Auction system for the exchange of resources

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, when executed by computing hardware, causes the computing hardware to perform operations. The operations include initiating a request in a first ecosystem, the first ecosystem being one of a giver or a requester, detecting the initiated request by a second ecosystem, the second ecosystem being the other of the giver and the requester, and executing a resource exchange auction protocol (REAP) on one of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem. The REAP includes controlling access to resources, evaluating the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem, selecting the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem, and sharing the resources of one of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem with the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem.

Description

[0001] The information contained in this section serves to provide a general outline of the context of the description. Works by the inventors named herein, to the extent described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not be prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art with respect to the present description.

[0002] This description generally refers to an auction system for exchanging resources between two or more ecosystems.

[0003] US 2017 / 0 364 978 A1 describes methods and systems for reverse auctions and fast multi-round auction methods and services for ubiquitous mobile applications that support mobile users in a location-dependent environment. A buyer agent can generate a request for a reverse auction on behalf of a buyer and then monitor the auction rounds of an auction initiated based on the request. The buyer agent can end the reverse auction when the auction has reached a maximum round or an end condition, or execute an optimization strategy. The optimization strategy can include local optimization. Local optimization can be based on the location of a buyer and seller in a small cell network (SCN). A seller agent can calculate a bid price based on a seller's acceptable price range and an available time slot.The seller's agent can determine a time to stop bidding based on bid price rules. An auction service can select N sellers for each buyer.

[0004] CN 1 13 438 621 A describes an edge computation offloading and resource allocation method based on the support of network-connected vehicles. The load pressure of a network during a peak load period is relieved by utilizing the unused computation resources of a network-connected vehicle. First, a service provider calculates the prices for the computation resources of edge servers and connected vehicles in a differentiated mode according to the dynamic and static differences between the edge servers and the connected vehicles, encourages users to offload tasks for execution to the edge cloud and the edge nodes of the vehicles, respectively, and dynamically encourages the vehicles according to user requirements and the real-time relationship of the vehicle computation resources in the system. The computation resources in the system are adaptively supplemented.Subsequently, the interaction between a user and a service provider is modeled as a Steinberg game, and a gradient-based iterative resource allocation algorithm is designed for a Nash equilibrium solution. Finally, an unloading task is scheduled by adopting a reverse auction mode and optimizing the selection of the excitation vehicle according to the match between the user and the vehicle. The inventive method can significantly improve system efficiency and resource utilization, and effectively reduce grid congestion.

[0005] EP 4 344 157 A1 describes a communication system comprising, for each of a plurality of resource consumers, a broker component representing the resource consumer, each broker component being configured to offer one or more communication system resources allocated to the resource consumer represented by the broker component to one or more other broker components for reallocation to one or more of the resource consumers represented by the one or more other broker components, requesting one or more communication system resources allocated to at least one of the one or more resource consumers represented by the one or more other broker components from the one or more other broker components for reallocation to the resource consumer represented by the broker component,Accepting and / or rejecting offers and requests received from one or more of the other broker components; and initiating the reallocation of communication system resources in accordance with the accepted offers and requests.

[0006] CN 1 13 905 415 A describes a dynamic method for offloading computing tasks for a mobile device in a cellular network.The method includes the following steps: establishing a multi-user system model in the cellular network; judging whether the computation task satisfies a offloading condition or not, namely, whether the computation task of each computation resource requester can satisfy the judgment conditions of time delay and energy consumption at the same time, and if the judgment conditions can be satisfied at the same time, the task shall be offloaded; otherwise, the task cannot undergo computation offloading; and allocating the computation resources with a dynamic auction algorithm: namely, the base station serves as a third party, namely, an auction man-in-the-middle, and the computation tasks that satisfy the offloading judgment in step are dynamically offloaded by the dynamic multi-round multi-node auction algorithm.According to the invention, the base station uses the auction algorithm to realize multiple rounds of offloading, and adjusts the offloading of the computing task in a timely and dynamic manner according to the change of the network state; under the premise of improving the utilization efficiency of computing resources, the weighting coefficients of energy consumption and time delay are introduced, and the energy consumption and time delay are optimized to a certain extent.

