METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLACING A MULTIPLE OF SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH ONE SERVICE PROVIDER

Description

1. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to reducing the energy consumption required to transmit communication data to a group of customers by leveraging collaboration between separate service providers. The method thus satisfies the access needs of the respective customers of the collaborating service providers while reducing the energy cost associated with providing the access service. 2. State of the art

[0002] The energy consumption of communication infrastructure is of growing interest to service providers responsible for this infrastructure, not only to reduce the cost associated with the energy resources required to activate the infrastructure and route customer data, but also to decrease the resources needed to satisfy customers and thus preserve our ecosystem. Furthermore, service providers are being compelled by the respective legislators of the countries in which they deploy and manage communication networks to meet energy consumption reduction targets according to established timelines, thereby contributing to a broader national objective of reducing energy consumption.In the following description, a service provider can be either a communications network operator, and the network can be public or private. Communications services relate to digital services and can be linked to services for consumer or business customers on fixed or mobile networks. Document WO 2020 / 239704 A1 (ORANGE [FR]) dated December 3, 2020, discloses a centralized module for managing requests and offers.

[0003] It is worth noting that techniques for reducing energy consumption are most often implemented in mobile networks. This is partly because traffic on these networks is increasing significantly, meaning the impact of new technologies will be all the greater, and partly because the architecture of these mobile access networks requires antennas and routing equipment to be more widely distributed across a territory, thus increasing the associated deployment and activation costs. Furthermore, service providers have very often deployed their own architectures to ensure geographic coverage for their respective customers, and for a given area or territory, several associated mobile network architectures must be considered.The deployed networks are most often sized to ensure data transmission during periods of high traffic, and furthermore, several network architectures are present in a given geographical area. The various service provider networks therefore have resources that are regularly underutilized, particularly during periods of lower traffic, such as at night, but which individually require energy resources.

[0004] Thus, service providers are independently implementing various solutions to reduce their own energy consumption, collaborating with network equipment suppliers to minimize the energy consumption of that equipment. Putting certain equipment or even specific functions into standby mode when not needed, using virtualized functions that can be deployed and activated as required, can also be implemented, reducing the cost associated with data transmission across a network.More precisely, according to current technologies, if a mobile network operator (MNO) wants to limit the energy consumption of its mobile network, it can shut down certain frequency bands (e.g., the 2600 MHz and 1800 MHz bands), but it must keep at least one active to ensure connectivity for the few users who need it at night (e.g., the 800 MHz band, which covers the largest area around access stations). An MNO can also reduce the bandwidth it allocates to its users and / or shut down virtual equipment based on customer needs. Similarly, service providers sharing a common infrastructure can shut down equipment that is not needed for their own purposes or for their customers.

[0005] These solutions do indeed help to meet the objectives and commitments to reduce energy consumption, but it is necessary to consider one or more alternative or complementary solutions to significantly meet the ever-increasing objectives and commitments to reduce consumption.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide improvements over the prior art. 3. Description of the invention

[0007] The invention improves the situation by means of a method as defined in claim 1.

[0008] The substitution process is advantageous because it allows a single service provider to carry communication data for one or more communication services, instead of multiple service providers. This frees up service providers from carrying data, enabling them to shut down or put their networks into standby mode and thus conserve resources, particularly energy. The substitution process is beneficial because the active service provider responsible for data transmission changes over time, allowing each service provider within the plurality to become an active provider, thereby saving resources when not in use.The substitution process can be implemented for a specific period, for example, when traffic is lower, provided that the active service provider has the capacity to carry the data normally transported by multiple service providers. Thus, using compensation values ​​associated with a service provider's active or inactive status, the mediation entity can select one of the multiple providers to become active for a future period, based on compensation and therefore its contribution to traffic flow in previous periods. The substitution process is therefore advantageous because each service provider is incentivized to participate and become regularly active in exchange for the possibility of becoming inactive at other times and thus saving resources.The mediation entity allows service providers contributing to the substitution process to avoid exchanging data directly. This enables the mediation entity to guarantee the authenticity of request messages and the confidentiality of the information transmitted within them, particularly the interaction parameter sent by the service providers. This interaction parameter is used by the mediation entity to ensure that each service provider contributes positively to the process by fulfilling the role of an active service provider, and to identify any service provider that only submits substitution requests. In such cases, the mediation entity will incentivize this provider to become an active provider in a subsequent cycle, a cycle defined as the number of messages exchanged between the sending of two successive informational messages.A new information message transmitted includes the identifier of the active service provider identified by the mediation entity following the implementation of the process during the previous cycle. Successive cycles, during which a service provider—for example, one that has saved the fewest resources for other service providers—is selected as the active operator are not necessarily contiguous and can be executed, for example, at a specific time of day, such as from midnight to 6:00 a.m. each day.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, in the substitution process, the interaction parameter between each service provider includes a substitution demand parameter of one service provider from the plurality for each of the other service providers from the plurality, and a substitution supply parameter of one service provider from the plurality for each of the other service providers from the plurality.

[0010] The interaction parameter is advantageously structured as a substitution request transmitted by a management entity of a service provider from the plurality and a substitution offer allowing a service provider to propose itself as the active service provider, for example, upon receiving an information message indicating that it has been determined as the active service provider for the next cycle. A service provider can thus, via this information, request the routing of its data from another service provider or offer to route the data of other service providers, for example, for a specific cycle duration.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, in the substitution method, updating the interaction parameter based on received request messages includes configuring the notification message sent to the active service provider's management entity with substitution requests received in request messages sent by the inactive service providers of the plurality.

[0012] Since the substitution process is not based on direct message exchanges—that is, without intermediaries—between the management entities of the various service providers contributing to the process, the mediation entity's role is twofold: first, to share offers and requests from one service provider to the other, and second, to process these offers and requests. Third, to ensure that the different service providers are indeed contributing to the substitution process by verifying the messages received. If necessary, the mediation entity can blacklist a service provider by modifying the interaction parameters based on the messages received.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution method, the updated interaction parameter of the request message further includes data relating to the technology of a communication network of the service provider whose management entity issues the request message.

