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the default data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100 can be initially allocated to client devices, and if bandwidth congestion occurs on the default data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100, the data bandwidth of a shared device can be allocated to client devices. However, the present invention should not be limited to this allocation order. The data bandwidth allocator 1141 can employ different allocation orders.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a data bandwidth sharing configuration can instruct a sharing device whether it agrees to share its data bandwidth with client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device 100. If the data bandwidth sharing configuration instructs the sharing device to agree to share its bandwidth, the virtual SIM management module 1142 can configure a virtual SIM to establish a WAN using the SIM profile of the sharing device. Then, if the data bandwidth management device 100 receives a service request from a client device, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can allocate the data bandwidth of the sharing device to the client device. In one embodiment, before allocating the data bandwidth of the sharing device, the data bandwidth monitor 1143 will determine whether the data bandwidth of the sharing device is congested. If the data bandwidth of the sharing device is not congested, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 allocates the data bandwidth of the sharing device to the client device. If the data bandwidth of the sharing device is congested, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 allocates the data bandwidth of another sharing device to the client device.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the data bandwidth management device 100 receives a service request from a client device, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 may first attempt to allocate data bandwidth to the client device based on the client device's data bandwidth sharing configuration. If the data bandwidth sharing configuration indicates that the client does not agree to share its data bandwidth, or if the data bandwidth sharing configuration indicates that the client agrees to share its data bandwidth but bandwidth congestion occurs on the client's data bandwidth, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 will allocate shared data bandwidth to the client device.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the data bandwidth sharing configuration of the client device or the sharing device can further indicate the sharing priority of its own bandwidth. For example, the sharing priority indicates that the client device or the sharing device has the highest priority in using its data bandwidth.

[0028] In the example, if the data bandwidth sharing configuration indicates that the sharing device agrees to share its data bandwidth and it has the highest priority to use its data bandwidth, then when the data bandwidth monitor 1143 detects that the sharing device is using its data bandwidth, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 will not allocate the sharing device's data bandwidth to the client device.

[0029] In another example, if the data bandwidth sharing configuration indicates that the sharing device agrees to share its data bandwidth and it has the highest priority in using its data bandwidth, then when the data bandwidth allocator 1141 receives a service request from the sharing device but the client device is already using the sharing device's data bandwidth, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can reduce the amount of the sharing device's data bandwidth reserved for the client device, or even stop the client device from using the sharing device's data bandwidth (i.e., terminate the client device's data flow on the sharing device's data bandwidth), and allocate the sharing device's data bandwidth to the sharing device itself. If the data bandwidth allocator 1141 stops the client device from using the sharing device's data bandwidth, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can allocate other data bandwidth to the client device, such as the default data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100 or the data bandwidth of other shared devices, for the terminated data flow.

[0030] In another example, before reducing the data bandwidth reserved for the shared device for the client device or stopping the client device from using the shared device's data bandwidth, the data bandwidth monitor 1143 can determine whether the shared device's data bandwidth is congested. If the shared device's data bandwidth is congested, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 reduces the data bandwidth reserved for the shared device for the client device or stops the client device from using the shared device's data bandwidth. Otherwise, the data bandwidth allocator 1141 allocates the shared device's data bandwidth to the shared device itself and allows the client device to continue using the shared device's data bandwidth.

[0031] According to an embodiment, each virtual SIM may correspond to a Quality of Service (QoS) queue. If the sharing priority indicates that the sharing device that agrees to share its bandwidth has the highest priority, then when the QoS queue corresponding to the data bandwidth of the sharing device has data packets from the sharing device, the sharing device has the highest priority, meaning that the data bandwidth allocator 1141 can allocate the data bandwidth of the sharing device to itself.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the data bandwidth monitor 1143 can monitor whether the data bandwidth of one or more sharing devices that agree to share their data bandwidth is congested. If the data bandwidth of one or more sharing devices that agree to share their data bandwidth is congested, the data bandwidth monitor 1143 can send a message to the sharing device that initially disagreed to share its data bandwidth to inquire whether the sharing client device wants to share its data bandwidth, or send a message to nearby electronic devices that are not currently connected to the data bandwidth management device 100 to inquire whether the electronic devices want to share their data bandwidth.

[0033] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating a data bandwidth management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The data bandwidth management method can be applied to a data bandwidth management device 100. For example... Figure 2 As shown, in step S210, the data bandwidth management device 100 can obtain one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices.

[0034] In step S220, the data bandwidth management device 100 can receive service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device.