[0007] US 11 831 709 B1 describes peer-to-peer sharing of cloud computing resources using a permissioned distributed ledger. A request from a computing resource user for additional computing resources from a computing resource provider via a decentralized peer-to-peer network is detected. A computing resource exchange environment is created to transfer the additional computing resources from the computing resource provider to the computing resource consumer in response to validation that the computing resource consumer is authorized to consume the additional computing resources and that the computing resource provider is authorized to transfer the additional computing resources to the computing resource consumer via the decentralized peer-to-peer network.The additional computing resources are transferred from the computing resource provider to the computing resource consumer for consumption via the computing resource exchange environment. The additional computing resources provided by the computing resource provider and the consumption of the additional computing resources by the computing resource consumer are anonymized.

[0008] Many ecosystems are equipped with communication resources (e.g., available bandwidth) that are used by various devices connected as part of a respective ecosystem. For example, a vehicle ecosystem may include a vehicle communicating with a charging station via data resources over a cloud network. However, ecosystems typically have a limit or cap on data resources, so there may not be enough data resources available to perform communication between devices. The exhaustion of data resources may cause an ecosystem to become inactive or certain functions to be unavailable until the data resources are replenished. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved sharing of data resources between ecosystems in which a surplus of resources may exist.

[0009] The object of the invention is achieved by means of a computer-implemented method which, when executed by data processing hardware, causes the data processing hardware to perform operations. The operations include initiating, in a first ecosystem, a request, wherein the first ecosystem is one from a giver or a requester; recognizing, by means of a second ecosystem, the initiated request, wherein the second ecosystem is the other from the giver or the requester; and executing, in one of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem, a resource exchange auction protocol, REAP.The REAP includes controlling access to resources, evaluating the other of the first ecosystem or the second ecosystem, selecting the other of the first ecosystem or the second ecosystem, and sharing the resources of one of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem with the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem. Evaluating the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem includes scoring the other of the first ecosystem and the second ecosystem with a bidder network score of the REAP. An established relationship exists between the second ecosystem as the first bidder and the first ecosystem. The REAP assigns a higher score when performing the bidder network scoring to favor the first bidder with the established relationship. The established relationship is a brand or other contractual relationship programmed as part of the REAP.The first ecosystem and the second ecosystem are a first vehicle ecosystem and a second vehicle ecosystem.

[0010] According to one embodiment, an Internet of Things (IoT) controller is configured to execute the REAP, and the IoT controller is in communication with a first ecosystem controller and a second ecosystem controller.

[0011] According to another embodiment, the first ecosystem is a requester, and initiating the request comprises the IoT controller notifying the first ecosystem of a resource surplus of the second ecosystem.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, the first ecosystem is a donor and initiating the request comprises notifying the second ecosystem of a resource surplus of the first ecosystem by the IoT controller.

[0013] According to another embodiment, the IoT controller is configured to execute the REAP based on a request from the second ecosystem to access the surplus resources of the first ecosystem.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the REAP includes admission control logic, and controlling access to the resources includes executing the admission control logic. According to another embodiment, executing the REAP includes executing a reverse auction.

[0015] According to another embodiment, executing the REAP comprises executing a real auction.

[0016] In one application, a system comprises computing hardware and memory hardware that communicates with the computing hardware. The memory hardware stores instructions that, when executed on the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations of the inventive method and its embodiments.

[0017] According to the invention, a vehicle is also provided which comprises a control unit configured to carry out the above method.

[0018] The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to illustrate selected configurations. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first vehicle ecosystem of a resource exchange auction system, the first vehicle ecosystem being in communication with a back-office server and an Internet of Things data store; Fig. 2 is another schematic representation of a resource exchange auction system, the resource exchange auction system comprising a first vehicle ecosystem in communication with a second vehicle ecosystem and a back-office server; Fig. 3 is an example block diagram of an auction system for exchanging resources; Fig. Figure 4 is another exemplary block diagram of an auction system for exchanging resources; Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a first ecosystem of a resource auction system receiving a request from a second ecosystem of the resource auction system; Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a first ecosystem of a resource exchange auction system making a request to a second ecosystem of the resource exchange auction system; Fig. 7 is an exemplary flowchart of a real auction of a resource exchange auction system; and Fig. Figure 8 is an example flowchart of a reverse auction of a resource exchange auction system.

