Centurylink Intellectual Property LLC

William T Stelle

Jeffrey Michael Sweeney

Kelsyn D S Rooks

Among other things, there are disclosed structures, systems and methods for monitoring and regulating access by consumers to computer network bandwidth, particularly with regard to peer-to-peer file sharing. A router (in certain embodiments, a core router) is programmed with a predetermined number of open or open and active internet protocol (IP) sessions a particular computer is allowed. Requests to open sessions that do not exceed that number are permitted. Requests to open sessions that exceed that number may be rejected, or an offer obtain additional session(s), perhaps with additional payment, may be made.

IP session-based regulation and billing

A router is operatively coupled to a plurality of local computers and has one or more connections to a remote computer network for managing one or more data routes between the local computers and the remote computer network. In providing dynamic access to the remote computer network by any of the local computers, one or more of the connection(s) of the router to the remote computer network includes one or more wireless connections independent of the router between the local computers and the remote computer network.

Dynamic multi-point access network

A router has one or more wired connections to a remote computer network and one or more wireless connections to the remote computer network for managing a plurality of data routes between computers of a local area network and the remote computer network. In optimizing multi-broadband sources for the local computer network, the router determines an aggregate bandwidth of the data routes and segregates the aggregate bandwidth into two or more independent bandwidth routes for selective allocation of one of the bandwidth routes to each data exchange between the local computer network and the remote computer network. The bandwidth routes may be distinguished based on the differing types of connections of the router and the remote computer network, the differing types of connections of the router and the plurality of the computers, the varying latency of the data routes, the directional flows of data along the data routes, the security level of the data exchange between the computers and the remote data network, and the security level of the connections between the router and the remote data network.

Growing community of inventors

Lenexa, KS, United States of America

William T Stelle