Pooling network devices
View Patent ↗A method, system, and medium are provided for pooling network devices and updating service plans in a wireless network. The system includes at least one base station and network devices that are part of a wireless network. The base station is configured to group network devices based on a location identifier of each network device. The base station may pool network resources of network devices in each group. The base station, in turn, updates the service plans for customers having addresses that correspond to the location identifiers to reflect the grouped network devices and the pooled resources.
1. A method comprising:
at a base station:
receiving location identifiers from a plurality of network devices;
determining whether two or more of the plurality of network devices are in a defined proximity of the base station, wherein proximity of each of the two or more network devices is determined using the location identifiers corresponding to the two or more network devices;
when the two or more of the plurality of network devices are determined to be in the defined proximity of the base station:
placing the two or more network devices into one group, wherein the one group is based on the location identifiers relative to the defined proximity of the base station;
pooling available communication resources of the two or more network devices of the one group together;
dynamically modifying a mode of operation for each of the two or more network devices in the one group to a pooled mode, wherein the pooled mode of operation enables each of the two or more network devices in the one group to share access to the pooled available communication resources; and
updating database records associated with the one group of two or more network devices to indicate shared accessibility to the pooled communication resources, and to confirm that the one group of two or more network devices belongs to one or more customers associated with addresses that correspond to the location identifiers for the two or more network devices; and
when the two or more of the plurality of network devices are determined to be out of the defined proximity of the base station:
dynamically modifying a mode of operation for each of the two or more network devices to an independent mode, wherein the independent mode of operation does not allow the two or more network devices to share access to available communication resources of other network devices.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the two or more network devices into one group further comprises creating relationships between network devices that are within the defined proximity.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the relationships may include any combination of: sibling, parent, or child.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether two or more of the plurality of network devices are in a defined proximity of the base station further comprises determining whether two or more of the plurality of network devices are within a range associated with a near-field communication channel generated by each of the network devices.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising removing, at the base station, one or more network devices from the one group when the one or more network devices are no longer within a range associated with the near-field communication channel.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising adding, at the base station, one or more additional network devices to the one group when the one or more additional network devices are within a range associated with the near-field communication channel.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
retrieving, by the base station, the database record associated with the customer; and
identifying, by the base station, a limit on the number of network devices that may be associated with the customer at a location corresponding to the one group and the one or more additional network devices added.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein adding the one or more additional network devices to the one group further comprises checking the limit and rejecting the additional one or more network devices when the limit for the customer is reached.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each network device in the one group is assigned a shared group identifier.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network devices are any of the following: digital signs with M2M components or televisions with M2M components.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the available communication resources, as pooled, include an aggregate of service maximums associated with each of the two or more network devices that are part of the one group.