[0019] Corresponding numbers indicate the corresponding parts in the drawings.

[0020] Example configurations will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this description will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the description to those skilled in the art. Specific details are set forth, such as examples of particular components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of the configurations of the present description. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be used, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the description.

[0021] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “includes,” “includes,” and “has” are all-inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily being performed in the order discussed or illustrated unless they are expressly identified as being in order of performance.Additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0022] When an element or layer is described as being "on," "engaging," "connected," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaging, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. In contrast, an element described as being "directly on," "directly engaging," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer may have no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in the same way (for example, "between" as opposed to "directly between," "adjacent" as opposed to "directly adjacent," and so on).As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any combination of one or more of the listed elements.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," "third," and so on may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may only be used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply order unless clearly indicated by the context.Thus, a first element, a first component, a first region, a first layer or a first section referred to below could also be referred to as a second element, second component, second region, second layer or second section without this deviating from the teaching of the example configurations.

[0024] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit, a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit, a combinational logic circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by a processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, for example, in a system-on-chip.

[0025] The term "code" as used above can include software, firmware and / or microcode and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes and / or objects. The term "shared processor" includes a single processor that executes some or all of the code of multiple modules. The term "group processor" refers to a processor that, in combination with other processors, executes some or all of the code of one or more modules. The term "shared memory" includes a single memory that stores some or all of the code of multiple modules. The term "group memory" refers to memory that, in combination with other memory, stores some or all of the code of one or more modules. The term "memory" can be a subset of the term "computer-readable medium".The term "computer-readable medium" does not encompass the transitory electrical and electromagnetic signals that propagate through a medium and can therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory storage. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory storage include tangible, computer-readable medium, including non-volatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

[0026] The devices and methods described in this application may be implemented partially or entirely by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs contain processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also contain and / or access stored data.

[0027] A software application (i.e., a software resource) may refer to computer software that causes a device to perform a task. In some examples, a software application may be referred to as an "application," "app," or "program." Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0028] Non-transitory memory may be physical devices used for the temporary or permanent storage of programs (e.g., instruction sequences) or data (e.g., program status information) for use by a device. Non-transitory memory may be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (for example, typically used for firmware such as boot programs). Examples of volatile memory include random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), static random-access memory (SRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), and floppy disks or tapes.

[0029] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) contain machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a procedural and / or object-oriented high-level language and / or assembly / machine language. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, apparatus, and / or device (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, memories, programmable logic devices (PLDs)) used to deliver machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal.The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0030] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein may be realized in digital electronic and / or optical circuits, integrated circuits, purpose-built ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementation in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special-purpose or general-purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a memory system and to transmit data and instructions to a memory system, at least one device, and at least one output device.

[0031] The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors, also known as data processing hardware, which run one or more computer programs to perform functions by processing input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by special-purpose logic circuits, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Examples of processors suitable for executing a computer program include both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, as well as one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Generally, a processor receives instructions and data from one or more read-only memory or random-access memory, or both.The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions, and one or more devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively connected to, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical, or optical disks, or to receive or transfer data to or from them, or both. However, a computer is not required to have such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.The processor and memory can be supplemented by or integrated into special logic circuits.

[0032] To enable interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the description may be implemented on a computer having a device for displaying information to the user, for example a CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor, an LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or a touchscreen, and optionally a keyboard and pointing device, for example a mouse or trackball, with which the user can provide input to the computer. Other devices may also be used to interact with the user; for example, feedback to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, for example, visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback, and user input may be received in any form, including auditory, verbal, or tactile input.In addition, a computer may interact with a user by sending and receiving documents to and from a device used by the user, for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on a client device of the user in response to requests received from the web browser.

[0033] As in the Fig. 1-3, a resource exchange auction system 10 is configured to exchange and route resources 12 between a first ecosystem 100 and a second ecosystem 200. As described herein, ecosystems 100, 200 refer to various vehicle ecosystems. However, it is also contemplated that ecosystems 100, 200 may be configured as any ecosystem that utilizes resources 12 to perform various functions of ecosystems 100, 200. For example, ecosystems 100, 200 may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-to-cloud / edge, roadside units (RSUs)-to-cloud, smart chargers-to-cloud, and so on. Resources 12 may include, among other things, bandwidth, compute power, processing, communications, and so on.The resource exchange auction system 10 is configured to connect an ecosystem 100, 200, 200a-n having a surplus of resources 12 with an ecosystem 200 having a shortage of resources 12. For example, the resource exchange auction system 10 is configured to manage the consistent sharing of resources 12 from an ecosystem donor to an ecosystem recipient.