[0035] In step S230, the data bandwidth management device 100 may allocate data bandwidth of one or more shared devices to the client device based on one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service request of the client device.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a data bandwidth management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The data bandwidth management method can be applied to a data bandwidth management device 100. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in step S310, the data bandwidth management device 100 can obtain one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices.

[0037] In step S320, the data bandwidth management device 100 can receive service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device.

[0038] In step S330, the data bandwidth management device 100 can determine whether the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices is congested.

[0039] If the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices becomes congested, step S340 is executed. In step S340, the data bandwidth management device 100 may query nearby devices to see if they agree to share their data bandwidth.

[0040] If the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices is not congested, then step S350 is executed. In step S350, the data bandwidth management device 100 may allocate the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices to the client device based on one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service request of the client device.

[0041] Figures 4A-4C This is a flowchart of a data bandwidth management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The data bandwidth management method can be applied to a data bandwidth management device 100. Figures 4A-4C As shown, in step S410, the data bandwidth management device 100 can obtain one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more sharing devices.

[0042] In step S420, the data bandwidth management device 100 can receive service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device.

[0043] In step S430, the data bandwidth management device 100 can determine whether the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100 is congested.

[0044] If the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100 is not congested, then step S440 is executed. In step S440, the data bandwidth management device 100 may allocate its data bandwidth to the client device in response to the client device's service request.

[0045] If the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device 100 is congested, step S450 is executed. In step S450, the data bandwidth management device 100 may determine whether the client device agrees to share its data bandwidth. In an embodiment, the data bandwidth management device 100 may check whether a second data bandwidth sharing configuration in one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations indicates that the client device agrees to share the client device's data bandwidth, wherein the second data bandwidth sharing configuration corresponds to the client device.

[0046] If the client device agrees to share its data bandwidth, step S460 is executed. In step S460, the data bandwidth management device 100 can determine whether the client device's data bandwidth is congested.

[0047] If the data bandwidth of the client device is not congested, then step S470 is executed. In step S470, the data bandwidth management device 100 may allocate data bandwidth to the client device in response to the client device's service request.

[0048] If the client device's data bandwidth is congested, step S480 is executed. In step S480, the data bandwidth management device 100 can determine whether one or more sharing devices agree to share their data bandwidth. If the client device does not agree to share its data bandwidth, step S480 is also executed.

[0049] If one or more sharing devices agree to share their data bandwidth, step S490 is executed. In the example, the first data bandwidth sharing configuration in one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponds to the sharing device and indicates that the sharing device agrees to share its data bandwidth. In step S490, the data bandwidth management device 100 can determine whether the data bandwidth of the sharing device is congested.

[0050] If the data bandwidth of the shared device is not congested, then step S4100 is executed. In step S4100, the data bandwidth management device 100 may allocate the data bandwidth of one or more shared devices to the client device based on one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations in response to the service request of the client device.

[0051] If the data bandwidth of the shared device is congested, step S4110 is executed. In step S4110, the data bandwidth management device 100 may query nearby devices to see if they agree to share their data bandwidth. If one or more shared devices do not agree to share their data bandwidth, step S4110 is also executed.

[0052] It should be noted that, Figures 4A-4C The flowchart shown is an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited to it. Figures 4A-4C The allocation order shown is as follows.

[0053] In the bandwidth management method provided by this invention, the bandwidth management device can allocate bandwidth to each client device according to the bandwidth sharing configuration of each client device. Therefore, in the bandwidth management method provided by this invention, the bandwidth management device can allocate the total bandwidth of client devices more efficiently and flexibly.

[0054] The use of ordinal terms such as "first," "second," and "third" in this invention and claims is for descriptive purposes. It does not in itself imply any order or relationship.

[0055] The steps of the methods described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. Software modules (e.g., including executable instructions and associated data) and other data can be stored in data storage, such as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. The sample storage medium can be coupled to a machine, such as a computer / processor (which may be referred to herein as a "processor" for convenience), such that the processor can read information (e.g., code) from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The sample storage medium can be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can be stored in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user equipment. In alternative examples, the processor and storage medium can reside as discrete components in the user equipment. Furthermore, in some aspects, any suitable computer program product can include a computer-readable medium comprising code relating to one or more aspects of the invention. In some aspects, the computer software product can include packaging materials.

[0056] It should be noted that, although not explicitly stated, one or more steps of the methods described herein may include steps for storing, displaying, and / or outputting data as needed for a particular application. In other words, any data, records, fields, and / or intermediate results discussed in the methods may be stored, displayed, and / or output to another device as needed for a particular application. Although the foregoing describes embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention can be devised without departing from the basic scope. The various embodiments described herein, or portions thereof, may be combined to produce further embodiments. The above description represents the best contemplated mode for carrying out the invention. The description is for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.