[0014] The interaction parameter for request messages can be advantageously modified to include information about the technology used by the service provider to transmit the data. This technology data can be information about the type of network operated, for example, 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G, and / or a frequency band used by the service provider, and / or information about the bandwidth used by a service provider for data routing. The mediation entity, and ultimately the active service provider, takes this information into account to select an active service provider and route the data using the technology employed by the service provider wishing to be replaced via the interaction parameter.

[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution process, the notification message further includes information indicating whether the service provider whose management entity receives the notification message is removed from the plurality in the implementation of the substitution process.

[0016] The substitution process is effective if the various service providers contribute to the process by being designated as the active service provider during certain cycles and by offering their availability to route data from other service providers through an update to the interaction parameter. For example, if a management entity does not offer substitution to other service providers despite being indicated as the active service provider in an information message, or if a service provider has not reported a correct resource consumption corresponding to the routing of data from the plurality of service providers, then it can be removed from the plurality for one or more cycles, thus preventing its traffic from being routed by another service provider for a period of time.The service providers contributing to the process, knowing that one of the service providers is being removed from the plurality via the information in the notification message, know that they must ensure data transmission more frequently. According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution process, the notification message further includes data relating to the resource consumption saved by the substitution of the service providers in the plurality by the active service provider.

[0017] The substitution process aims to ensure that service providers contributing to the process have a balanced resource consumption for data transmission over a set of cycles. This resource consumption data can be the resources saved by inactive service providers and the resources consumed by the active service provider. This allows each management entity to be informed of the estimated savings or expenditure in implementing the process and to individually verify that the process does not favor one service provider over another. This data also allows for a comparison of the estimated value with the calculated value and, if necessary, informing the mediation entity, or even a recording entity, of the difference so that it can be taken into account when determining an active service provider in a subsequent cycle.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution method, the state value indicates the end of negotiation if the interaction parameter of the request message issued by the active service provider includes a substitution offer parameter or if the number of request and / or notification messages reaches a predetermined value. The mediation entity sets the state value, such as a binary element, when one of the service providers in the plurality is in a position to ensure data routing in place of the other service providers in the plurality, for example, for a given period. This can occur, in particular, when the active service provider is able to respond favorably to substitution requests made by the other service providers.The status value can also indicate that the number of request and notification messages has reached a predefined value, indicating that no alternative agreement could be established. Once the status value indicates the end of negotiations, service provider networks, for example using roaming techniques, can be configured so that data routing normally performed by multiple service providers is handled by the active service provider.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution process, the compensation value is related to the resource savings generated by the recipient service provider.

[0020] The substitution process aims to have plurality service providers carry out the routing of plurality data while ensuring a balance of resources used for successive routings by active service providers. The plurality service provider selected to carry out the data routing is the one that has contributed least to resource savings for the other service providers. The compensation value, for example, accumulated over a set of substitution cycles, indicating the resource savings generated by a service provider, can be advantageously used to determine the active operator. The closer the value is to 0, the fewer resources the service provider will have to consume, which means that it is more likely to be determined as the active service provider in one of the subsequent substitutions.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, in the substitution process, a new active service provider is further determined based on the remuneration values ​​issued and / or based on a resource consumed by the active service provider for the routing of communication data in substitution for the service providers of the plurality.

[0022] The active service provider can be determined by leveraging information on the resources consumed for data routing when it performs routing in place of other service providers, or based on the compensation values ​​issued by the mediation entity, or a combination of both. Information on actual resource consumption allows, for example, for correcting discrepancies between estimated and actual consumption values. This resource consumption value can be obtained from a recording entity, such as a server using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The compensation value ensures that each service provider contributes to the process in a balanced way, guaranteeing a fair distribution of each provider's contribution within the plurality.

[0023] The different aspects of the substitution process that have just been described can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.

[0024] The invention also relates to a method as defined in claim 10.

[0025] According to one aspect of the invention, in the determination method, the update of the interaction parameter in the request messages includes updating a substitution request parameter from a non-active service provider of the plurality to the active service provider based on the identifier of the active service provider received in the notification message or to the substitution offer by the active service provider to the non-active service providers based on the request parameters received in the notification messages.

[0026] Updating the interaction parameter by the respective entities contributing to the process makes it possible to share information in the absence of direct exchanges between management entities and also for the mediation entity to be able to control requests and offers in particular to ensure the balance of resources consumed by the different service providers.

[0027] According to one aspect of the invention, the determination method further comprises the emission by the active service provider to a registration entity of a resource consumed to route communication data as a substitute to the plurality of service providers.

[0028] In the absence of data on resource consumption, the process relies on estimates, notably via consumption data that may be transmitted to management entities. The purpose of transmitting resource consumption data to the registration entity is to effectively monitor the consumption of each service provider during successive substitutions, thereby improving the process of determining the next active service provider from among the available options.

[0029] The different aspects of the determination process that have just been described can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other.

[0030] The invention also relates to a device as defined in claim 13.

[0031] This device is capable of implementing, in all its embodiments, the substitution process that has just been described.

[0032] The invention also relates to a device as defined in claim 14.

[0033] This device is capable of implementing, in all its embodiments, the determination process that has just been described.

[0034] The invention also relates to a system as defined in claim 15.

[0035] The invention also relates to computer programs comprising instructions for implementing the steps of the respective substitution and determination processes just described, when these programs are both executed by a processor and a recording medium readable respectively by a substitution and determination device on which the computer programs are recorded.

[0036] The programs mentioned above may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0037] The information storage media mentioned above can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, a medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means.