[0034] The resource exchange auction system 10 is configured to facilitate a resource exchange auction protocol (REAP) 14 via an Internet of Things (IoT) controller 16 configured to communicate with a controller 102, 202 of each individual ecosystem 100, 200. For example, the ecosystems 100, 200 may be configured with a network of controllers, and the IoT controller 16 is configured to execute the REAP 14 between each of the ecosystems 100, 200.

[0035] For descriptive purposes, the features described with respect to the first ecosystem controller 102 may also be configured as part of the second ecosystem controller 202, such that the reference numerals used in connection with the first ecosystem controller 102 may be understood to be adopted by the second ecosystem controller 202 with the suffix "one hundred" (100). It is also conceivable that the reference numbers used for the second ecosystem 200 substantially encompass additional ecosystems 200a-n that may operate within the resource exchange auction system 10, such that the same reference numbers may be used with a letter extension.

[0036] The REAP 14 can be considered as a real auction 18 ( Fig. 5) or as a reverse auction 20 ( Fig. 6) may be configured as described herein and is executed by the computing hardware 104 of the IoT controller 16. The IoT controller 16 also includes memory hardware 106 in communication with the computing hardware 104. The memory hardware 106 stores instructions that, when executed on the computing hardware 104, cause the computing hardware 104 to perform the operations described herein. The memory hardware 106 also stores a resource log 108 of the respective resources 12 of the first ecosystem 100. The resource log 108 may store a resource deficit 22 and a resource surplus 24 based on the resources 12 available for the respective ecosystem 100. The resource log 108 may also store the resources 12.

[0037] As in the Fig. 2-5, the REAP 14 may be initiated by the detection of a resource deficit (22) or a resource surplus (24) in one of the ecosystems 100, 200 and is executed by the IoT controller 16. In some cases, the IoT controller 16 may detect that the first ecosystem 100 has a resource surplus 24 and initiate the REAP 14 to conduct the real auction 18. The real auction 18 is defined as a resource sharing transaction initiated by a resource provider 102 (e.g., the first ecosystem controller 102) making an offer to multiple bidders 200, 200a-n requesting resources 12. In this example, the first ecosystem controller 102 may act as a donor, auctioning the resource surplus 24 via the IoT controller 16 to other ecosystems (i.e., the second ecosystem 200) that may have a resource deficit 22.Although described here with respect to the first ecosystem 100 and the second ecosystem 200, it is conceivable that the REAP 14 is executed between a plurality of ecosystems 200, 200a-n. For example, the real auction 18 can offer the surplus resources 24 of the first ecosystem 100 to several second ecosystems 200, which can compete for the surplus resources 12.

[0038] The IoT controller 16 may receive one or more requests 26 for the surplus resources 12. For example, the request 26 may be initiated by the first ecosystem 100, where the first ecosystem 100 may be a donor or a requestor, as described in more detail below. In some examples, the REAP 14 may be executed by the IoT controller 16 to report the surplus resource 24 to neighboring ecosystems 200. For example, the second ecosystem 200, 200a-n may detect the request 26, such that the second ecosystem 200, 200a-n is the other of the donors or requestors described herein. In an example of a real auction 18, the resource surplus 24 may arise from the first ecosystem 100 operating with a sufficient number of resources 12 that meet or exceed an allocated number of resources 12 available to the first ecosystem 100 for sharing by the first ecosystem 100.The resource exchange auction system 10 advantageously supports the first ecosystem 100 in sharing the unused resources 12 (i.e., the resource surplus 24) with nearby ecosystems 200 that could benefit from additional resources 12.