[0057] The preceding paragraphs describe many aspects. It is evident that the teachings of this invention can be implemented in various ways, and any particular configuration or function in the disclosed embodiments presents only representative conditions. Those skilled in the art will understand that all aspects disclosed in this invention can be applied independently or in combination.

[0058] While this application has been described by way of example and according to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that this application is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. Therefore, the scope of this application should be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A data bandwidth management method, the method being applied to a data bandwidth management device, comprising: Obtain one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more shared devices; Receive service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device; as well as Based on the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations, the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices is allocated to the client device in response to the service request from the client device. The step of allocating the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device includes: Check whether the first data bandwidth sharing configuration in the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations indicates that the sharing device agrees to share the data bandwidth of the sharing device, wherein the first data bandwidth sharing configuration corresponds to the sharing device; Check whether the second data bandwidth sharing configuration in one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations indicates that the client device agrees to share the client device's data bandwidth, wherein the second data bandwidth sharing configuration corresponds to the client device; and Based on the first data bandwidth sharing configuration that instructs the sharing device to agree to share the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and the second data bandwidth sharing configuration that instructs the client device not to agree to share the data bandwidth of the client device, the data bandwidth of the sharing device is allocated to the client device. The shared device is different from the client device.

2. The data bandwidth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for allocating the data bandwidth of the shared device to the client device include: Determine if the data bandwidth of the shared device is congested; and The data bandwidth of the shared device is allocated to the client device based on the determination that the data bandwidth of the shared device is not congested.

3. The data bandwidth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first data bandwidth sharing configuration further indicates that the sharing device has the highest priority to use the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and the step of allocating the data bandwidth of the sharing device to the client device further includes: Monitor whether the shared device is using the data bandwidth of the shared device; and The data bandwidth of the shared device shall be allocated to the client device only when the shared device is not using the data bandwidth of the shared device.

4. The data bandwidth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first data bandwidth sharing configuration further indicates that the sharing device has the highest priority in using the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and the method further includes: When the client device is using the data bandwidth of the shared device, it receives a service request from the shared device; and Based on the service request received from the shared device, the client device is stopped from using the data bandwidth of the shared device.

5. The data bandwidth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: Determine if the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device is congested; The step of allocating the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device includes: Based on the determination of data bandwidth congestion in the data bandwidth management device, the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices is allocated to the client device.

6. A data bandwidth management device, comprising: A data bandwidth allocator is used to obtain one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations corresponding to one or more shared devices; Receive service requests from client devices connected to the data bandwidth management device; And, based on the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations, allocate data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device in response to the service request from the client device. The step of allocating the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device includes: Check whether the first data bandwidth sharing configuration in the one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations indicates that the sharing device agrees to share the data bandwidth of the sharing device, wherein the first data bandwidth sharing configuration corresponds to the sharing device; Check whether the second data bandwidth sharing configuration in one or more data bandwidth sharing configurations indicates that the client device agrees to share the client device's data bandwidth, wherein the second data bandwidth sharing configuration corresponds to the client device; and Based on the first data bandwidth sharing configuration that instructs the sharing device to agree to share the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and the second data bandwidth sharing configuration that instructs the client device not to agree to share the data bandwidth of the client device, the data bandwidth of the sharing device is allocated to the client device. The shared device is different from the client device.

7. The data bandwidth management device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Further includes: A data bandwidth monitor is used to determine whether the data bandwidth of the shared device is congested. The data bandwidth allocator allocates the data bandwidth of the shared device to the client device based on the determination that the data bandwidth of the shared device is not congested.

8. The data bandwidth management device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first data bandwidth sharing configuration further indicates that the sharing device has the highest priority in using the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and the data bandwidth management device further includes: A data bandwidth monitor is used to monitor whether the shared device is using the data bandwidth of the shared device. The data bandwidth allocator allocates the data bandwidth of the shared device to the client device only when the shared device is not using the data bandwidth of the shared device.

9. The data bandwidth management device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first data bandwidth sharing configuration further indicates that the sharing device has the highest priority in using the data bandwidth of the sharing device, and Specifically, when the client device is using the data bandwidth of the shared device, the data bandwidth allocator receives the service request from the shared device; and Based on the service request received from the shared device, the data bandwidth allocator stops the client device from using the data bandwidth of the shared device.

10. The data bandwidth management device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The data bandwidth management device further includes: A data bandwidth monitor is used to determine whether the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device is congested. Specifically, based on determining that the data bandwidth of the data bandwidth management device is congested, the data bandwidth allocator allocates the data bandwidth of the one or more shared devices to the client device.

Images