[0038] Such a storage medium could be, for example, a hard drive, flash memory, etc. Furthermore, an information carrier could be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. A program according to the invention can, in particular, be downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

[0039] Alternatively, an information carrier can be an integrated circuit in which a program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the processes in question. 4. Brief description of the drawings

[0040] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which: There [ Fig 1] presents a simplified view of a diagram of interest showing the substitution method and the determination method according to one aspect of the invention, The [ Fig 2 ] presents a simplified view of an architecture in which the substitution process and the determination process are implemented according to another aspect of the invention, The [ Fig 3 ] presents a simplified view of a substitution method and a determination method according to another aspect of the invention, The [ Fig 4 ] presents a substitute device according to an embodiment of the invention, The [ Fig 5 ] presents a determination device according to an embodiment of the invention. 5. Description of the implementation methods

[0041] The following description presents embodiments of the invention in a communication architecture. This infrastructure can be implemented to route communication data from a plurality of service providers, therefore at least two, to fixed or mobile terminals, given that one of the objectives of the substitution method and the determination method is to be able to route communication data normally routed by all service providers through a limited number of service providers, in particular to reduce the resources, especially energy, consumed for data routing.

[0042] We first refer to the [ Fig 1 ] which presents a simplified view of a diagram of interest of the substitution process and the determination process according to an aspect of the invention.

[0043] In this diagram, four time intervals T1, T2, T3, and T4 are represented, for example, as durations during which the substitution process is implemented. These could be time intervals within a day, a week, or another period. As an example, they might be time intervals during which service provider networks are less congested, typically from midnight to 6 a.m.

[0044] This diagram also represents four service providers, Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, which, in this example, are mobile network service providers offering access and routing of communication data to their respective customers. It is assumed that the four service providers, Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, operate networks with comparable geographic coverage and that each service provider is capable of providing access and routing of data received and transmitted by the other three service providers. Here, the routing service is considered to include access to a communication network.In this example, it is further assumed that each service provider Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 has a network capable of carrying customer data from the other service providers. This is possible because the intervals T1, T2, T3, and T4 are periods when communication networks are less congested, and a single network is sufficient to carry customer data normally through all four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4. Outside of these intervals, data is indeed carried by all four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4.

[0045] During time interval T1, through the implementation of the substitution and determination processes, service provider Op1 replaces service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 in routing their data. Thus, during time interval T1, only service provider Op1 activates its frequency bands and network equipment to ensure connectivity and data routing for the customers of the four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4. This allows the other three service providers, Op2, Op3, and Op4, to deactivate their own frequency bands and network equipment, enabling them to conserve resources, including energy and resources associated with managing their respective networks, which are put on standby during this time interval T1.Resources can also be measured in gigabytes, since a service provider acting as a substitute transmits gigabytes of data in place of other service providers. The techniques used by service provider Op1, responsible for routing data for the customers of the four service providers, can be based on either roaming or RAN sharing. At least one service provider must ensure data routing during a specific time period, with the understanding that, if needed—for example, during periods of high traffic—two service providers could handle the data routing for all four providers.

[0046] During time interval T2, another service provider from the plurality provides the communication data routing service on behalf of the four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4. The substitution process relies on each service provider's contribution to the data routing of all service providers within a given time interval. Thus, during interval T2, Op2 provides data routing in place of the four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4. Similarly, during interval T3, service provider Op3 provides data routing in place of the four service providers Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, and during interval T4, service provider Op4 provides the routing service.The goal is for each service provider to contribute equally to the substitution process. If each provider theoretically consumes the same amount of resources at different intervals, a cyclical rotation of service providers to ensure data delivery can be implemented. However, service providers do not necessarily consume the same level of resources, so operators do not save the same amount of resources from other providers during the different time intervals of a cycle. A cycle can be defined as a period during which a service provider has substituted for other providers at least once. For example, the service provider that has saved the fewest resources for other providers, either during a single cycle or cumulatively over several cycles, handles the delivery during the next interval.For example, in a configuration with two MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) (MNO-A and MNO-B) where the MNO-A network consumes 40kWh and the MNO-B network only 20 kWh, then, in the case where substitution is activated at night, the EM will ensure that MNO-A is active for 2 nights out of 3 and MNO-B for 1 night out of 3. Thus, MNO-B is not disadvantaged because when MNO-B is active, it saves 40 kWh from MNO-A, whereas when MNO-A is active, it only saves 20 kWh from MNO-B.

[0047] According to the scheme of the [ Fig 1In the case where, during each interval T1, T2, T3, T4, each service provider Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 consumes the same amount of resources, the resource consumption Cons during the four intervals T1, T2, T3, T4 is equivalent to the sum of each service provider's resource consumption instead of four times the sum of each service provider's resource consumption. According to this simplified example, the resources have been divided by four for the transmission of the same volume of data. It should be noted that this comparison results from a highly simplified estimate where the cost to a service provider for data transmission is not solely due to the transmission itself, but also to a residual cost of network activation and management independent of the data transmission.Putting three service providers on standby during periods T1, T2, T3 and T4 therefore significantly reduces and even eliminates the resources related to the operation of three out of four networks.

[0048] Since the substitution process relies on the active contribution of each service provider, implementing a mediation entity to ensure that no service provider is harmed proves advantageous, as detailed in the [ Fig 2 ].

[0049] In the [ Fig 2The four service providers, operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, are also represented. Each operator Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 includes a management entity, respectively G1, G2, G3, and G4. In one example, these management entities are network administration entities for operators G1, G2, G3, and G4. These management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 are capable of exchanging information with an EM mediation entity. In another example, this EM mediation entity is a collaboration platform managed by a third-party entity, such as a regulator, a resource provider, or a geographic area administration entity. In another example, this EM mediation entity manages substitution based on the resources consumed by operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 to route communication data. Alternatively, the mediation entity interacts with a regulatory entity.This regulatory entity's role includes, for example, selecting operators to participate in the substitution process, identifying any operator not participating satisfactorily, and, if necessary, removing them from the process for one or more cycles. The regulatory entity may, for instance, be specific to a geographic area, such as a country, or associated with a particular communications service, especially when the data carried by a single operator as a substitute for multiple operators relates to that specific service. In one example, the regulatory entity (Reg) and the mediation entity (EM) are managed by a single entity. Alternatively, the communications architecture implementing the substitution process may also include a registration entity (EE).This EE recording entity, for example, aims to collect information related to data routing during the implementation of the substitution process. Thus, the actual resource consumption by an active operator—that is, the operator responsible for routing data in place of other operators for a specified period—can be recorded and, if necessary, compared with a theoretical value initially determined, for example, when identifying the active operator. In one example, this recording entity interacts with the operators' management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4, as well as with the EM mediation entity. This EE recording entity uses, for example, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).In cases where the resources consumed are measured in watt-hours, management entities can transmit the watt-hours consumed as operators successively route data and then compare these values ​​with theoretical values ​​chosen to determine an active operator from among several, for example. Thus, based on information actually observed and transmitted by the recording entity (EE) to the mediation entity (EM), the latter can correct potential errors to improve the selection of an active operator for a future time interval, for example, by using the cumulative consumption of the different operators during their shifts when they successively ensured data routing.It is also worth noting that transparency regarding the actual amount of resources consumed, when this information is widely available, for example via the previously mentioned DLT, is an incentive if at least two operators collaborate. Indeed, operators reluctant to collaborate will see, through publicly shared data, that collaborating operators have lower resource consumption than their own, thanks to periods of inactivity. This may encourage operators not participating in the substitution process to contribute, for example, by registering with the regulatory body Reg.