[0039] In other examples, the IoT controller 16 may determine that the first ecosystem 100 has a resource deficit 22, such that the first ecosystem 100 could benefit from additional resources 12. The IoT controller 16 may therefore conduct the reverse auction 20 of the REAP 14 to search for additional resources 12. The reverse auction 20 is defined as a resource sharing transaction initiated by the requesting ecosystem 100 (e.g., the first ecosystem 100), wherein multiple donor ecosystems 200, 200a-n submit a bid to share the respective resources 12. In one example of the reverse auction, the IoT controller 16 acts as a requestor, requesting the resources 12 from other ecosystems 200, 200a-n. In the reverse auction 20, the REAP 14 announces via request 26 that the first ecosystem 100 is looking for additional resources 12.Nearby ecosystems 200, 200a-n can receive the request 26 and submit a bid 28 in the reverse auction 20.

[0040] For example, the first ecosystem 100 may be using high-speed communications bandwidth (i.e., resource 12) with a cap of up to two hundred (200) megabytes per second (mbps) and has reached the cap. The first ecosystem 100 may therefore seek additional bandwidth from ecosystems 200 that have excess resources (i.e., a resource surplus 24). For example, a nearby ecosystem 200 may have a resource surplus 24 of fifty (50) Mbps and offer the resource surplus 24 of 50 Mbps to the first ecosystem 100 in the form of offer 28. Another ecosystem 200a may have a resource surplus 24 of one hundred (100) Mbps and may also submit a bid of 100 Mbps to the first ecosystem 100. As described in more detail below, the REAP 14 is configured to compare the bids 26 before selection.In both the real auction 18 and the reverse auction 20, a single bidder 200, 200a-n is selected by the IoT control unit 16 to either share or receive the resources 12.

[0041] As in the Fig. As shown in Figures 3-6, the REAP 14 performs a bidder network scoring 30 in response to the initiation of the real auction 18 or the reverse auction 20. The bidder network scoring 30 is used to classify and evaluate the various ecosystems 200, 200a-n that are either bidding on or offering resources 12. However, the term bidder may be used in both auctions 20, 22, with the bidder being the potential giver or the potential recipient of the resources 12. The bidder network scoring 30 may have different criteria depending on whether the REAP 14 is conducting the real auction 18 or the reverse auction 20. The REAP 14 uses the bidder network scoring 30 to identify the ecosystem 100, 200, 200a-n with the greatest demand for the resources 12 or with the greatest availability of resources 12, depending on whether the REAP 14 conducts the true or reverse auction 16, 18.The bidder network scoring 30 can be a market-driven scoring, allowing the IoT controller 16 to evaluate the supply and demand for the resources 12. For example, in the real auction 20, the bidder with the highest bidder network scoring 30 is the ecosystem 200, 200a-n with the greatest need for the resources. In the reverse auction 22, however, the bidder with the highest bidder network scoring 30 is the ecosystem 200, 200a-n with the most available resources 12. The bidder network scoring 30 thus provides some leverage for the recipient and / or the donor (for example, the first ecosystem 100).

[0042] The evaluation of the bidder network scoring 30 is based, among other things, on urgency, mobility, location, availability, congestion, and energy for a respective bidder 200, 200a-n. For example, the first ecosystem controller 100 evaluates each application threshold and each request to determine which bidder ecosystem 200, 200a-n is suitable for the request 26. While the initiation of the REAP 14 on the IoT controller 16 can be based on either the real auction 18 or the reverse auction 20, the REAP 14 includes the same process steps for both the real auction 18 and the reverse auction 20. As previously mentioned, the REAP 14 is executed by the IoT controller 16 in response to initiation. As described above, the triggering step depends on whether the ecosystem 100 has a resource deficit 22 or a resource surplus 24.

[0043] After startup, the REAP 14 identifies the respective bidders (e.g., donor ecosystems 200, 200a-n or requester ecosystems 200, 200a-n). The REAP 14 may announce the resource status 20, 22 via a service identifier 32. The REAP 14 display may include resource parameters 34 that specify the conditions for consideration in the resource exchange transaction. For example, the REAP 14 may specify the costs associated with the resources 12. Each of the layers 32a-32c is used by the service identifier 32 to identify the bidders 200, 200a-n for the auctioned resources 12. It should be noted again that bidders 200, 200a-n can bid on resources 12 (i.e., the real auction 18) or on the possibility of sharing resources 12 (i.e., the reverse auction 20).

