METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING SHARED SERVICES

1 . An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that if executed cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

joining a community of a plurality of mobile servers for sharing a service; and

providing the service to a service consumer.

2 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

initiating synchronization of the shared service within the community,

wherein the community is a social networking community or a subset of the social networking community.

3 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the shared service anonymously.

4 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile server configured to provide the shared service in response to local requests.

5 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

generating an invitation that includes an authentication key for the service consumer to use the shared service, or for one or more of the mobile servers to host or clone the shared service; and

initiating the transmission of the invitation to either the service consumer or the one or more mobile servers.

6 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

receiving a designation to act as a service volunteer for the shared service; and

providing the shared service to the service consumer when one or more of the plurality of mobile servers are unavailable.

7 . An apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the designation of the service volunteer or the availability of a mobile server is specified by a predetermined or a user-specified setting, context or service criteria including location, time, type of network connection, quality of service, device capability, nature of the shared service, or a combination thereof.

8 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further and repeatedly perform:

generating a status message including a current network address and availability to act as a mobile server; and

initiating transmission of the status message to the gateway, the community, an open access community group, or a combination thereof.

9 . An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the status message includes a context or load-balancing metric associated with the apparatus for providing the shared service including location, time, type of network connection, quality of service, device capability, nature of the shared service, or a combination thereof.

10 . An apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

enforcing an access policy on the service consumer,

wherein the access policy includes a bandwidth threshold, data quota, limit on the number of connections, transfer ratio, or a combination thereof.

11 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform:

joining a community of a plurality of mobile servers for sharing a service; and

providing the service to a service consumer.

12 . A computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

initiating synchronization of the shared service within the community,

wherein the community is a social networking community or a subset of the social networking community.

13 . A computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

generating an invitation that includes an authentication key for the service consumer to use the shared service, or for one or more of the mobile servers to host or clone the shared service; and

initiating the transmission of the invitation to either the service consumer or the one or more mobile servers.

14 . A computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

receiving a designation to act as a service volunteer for the shared service; and

providing the shared service to the service consumer when one or more of the plurality of mobile servers are unavailable.

15 . A computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further and repeatedly perform:

generating a status message including a current network address and availability to act as a mobile server;

initiating transmission of the status message to the gateway, the community, an open access community group, or a combination thereof; and

enforcing an access policy on the service consumer.

16 . A method comprising:

joining a community of a plurality of mobile servers for sharing a service; and

providing the service to a service consumer.

17 . A method of claim 16 , further comprising:

initiating synchronization of the shared service within the community,

wherein the community is a social networking community or a subset of the social networking community.

18 . A method of claim 16 , further comprising:

generating an invitation that includes an authentication key for the service consumer to use the shared service, or for one or more of the mobile servers to host or clone the shared service; and

initiating the transmission of the invitation to either the service consumer or the one or more mobile servers.

19 . A method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving a designation to act as a service volunteer for the shared service; and

providing the shared service to the service consumer when one or more of the plurality of mobile servers are unavailable.

20 . A method of claim 16 , further comprising:

generating a status message including a current network address and availability to act as a mobile server;

initiating transmission of the status message to the gateway, the community, an open access community group, or a combination thereof; and

enforcing an access policy on the service consumer.