[0050] The substitution process implemented by the mediation entity EM includes an optional step whereby the regulatory entity Reg sends a configuration message containing a list of operators contributing to the substitution process and possibly identifying operators to be removed from the process (blacklisted operators) who should not be retained for one or more cycles. This configuration message may include the identifiers of the operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 retained or to be removed from the process, as well as information enabling the mediation entity to contact them, such as information relating to the management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 of these operators.

[0051] The mediation entity transmits, for example following this configuration message or autonomously if the mediation entity (EM) independently identifies, either through configuration or by requesting operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, an information message (Info) to the management entities (G1, G2, G3, and G4) of the different operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, indicating which of the four operators has been selected as the active operator, possibly with an indication of the time interval during which the operator is active. This information message (Info) also includes an interaction parameter between the different operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4, thus including interaction data between Op1 and Op2, between Op1 and Op3, between Op1 and Op4, between Op2 and Op3, etc. For example, a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) only receives the interaction data concerning the operator to whom the information message is addressed.Thus, the management entity G1 only receives interaction data concerning the operator Op1. An operator is not only an entity operating a network and also includes entities providing a service, for example of the OTT (Over The Top) type.

[0052] The management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 that received the Info information message transmit a Req request message to the management entity EM, containing the updated interaction parameter. For example, operators who received information about the identified active operator can send a substitution request to the mediation entity using the operator identified as active. Thus, if operator Op1, whose identifier was transmitted in the Info information message as the active operator, the management entities G2, G3, and G4 of operators Op2, Op3, and Op4 can send a substitution request for their respective operators Op2, Op3, and Op4, with these messages including the identifier of the requesting operator Op2, Op3, and Op4.

[0053] Upon receiving these Req requests from management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4, the EM mediation entity identifies the various substitution requests and offers, updates the interaction parameter, and notifies management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 of the received requests in a Notify message to the operator(s) who submitted offers. This notification message allows the management entities of the operators who made a substitution offer to become aware of the requests. In this case, operator Op1 becomes aware of the requests made by operators Op2, Op3, and Op4.These Notif messages also include a reward value for each operator involved in the substitution, indicating, for example, the volume of resources saved or the volume of resources to be consumed by each operator who submitted a substitution request. This value may also depend on the number of request messages exchanged with the mediation entity, the objective being to reach a substitution agreement with the minimum number of request messages transmitted. The Notif messages also include a status value indicating whether the substitution process is finalized and can be established. This can be a Boolean value indicating whether the process is finalized (value 1) or not (value 0). If the messages contain the value 0, management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 must transmit new Req messages with new interaction parameters, for example, with new offers and requests.The EM mediation entity will then transmit notification messages, relaying the various offers and requests, and updating the compensation values ​​as new messages are exchanged, thus updating the status value. These exchanges of request and notification messages continue until the status value reaches 1, indicating that the process is complete or that a certain number of messages has been reached without a substitute agreement or offers matching the requests being possible.

[0054] In the event that the process is finalized, and a substitution can be implemented, this is done via known roaming or RAN sharing techniques or any other technique enabling this substitution, and a new substitution can be implemented, the EM mediation entity selecting a new active operator, for example by choosing the operator from among operators Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4 that has saved the fewest resources to the other operators in cumulative value of the different substitution processes implemented, for example via the compensation values ​​possibly corrected by the consumption data (represented in the [ Fig 2] by the information Cons (Op3) and Cons (Op4)) transmitted by the operators management entities G1, G2, G3, G4 of the operators Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4 to the registration entity EE which the latter can advantageously retransmit to the mediation entity EM to improve the determination of the next active operator.

[0055] We then refer to the [ Fig 3 ] which presents a simplified view of a substitution method and a determination method according to another aspect of the invention.

[0056] In this [ Fig 3 ], are represented the entities G1, G2, G3, G4, EM, EE and Reg presented and described in the [ Fig 2 ].

[0057] During an E1 step, the regulatory entity Reg transmits to the mediation entity a message indicating the service providers / operators contributing to the substitution process as well as possibly the service providers / operators positioned on a blacklist for this substitution process.

[0058] During an E2 step, the EM entity transmits a notification message to the management entities G1, G2, G3 and G4 as shown below.

[0059] Information message sent by entity EM to G1: Info: [request from Op2 to Op1=0, request from Op3 to Op1=0, request from Op4 to Op1=0, offer from Op2 to Op1=0, offer from Op3 to Op1=0, offer from Op4 to Op1=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0]

[0060] Information message sent to G2: Info: [Op1 request to Op2=0, Op3 request to Op2=0, Op4 request to Op2=0, Op1 offer to Op2=0, Op3 offer to Op2=0, Op4 offer to Op2=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0]

[0061] Information message sent to G3: Info: [request from Op1 to Op3=0, request from Op2 to Op3=0, request from Op4 to Op3=0, offer from Op1 to Op3=0, offer from Op2 to Op3=0, offer from Op4 to Op3=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0]

[0062] Information message sent to G4: Info: [request from Op1 to Op4=0, request from Op2 to Op4=0, request from Op3 to Op4=0, offer from Op1 to Op4=0, offer from Op2 to Op4=0, offer from Op3 to Op4=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0]

[0063] The Info messages transmitted to the management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4 of operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 include substitution supply and demand parameters from the respective operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 to each of the other operators Op1, Op2, Op3, and Op4 in the plurality. In this example, the operators only receive the substitution parameters, including offers and demands from other operators that do not concern them (management entity G1 only receives the offers and demands concerning operator Op1). The information onguard-Op1=1 present in the Info messages indicates to the management entities that operator Op1 is determined to be the active operator for the next substitution. As an example, the Info message can also include a time data element indicating a time interval during which the substitution takes place.