[0044] The REAP 14 then performs bidder authorization 36 to identify the bidder 200, 200a-n with the correct criteria. The criteria can be determined by the IoT control unit 16 based on the available resources 12 and / or based on the resources 12 required by the first ecosystem 100. The bidder authorization 36 is an initial approval that ensures that the bidders 200, 200a-n meet the criteria and can proceed with the selection. The bidder authorization 36 is therefore separate from the selection of a bidder 200, 200a-n.

[0045] With further reference to the Fig. 3-6, the IoT control unit 16 is configured to control access to the resources 12 after authorization of the bidder(s) 200, 200a-n, such that admission control logic 38 of the REAP 14 is executed. For example, the admission control logic 38 may execute a connection mode 40 that evaluates the networks connected to the bidders 200, 200a-n and the associated score from the bidder network scoring 30. Furthermore, the connection mode 40 may also evaluate the proximity 42 of the bidders 200, 200a-n. It is also conceivable that the admission control logic 38 uses other modes to determine access for the bidders 200, 200a-n, and that the modes mentioned here are exemplary of the types of conditions considered for granting access.

[0046] Based on the score of a bidder 200, 200a-n, the REAP 14 may, in the case of a real auction 18, adjust a price associated with the resources 12. For example, if the score is high, the score indicates that there is a greater demand for the resources 12. In this example, the IoT control unit 16 may increase the price or cost of the resource 12 to maximize profit. Thus, the REAP 14 may be configured to identify the bidder 200, 200a-n with the highest score to select a bidder 200, 200an. In the case of a reverse auction 20, the IoT control unit 16 executes the admission control logic 38 to determine which donor bidder 200, 200a-n can provide the most resources 12.

[0047] In some examples, the REAP 14 may provide the ability to share both tangible and intangible resources 12. For example, in a reverse auction 18 scenario, if the first bidder 200, 200a is a charging ecosystem equipped with a cellular network, the first ecosystem 100 may utilize the charging resources 12 and the resources of the cellular network 12. In comparison, a second bidder 200, 200b may offer charging resources 12 but not cellular resources. In the reverse auction 16, the IoT controller 16 may select the first bidder 200, 200a based on the number and / or type of available resources 12. In this example, the first bidder 200, 200a would have a higher score than the second bidder 200, 200b because the first bidder 200, 200a is offering different resources 12.

[0048] In an example of a real auction 18, a first bidder 200, 200a may have a high score compared to a second bidder 200, 200a because a relationship exists between the first bidder 200, 200a and the first ecosystem 100. For example, the first bidder 200, 200a and the second bidder 200, 200b may have the same need or urgency for the resources 12 tendered by the IoT control entity 16, but the first bidder 200, 200a has an established trust (e.g., an established, trusted entity) with the first ecosystem 100. As a result, the REAP 14 may assign a higher score when performing the bidder network scoring 30 to favor the bidder 200, 200a with an existing relationship. The established or existing relationship may be a brand or other contractual relationship programmed as part of the REAP 14 or otherwise known to the IoT control unit 16.

[0049] Once the bidder 200, 200a has been authenticated, evaluated, and selected, the resources 12 are shared between the first ecosystem 100 via the IoT control unit 16 and the bidder ecosystem 200, 200a-n. As mentioned above, a single bidder ecosystem 200, 200a-n is selected for sharing resources between the selected bidder ecosystem 200, 200a-n and the first ecosystem 100.

[0050] In the Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are exemplary flowcharts of the real auction 18 ( Fig. 7) and the reverse auction ( Fig. 8) of the auction system for resource exchange 10. With regard to Fig. 7, the IoT control unit 16 advertises the resources 12 as surplus resources 24 at 500 and receives a request 26 for resources at 502. The REAP 14 determines at 504 whether the bidder 200, 200a-n is authorized. If the bidder 200, 200a-n is unauthorized, the REAP 14 evaluates other requests 26 at 506. If the bidder 200, 200a-n is authorized, the REAP 14 controls access to the resources at 508 and evaluates the bidder 200, 200a-n at 510. After the evaluation is completed, the REAP 14 selects the bidder 200, 200a-n at 512 and receives the payment for the resources 12 at 514. Once the payment is made, the IoT control unit 16 releases access to the resources (516).

