IP Library Granted Patent US 9,521,041
Granted Patent B2
US 9,521,041 · App. 13/468,912 · Granted Dec 13, 2016

Apparatus, system, and method ordering and provisioning variable bandwidth capacity on a network

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,521,041
App. No.
13/468,912
Granted
Dec 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for automatic purchasing, reserving and/or provisioning of a wavelength bandwidth block are disclosed. A user may access a web page, such as an interactive web-portal, to provide bandwidth data and corresponding ordering information for reserving a particular amount of bandwidth capacity on a telecommunications network. Subsequently, the customer's may access and the bandwidth blocks to increase/decrease and/or activate/deactivate portions of the reserved bandwidth capacity as needed.

Claims (55)

1. A system for providing bandwidth comprising:

a first network node server comprising:

at least one line-side port to communicate data at a maximum bandwidth capacity on a network; and

a plurality of tributary ports, each tributary port of the plurality of tributary ports for communicating the data at a percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity; and

at least one processor to:

receive input to reserve the maximum bandwidth capacity on the network;

process the input to generate a reservation for communicating data by:

assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one line-side capacity port; and

assigning the percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one of the plurality of tributary ports; and

generate a total fee for reserving bandwidth based on: (a) a fee for assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one line-side capacity port; and, (b) a fee for actual bandwidth consumption based on the percentage of the maximum bandwidth assigned.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein receiving input for an amount of bandwidth comprises conducting a dialog with the user on a display prompting the user to provide the input via a web portal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second input to increase bandwidth consumption on the first network node server by assigning another bandwidth percentage of the maximum bandwidth to at least another one of the plurality of tributary ports.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second input to decrease bandwidth consumption on the first network node server by deactivating the at least one plurality of tributary ports.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is an optical telecommunications network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservation corresponds to a wavelength bandwidth block.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to activate the first network node server by initiating the installation of a line card.

8. A system for providing bandwidth comprising:

a first network node server comprising:

at least one line-side port to communicate data at a maximum bandwidth capacity on a network; and

a plurality of tributary ports, each tributary port of the plurality of tributary ports for communicating the data at a percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity; and

a second network node server comprising:

at least one other line-side port to communicate the data at the maximum bandwidth capacity on the network; and

a plurality of other tributary ports, each other tributary port of the plurality of other tributary ports for communicating the data at a percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity; and

at least one processor to:

receive input to reserve the maximum bandwidth capacity on the network;

process the input to generate a reservation for communicating data between the first network node server and the second network node server by:

assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one line-side capacity port;

assigning the percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity to at least one of the plurality of tributary ports;

assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one other line-side capacity port; and

assigning the percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity to at least one of the other tributary port of the plurality of other tributary ports; and

generate a total fee for reserving bandwidth based on: (a) a fee for assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one line-side capacity port; and, (b) a fee for actual bandwidth consumption based on the percentage of the maximum bandwidth assigned.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second input to increase bandwidth consumption between the first network node server and the second network node server by:

assigning another bandwidth percentage of the maximum bandwidth to at least another one of the plurality of tributary ports; and

assigning the another bandwidth percentage of the maximum bandwidth to at least another one of the other tributary ports of the plurality of other tributary ports.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second input to decrease bandwidth consumption on the first network node server by:

deactivating the at least one tributary ports of the plurality of tributary ports; and

deactivating the at least one other tributary port of the plurality of other tributary ports.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the network is an optical telecommunications network.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the reservation corresponds to a wavelength bandwidth block.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to activate the first network node server by initiating the installation of a line card.

14. A method for reserving bandwidth comprising:

receiving, at a processor, input to reserve a maximum bandwidth capacity on a network;

processing, at the at least one processor, the input to generate a reservation for communicating data with a network node server within the network by:

assigning a maximum bandwidth capacity to at least one line-side capacity port; and

assigning the percentage of the maximum bandwidth capacity to at least one of the plurality of tributary ports, wherein the network node server comprises the at least one line-side port and the plurality of tributary ports; and

generating a total fee for reserving bandwidth based on: (a) a fee for assigning the maximum bandwidth capacity to the at least one line-side capacity port; and, (b) a fee for actual bandwidth consumption based on the percentage of the maximum bandwidth assigned.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving a second input to increase bandwidth consumption by the network node server by assigning another bandwidth percentage of the maximum bandwidth to at least another one of the plurality of tributary ports.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving a second input to decrease bandwidth consumption by the network node server by deactivating the at least one plurality of tributary ports.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the network is an optical telecommunications network.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reservation corresponds to a wavelength bandwidth block.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising activating the network node server by initiating the installation of a line card.

Assignments (3)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0749 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2012
From: CROSBY, KELLY R.; GARRARD, BENJAMIN W.; KING, JEFF; NUSZ, SCOTT A.; MERCHANT, MONISHA
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 029123/0129 →