[0064] During step E3, management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4, in response to the received information message, send a Req request message to the mediation entity EM. This message includes the identifier of the operator sending the request message and the updated received interaction parameter. For example, the Req messages transmitted by the respective management entities might take the following form: Req request message sent by entity G1 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op1 to Op2=0, request from Op1 to Op3=0, request from Op1 to Op4=0, offer from Op1 to Op2=0, offer from Op1 to Op3=0, offer from Op1 to Op3=0, agent-id=1] This request message indicates that operator Op1 is neither requesting nor offering any alternative services to the other operators and that operator Op1, whose identifier is 1, is transmitting this message.

[0065] Similarly, management entities G2, G3, and G4 transmit the following request messages: Request message (Req) sent by entity G2 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op2 to Op1=1, request from Op2 to Op3=0, request from Op2 to Op4=0, offer from Op2 to Op1=0, offer from Op2 to Op3=0, offer from Op2 to Op4=0, agent-id=2] Request message (Req) sent by entity G1 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op3 to Op1=1, request from Op3 to Op2=0, request from Op3 to Op4=0, offer from Op3 to Op1=0, offer from Op3 to Op2=0, offer from Op31 to Op4=0, agent-id=3] Request message (Req) sent by entity G1 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op4 to Op1=1, request from Op4 to Op2=0, request from Op4 to Op3=0, offer from Op4 to Op1=0, offer from Op4 to Op2= 0, offer from Op4 to Op3= 0, agent-id=4]

[0066] In these Req messages, management entities G2, G3, G4 request a substitution of operators Op2, Op3, op4 by operator Op1 and offer no substitution.

[0067] In this example, these request messages only include interactions in which the operator issuing the request message is involved.

[0068] In an alternative scenario, these Req requests include data related to the network technology operated by the sending operator. A G1, G2, G3, or G4 management entity can then update the interaction parameter received in the information message with this data. This data could, for example, indicate the version of the cellular network operated by the operator (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), and / or indicate the frequency band used by the operator for customer access to its network, and / or include information about the bandwidth used for routing communication data.

[0069] The use of substitution request actions and substitution offers thus allows each operator to choose whether or not to collaborate, independently of the information concerning the active operator transmitted by the mediation entity.

[0070] Upon receiving request messages, during an E4 step, the EM mediation entity extracts the interaction parameters, processes them and configures them in the notification messages to transmit the interaction parameters according to the requests and offers of the different operators.

[0071] The EM mediation entity then transmits, during step E5, to the management entities of the operators contributing to the substitution process, the notification messages including the interaction parameters configured during step E4. The notification messages transmitted to the management entities G1, G2, G3, G4 are, according to an alternative, as presented below.

[0072] Notification message sent by entity EM to G1: Observation: [request from Op2 to Op1=1, request from Op3 to Op1=1, request from Op4 to Op1=1, offer from Op2 to Op1=0, offer from Op3 to Op1=0, offer from Op4 to Op1=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0, rec=-0.01, fin=0]

[0073] The mediation entity EM thus indicates via this Notif message that operators Op2, Op3, and Op4 have requested a substitution from operator Op1, that no operator has offered a substitute, that the compensation value rec is negative (-0.01) because there is currently no substitution agreement, and that a message is being sent to reach this agreement. This negative value aims to incentivize the agent to contribute to the substitution process. The message also includes a status value (fin), here set to 0, indicating ongoing negotiations between the operators for the implementation of the substitution.

[0074] The notification messages transmitted by the EM entity to the management entities G2, G3, G4 are in the following form: Notification message sent by entity EM to G2: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op2=0, request from Op3 to Op2=0, request from Op4 to Op2=0, offer from Op1 to Op2=0, offer from Op3 to Op2=0, offer from Op4 to Op2=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0, rec=-0.01, fin=0] Notification message sent by entity EM to G3: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op3=0, request from Op2 to Op3=0, request from Op4 to Op3=0, offer from Op1 to Op3=0, offer from Op2 to Op3=0, offer from Op4 to Op3=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted -Op2=0, blacklisted - Op3=0, blacklisted -Op4=0, rec=-0.01, fin=0] Notification message Not sent by entity EM to G4: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op4=0, request from Op2 to Op4=0, request from Op3 to Op4=0, offer from Op1 to Op4=0, offer from Op2 to Op4=0, offer from Op3 to Op4=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0, rec=-0.01, fin=0] .

[0075] Notification messages may also include information indicating whether one or more operators receiving the notification message have been removed from the process, i.e., blacklisted, thus informing them which operators cannot participate in the substitution process. An operator may be blacklisted, for example, if it fails to route data for other operators even though the process has been successful and it has been determined that it is the active operator. This information regarding a removed operator may be supplemented by information on the duration of the removal.

[0076] For example, notification messages may also include data relating to the resource consumption saved during the next period of inactivity. This data may be an estimated resource that can be modified by actual consumption information transmitted, for example, through a registration entity.

[0077] During step E6, management entities G1, G2, G3 and G4 transmit a new Req request message since the status value (end) was 0 in the notification messages received during step E5.