[0051] With reference to Fig. 8, the IoT control unit 16 issues a request 26 for resources 12 at 600 and identifies the donor bidders 200, 200a-n donating resources at 602. The REAP 14 determines at 604 whether a donor bidder 200, 200a-n is authorized. If the donor bidder 200, 200a-n is not authorized, the REAP 14 checks another donor bidder 200, 200a-n at 606. If the donor bidder 200, 200a-n is authorized, the REAP 14 controls access to the resources 12 (608) and evaluates the donor bidder 200, 200a-n (610). The IoT controller 16 may then select a donor (612) and receive the resources 12 (614). In some examples, the IoT controller 16 also performs a payment step in exchange for the received resources 12.

[0052] As in the Fig.1-8, the resource exchange auction system (10) advantageously supports ecosystems (100, 200, 200a-n) in sharing and exchanging resources (12) to maximize the available resources (12) for a given ecosystem (100, 200, 200a-n). The REAP 14 provides the IoT controller 16 with a structure for evaluating and comparing bidders 200, 200a-n based on the resource surplus 24 or resource deficit 22 to determine a compatible suitability for the resources 12 by executing the bidder network scoring 30. Furthermore, executing the admission control logic 38 helps compare the scores of the bidders 200, 200a-n and determine a potential payment scale based on the score.In some examples, the REAP 14 may advantageously assist the IoT controller 16 in prioritizing a bidder 200, 200a-n with an established relationship with the ecosystem 100, 200 connected to the IoT controller 16. Thus, all ecosystems 100, 200 may benefit from the implementation of the resource exchange system 10 by distributing unused resources 12 to ecosystems 100, 200 that have a resource deficit 22.

Claims

[1] A computer-implemented method that, when executed by data processing hardware (104), causes the data processing hardware (104) to perform operations comprising: initiating, at a first ecosystem (100), a request, wherein the first ecosystem (100) is one from a giver or a requester; Recognizing, by means of a second ecosystem (200), the initiated request, wherein the second ecosystem (200) is the other of the giver or the requester; and Executing, in one of the first or the second ecosystem (200), a resource exchange auction protocol, REAP, the REAP (14) comprising: Controlling access to resources (12); Evaluate the other of the first ecosystem (100) or the second ecosystem (200); Selecting the other of the first ecosystem (100) or the second ecosystem (200); and Sharing the resources (12) of one of the first ecosystem (100) and the second ecosystem (200) with the other of the first ecosystem (100) and the second ecosystem (200); wherein evaluating the other of the first ecosystem (100) and the second ecosystem (200) comprises scoring the other of the first ecosystem (100) and the second ecosystem (200) with a bidder network score (30) of the REAP (14); wherein an established relationship exists between the second ecosystem (200) as the first bidder (200, 200a) and the first ecosystem (100); wherein the REAP (14) assigns a higher score when performing the bidder network scoring (30) to favor the first bidder (200, 200a) with the established relationship; where the established relationship is a brand or other contractual relationship programmed as part of the REAP (14); and wherein the first ecosystem (100) and the second ecosystem (200) are a first vehicle ecosystem and a second vehicle ecosystem. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein an Internet of Things, IoT, controller (16) is configured to execute the REAP (14), the IoT controller (16) being in communication with a first ecosystem controller (102) and a second ecosystem controller (202). [3] The method of claim 2, wherein the first ecosystem (100) is a requester and initiating the request comprises notifying, by the IoT controller (16), the first ecosystem (100) of a resource surplus (24) of the second ecosystem (200). [4] The method of claim 2, wherein the first ecosystem (100) is a donor and initiating the request comprises notifying, by the IoT controller (16), the second ecosystem (200) of a resource surplus (24) of the first ecosystem (100). [5] The method of claim 4, wherein the IoT controller (16) is configured to execute the REAP (14) based on a request from the second ecosystem (200) to access the surplus resource (24) of the first ecosystem (100). [6] The method of claim 1, wherein the REAP (14) comprises admission control logic (38) and controlling access to the resources (12) comprises executing the admission control logic (38). [7] The method of claim 1, wherein performing the REAP (14) comprises performing a reverse auction (20). [8] The method of claim 1, wherein executing the REAP (14) comprises executing a real auction (18). [9] Vehicle having a control unit (16) configured to carry out the method according to claim 1.

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