[0078] These request messages have the following form: Request message (Req) sent by entity G1 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op1 to Op2=0, request from Op1 to Op3=0, request from Op1 to Op4=0, offer from Op1 to Op2=1, offer from Op1 to Op3=1, offer from Op1 to Op4=1, agent-id=1] Request message (Req) sent by entity G2 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op2 to Op1=0, request from Op2 to Op3=0, request from Op2 to Op4=0, offer from Op2 to Op1=0, offer from Op2 to Op3=0, offer from Op2 to Op4=0, agent-id=2] Request message (Req) sent by entity G3 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op3 to Op1=0, request from Op3 to Op2=0, request from Op3 to Op4=0, offer from Op3 to Op1=0, offer [from Op3 to Op2=0, offer from Op3 to Op4=0, agent-id=3] Request message Req sent by entity G4 to entity EM: ​​Action: [request from Op4 to Op1=0, request from Op4 to Op2=0, request from Op4 to Op3=0, offer from Op4 to Op1=0, offer from Op4 to Op2=0, offer from Op4 to Op3=0, agent-id=4]

[0079] These request messages indicate that the management entity G1 offers a substitute service to the three other operators, via the information present in the interaction parameter of the Req message transmitted by the management entity G1.

[0080] Upon receiving these request messages, the EM mediation entity proceeds during step E7 in accordance with step E4 and updates the interaction parameters of the notification messages to be sent back to the management entities based on the information present in the interaction parameters of the Req request messages.

[0081] During step E8, the EM mediation entity sends new notification messages to the management entities G1, G2, G3, and G4. These messages have the following format: Notification message sent by entity EM to G1: Observation: [request from Op2 to Op1=0, request from Op3 to Op1=0, request from Op4 to Op1=0, offer from Op2 to Op1=0, offer from Op3 to Op1=0, offer from Op4 to Op1=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0, rec=-1.00, fin=1] Notification message sent by entity EM to G2: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op2=0, request from Op3 to Op2=0, request from Op4 to Op2=0, offer from Op1 to Op2=1, offer from Op3 to Op2=0, offer from Op4 to Op2=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted -Op2=0, blacklisted - Op3=0, blacklisted -Op4=0, rec=0.[00, fin=1] Notification message sent by entity EM to G3: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op3=0, request from Op2 to Op3=0, request from Op4 to Op3=0, offer from Op1 to Op3=1, offer from Op2 to Op3=0, offer from Op4 to Op3=0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted-Op2=0, blacklisted-Op3=0, blacklisted-Op4=0, rec=0.00, fin=1] Notification message sent by entity EM to G4: Observation: [request from Op1 to Op4=0, request from Op2 to Op4=0, request from Op3 to Op4=0, offer from Op1 to Op4=1, offer from Op2 to Op4=0, offer from Op3 to Op4= 0, onguard-Op1=1, onguard-Op2=0, onguard-Op3=0, onguard-Op4=0, blacklisted-Op1=0, blacklisted -Op2=0, blacklisted - Op3=0, blacklisted -Op4=0, rec=0.00, fin=1] .

[0082] These notification messages indicate to management entities G2, G3 and G4 that operator Op1, via its management entity G1, accepts their substitution requests and operator Op1 agrees to ensure the routing of data during the next phase of substitution.

[0083] The rec value for compensation or reward is set to 0.00 in the notification messages sent to management entities G2, G3, and G4 because operators Op2, Op3, and Op4 have their traffic routed by operator Op1, while the rec value for operator Op1 is set to -1.00 because this operator provides routing for the other operators. A compensation value of 0.00 indicates that the operators will be replaced by another operator, and a value of -1.00 indicates that the operator in question provides routing for other operators. This value, indicating a number of resources saved, can be advantageously used to determine the next active operator, as an operator with a value of -1.00 is less likely to be determined than an operator with a value of 0.00.

[0084] The state value (end) of the notification messages is set to 1 indicating that the substitution process has made it possible to achieve a substitution between the operators following these negotiation exchanges from steps E1 to E8.

[0085] It is worth noting that if no agreement is finalized after a configurable number n of notification messages have been sent to the management entities, the state value is also set to 1, but without a substitution being implemented due to the lack of an agreement reached during the negotiation. In the case where the number n of messages is reached, advantageously, the management entity returns not only fin=1 but also rec=0.9 to indicate to the management entity Gi (here i from 1 to 4) that it will not receive an offer for the next substitution. Thus, if the Gis use reinforcement learning, this helps guide their learning algorithm by showing them that a failed negotiation will be resource-intensive because they will have to keep their network active for the next substitution or the next substitution cycle.

[0086] The mediation entity then updates the values, for example cumulative values, of the resource savings of the different operators. The operator that has saved the fewest resources—that is, the one that has contributed the least to the substitution phases actually implemented—is determined in step E9 as the active operator for the next substitution phase. The identifier of this operator, determined as active, will then be communicated in an information message in accordance with step E1. Thus, the successive operators determined are those that have contributed the least, ensuring a process where operators are incentivized to contribute to the substitution phases in order to save resources.

[0087] Alternatively, once the substitution has been completed, during step E10 the management entities (and in particular the management entity of the active operator) can transmit to a recording entity (EE) the resources actually consumed during the substitution phase. If the resources are measured in watt-hours, the watt-hour count at the mediation entity level can be advantageously updated with data from other actors, for example, a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) system from the recording entity that indicates the watt-hours actually used to maintain the service and associated infrastructure, based, for example, on information transmitted by the management entities.Indeed, there can be a difference between the pre-configured number of hours on which the mediation entity bases its rotation fairness forecasts for the "on-call" operator (the operator in charge of routing) and the number of watt-hours consumed subsequently. Based on the actual consumption by the operator assuming an on-call shift, the mediation entity, using information on resources actually consumed transmitted by the recording entity during an E11 step, simply updates the total energy used by the active operator in its accounts table. This allows it to have a nightly average for each active operator during successive substitution phases, thus improving the determination of the active operator for the next phase.

[0088] The substitution process and the corresponding determination process can be implemented on an actual network infrastructure or implemented during a simulation in particular to show stakeholders (operators, service providers, etc.) that the process allows them to save resources and thus encourage them to deploy this type of process on existing infrastructures.

[0089] The substitution process is all the more interesting for each plurality management entity if all management entities actively contribute to the process and, for example, respect their role as active operators when designated as such by the mediation entity.

[0090] Furthermore, it should be noted that for greater efficiency and faster convergence of this multi-supplier service cooperation corresponding to a MARL (Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning) technique, it is more advantageous for messages (information, request, notification) to include parameters and data coded with discrete values ​​and more specifically boolean flags which allow management entities not to have too many different values ​​to try during the initial phase of learning the most optimal exchanges, because thus the solution is found more quickly.

[0091] The process can also draw on known techniques related to social dilemmas such as the "prisoner's dilemma." Reward values ​​can indeed be used as coefficients R (Reward because both cooperate), T (Temptation not to cooperate), S (Being tricked because one entity cooperates but the other does not), and P (Punishment because neither cooperates) of a social dilemma that is a prisoner's dilemma if T > R > P > S. The condition R > (S+T) / 2 is necessary for the prisoner's dilemma, when repeated, to foster cooperation between management entities. Reward values ​​can therefore be advantageously used in the process implemented from a prisoner's dilemma so that the cooperative equilibrium of the management entities, and thus the convergence based on the effective contribution of each management entity to the process, is accelerated.

[0092] We then refer to the [ Fig 4] which presents a 100% replacement device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0093] Such a substitute arrangement can be implemented in a mediation entity, such as the EM mediation entity presented in the [ Fig 2 ] And [ Fig 3 This substitution mechanism can therefore be operated by a regulatory entity of a communication service, or by one of the service providers which may be, for example, a network operator on which communication data relating to a digital service are routed.

[0094] For example, the substitution device 100 comprises a processing unit 130, equipped, for example, with a microprocessor µP, and controlled by a computer program 110, stored in a memory 120 and implementing the substitution process according to the invention. At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 110 are, for example, loaded into RAM before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 130. Such a substitution device 100 comprises: a 102 sender, capable of sending to each management entity an Info message including an identifier of the active service provider and an interaction parameter between each service provider of the plurality, and, capable of sending as long as a received state value does not indicate an end of negotiation to each management entity a Notif message including an identifier of the determined active service provider, the interaction parameter between each of the service providers updated according to the received request messages, a reward value of the service provider receiving the notification message and the state value updated according to the interaction parameter of the notification message.a receiver 101, capable of receiving, as long as the received state value does not indicate an end of negotiation, from each management entity a request Req message including an identifier of the service provider whose management entity is sending the message and the interaction parameter updated according to the information message or the notification message received, a calculator 103, capable of updating the state value according to the interaction parameter of the notification message.

[0095] We then refer to the [ Fig 5 ] which presents a 200 determination device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0096] Such a determination mechanism can be implemented in a management entity, such as the G1, G2, G3, G4 management entity presented in the [ Fig 2 ] And [ Fig 3This substitution mechanism can therefore be operated by a service provider such as an operator and can, for example, be instantiated in an administration entity of an operator network or a communication service.

[0097] For example, the determination device 200 comprises a processing unit 230, equipped, for example, with a microprocessor uP, and controlled by a computer program 210, stored in a memory 220 and implementing the determination method according to the invention. At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 210 are, for example, loaded into RAM before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 230. Such a determination device 200 comprises a receiver 201, capable of receiving from the mediation entity an Info message including an identifier of the active service provider and an interaction parameter between each service provider of the plurality, and as long as a received state value does not indicate an end of negotiation capable of receiving from the mediation entity at least one Notify message including an identifier of the determined active service provider, the interaction parameter between each of the service providers updated according to the received request messages, a reward value of the service provider receiving the notification message and the state value updated according to the interaction parameter of the notification message.a calculator 203, capable of updating the interaction parameter based on the information message or notification message received, a transmitter 202, capable of sending to the mediation entity at least one request Req message including an identifier of the service provider whose management entity is sending the message and the updated interaction parameter.

Claims

1. Method for substituting a plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) with one of the service providers (Op1) of the plurality of service providers, called active service provider, which routes data instead of the plurality of service providers for a determined duration, called temporal cycle, the method being implemented in a mediation entity (EM) able to communicate with a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) implemented by each service provider of the plurality of service providers and comprising: - sending (E2) each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) an information message (Info) comprising an identifier of the active service provider (Op1) and an interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers, the identifier of the active service provider being determined by means of a remuneration value indicating its least contribution to data routing in previous temporal cycles, and as long as a binary state value is set by the mediation entity to indicate negotiation is in progress between the service providers with a view to implementing substitution, - at least one reception step (E3, E6) for receiving a substitution request message (Req) from each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) comprising an identifier of the service provider whose management entity sends the message and the updated interaction parameter indicating the substitution requests and offers of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) received in the information message (Info) or the notification message (Notif), - at least one sending step (E5, E8) for sending each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) a notification message (Notif) comprising an identifier of the determined active service provider (Op1), the interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) configured by the mediation entity (E4) to indicate to the service providers the substitution requests and offers received in the request messages, the remuneration value of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) receiving the notification message (Notif) indicating a metric associated with resources used or saved for routing data by said service provider during the temporal cycle, and the binary state value set to a value indicating an end of negotiation in the event that the determined active service provider (Op1) has sent a request message comprising an interaction parameter indicating an offer of substitution for the plurality for the temporal cycle.

2. Substitution method according to Claim 1, wherein the interaction parameter between each of the service providers of the plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3 and Op4) comprises - a parameter requesting the substitution of one service provider (Op1) of the plurality of service providers for each of the other service providers (Op2, Op3 and Op4) of the plurality of service providers, - a parameter offering the substitution of one service provider (Op1) of the plurality of service providers for each of the other service providers (Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers.

3. Substitution method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein updating the interaction parameter comprises configuring, in the notification message sent to the management entity (G1) of the active service provider (Op1), substitution requests received in the request messages (Req) sent by the non-active service providers (Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers.

4. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the updated interaction parameter of the request message further comprises a datum relating to the technology of a communication network of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) whose management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) sends the request message (Req).

5. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification message (Notif) further comprises information indicating whether the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) whose management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) receives the notification message is removed from the plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) when implementing the substitution method.

6. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the notification message (Notif) further comprises a datum related to the consumption of resources saved by substituting the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3 and Op4) of the plurality of service providers with the active service provider (Op1).

7. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the state value is set to indicate that one of the service providers of the plurality of service providers is in a position to route the data instead of the other service providers of the plurality of service providers if the interaction parameter of the request message (Req) sent by the active service provider (Op1) comprises a substitution offer parameter or if the number of request (Req) and / or notification (Notif) messages reaches a predetermined value.

8. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the remuneration value relates to the savings in resources generated by the recipient service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4).

9. Substitution method according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein a new active service provider (Op2) is also determined as a function of the transmitted remuneration values and / or as a function of a resource consumed by the active service provider (Op1) for routing communication data as a substitute for the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers.

10. Method for determining an active service provider (Op1) from among a plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3 and Op4), said active service provider (Op1) routing data instead of the plurality of service providers for a determined duration, called temporal cycle, the method being implemented by a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) of each service provider of the plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) that is able to communicate with a mediation entity (EM) and comprising: - receiving (E2) an information message from the mediation entity (EM) comprising an identifier of the active service provider (Op1) and an interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers, the identifier of the active service provider being determined by means of a remuneration value indicating its least contribution to data routing in previous temporal cycles, and as long as a binary state value is set by the mediation entity to indicate negotiation is in progress between the service providers with a view to implementing substitution, - at least one updating step for updating the interaction parameter indicating the substitution requests and offers of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4), - at least one sending step (E3, E6) for sending the mediation entity (EM) a substitution request message (Req) comprising an identifier of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) whose management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) sends the message and the updated interaction parameter, - at least one reception step (E5, E8) for receiving from the management entity (EM) a notification message (Notif) comprising an identifier of the determined active service provider (Op1), the interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) configured by the mediation entity (E4) to indicate to the service providers the substitution requests and offers received in the request messages, the remuneration value of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) receiving the notification message (Notif) indicating a metric associated with resources used or saved for routing data by said data routing service provider during the temporal cycle, and the binary state value set to a value indicating an end of negotiation in the event that the determined active service provider (Op1) has sent a request message comprising an interaction parameter indicating an offer of substitution for the plurality for the temporal cycle.

11. Determination method according to Claim 10, wherein updating the interaction parameter in the request messages comprises updating a parameter requesting the substitution of a non-active service provider (Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers for the active service provider (Op1) as a function of the identifier of the active service provider (Op1) received in the notification message (Notif) or the offer for substitution by the active service provider (Op1) to the non-active service providers (Op2, Op3, Op4) as a function of the request parameters received in the notification messages (Notif).

12. Determination method according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, further comprising the management entity (G1) of the active service provider (Op1) sending a registration entity (EE) a resource consumed for routing the communication data in substitution for the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers.

13. Device (100) for substituting a plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) with one of the service providers (Op1) of the plurality of service providers, called active service provider, which routes data instead of the plurality of service providers for a determined duration, called temporal cycle, the device being implemented in a mediation entity (EM) able to communicate with a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) implemented by each service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers and comprising - a transmitter (102), - able to send each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) an information message (Info) comprising an identifier of the active service provider (Op1) and an interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers, the identifier of the active service provider being determined by means of a remuneration value indicating its least contribution to data routing in previous temporal cycles, and - able to send, as long as a received binary state value is set by the mediation entity to indicate negotiation is in progress between the service providers with a view to implementing substitution, to each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) a notification message (Notif) comprising an identifier of the determined active service provider (Op1), the interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) configured by the mediation entity (E4) to indicate to the service providers the substitution requests and offers received in the request messages, the remuneration value of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) receiving the notification message (Notif) indicating a metric associated with resources used or saved for routing data by said service provider during the temporal cycle, and the binary value set to a value indicating an end of negotiation in the event that the determined active operator (Op1) has sent a request message comprising an interaction parameter indicating an offer of substitution for the plurality for the temporal cycle, - a receiver (101), able to receive, from each management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4), a substitution request message (Req) comprising an identifier of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) whose management entity (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) sends the message and the updated interaction parameter indicating the substitution requests and offers of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4), - a computer (103), able to update the state value to indicate the substitution requests and offers received in the request messages.

14. Device (200) for determining an active service provider (Op1) from among a plurality of service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4), said active service provider (Op1) routing data instead of the plurality of service providers for a determined duration, called temporal cycle, the device being implemented in a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) of each service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers that is able to communicate with a mediation entity (EM) and comprising: - a receiver (201), - able to receive an information message (Info) from the mediation entity (EM) comprising an identifier of the active service provider (Op1) and an interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) of the plurality of service providers, the identifier of the active service provider being determined by means of a remuneration value indicating its least contribution to data routing in previous temporal cycles, and as long as a received binary state value is set by the mediation entity to indicate negotiation is in progress between the service providers with a view to implementing substitution, - able to receive from the management entity (EM) at least one notification message (Notif) comprising an identifier of the determined active service provider (Op1), the interaction parameter between each of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) configured by the mediation entity (E4) to indicate the substitution requests and offers received in the request messages, the remuneration value of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) receiving the notification message (Notif) indicating a metric associated with resources used or saved for routing data by said data routing service provider during the temporal cycle, and the binary state value set to a value indicating an end of negotiation in the event that the determined active operator (Op1) has sent a request message comprising an interaction parameter indicating an offer of substitution for the plurality for the temporal cycle, - a computer (203), able to update the interaction parameter indicating the substitution requests and offers of the service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) received in the information message (Info) or notification message (Notif), - a transmitter (202), able to send the mediation entity (EM) at least one substitution request message (Req) comprising an identifier of the service provider (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) whose management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) sends the request message (Req) and the updated interaction parameter.

15. System for substituting a plurality of service providers with one service provider, called active service provider, of the plurality of service providers for the purpose of routing communication data, said system comprising: - a mediation entity (EM) comprising a substitution device (100) according to Claim 13, - at least two service providers (Op1, Op2, Op3, Op4) each comprising a management entity (G1, G2, G3, G4) comprising a determination device (200) according to Claim 14.

16. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the substitution method according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, when the program is executed by a processor.