CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Applications Nos.

61/366,079, by Sachson, entitled Application ("App") Activity System, filed on July 20. 2010. 61/372,090, by Sachson, entitled Application Activity System Variant 1, filed on August 9. 2010. 61/390,256, by Sachson entitled Application Activity System Variant 2, filed on

October 6. 2010. 61/435,295 by Sachson filed on January 22. 2011. and 61/472,546 by Sachson entitled Application ("App") Activity System, filed on April 6. 2011. the disclosures of which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] By way of background, many households (up to 30 million in the U.S. alone, with many more globally) do not have online bandwidth access, often due to the prohibitive cost of the monthly online bandwidth subscription. To address this, some market participants have tried to launch commercial frameworks where one party acts as a payor, such as a commercial party who subsidizes the online bandwidth connectivity fees for connecting to the bandwidth available on a network, such as the Internet, e.g., for their customers, potential customers, service recipients, governmental or otherwise, etc. These efforts, however, have failed mostly because there exists no low cost, scalable, and transparent method for consolidating those who wish to subsidize online bandwidth access with those who seek the subsidy, especially within the network itself. The systems and methods of the present application address this failure and other aspects of providing online bandwidth access to content and services through the use of systems and methods to more effectively bring these parties together to create a market for bandwidth access.

[0003] U.S. Patent 6,181 ,690 to Civanlar for Toll-Free Internet Service describes a method for providing a toll-free connection between an end user and a site provider; U.S. Publication US 2005/0044243 A1 to Narayanan et al. for System for Toil-Free or Reduced Internet Access describes a toll-free-or reduced toll Internet access system; U.S.

Patent 6,425,010 to Alles et al. for Steering of Internet Access to Sponsors described steered Internet access; U.S. Patent 7,848,312 to Zhang et al. for Method and Systems for Toll-Free Internet Protocol Communication Services describes toll free IP business model; U.S. Pub. US 2010/195503 A1 to Raleigh for Quality of Service for Device

Assisted Services discloses QoS for DAS; U.S. Pub. US 2010/0197266 A1 to Raleigh for Device Assisted CDR Creation, Aggregation, Mediation and Billing discloses device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, medication and billing for wireless networks.

SUMMARY

[0004] A data connection method and apparatus for establishing a data connection between a bandwidth user on a network connected user device and a data source on a network connected target device over a communication network where the user's bandwidth consumption activities incur a bandwidth usage charge from the network operator providing the bandwidth connection, is disclosed, which may comprise providing, via a communication network, a bandwidth access software application with a bandwidth access software application identification code associated with both the bandwidth access software application and the provider of such bandwidth access software application;

providing, via a communication network, the user with a bandwidth access software application for installation on the user device, whereby the bandwidth access software application recognizes and records the user device identification code associated with the user device; allowing, via the bandwidth access software application, user access to at least one specified online data address to access target content hosted on at least one target content source determined by the provider of the bandwidth access software application; monitoring and recording, via the bandwidth access software application, the online access activity by the user's bandwidth access software application as it engages with the at least one specified online data address; providing to an application activity system registry server, via the communication network, the recorded end user device identification code, the bandwidth access software application identification code associated with the bandwidth access software application, and the recorded online access activity by the user of the bandwidth access software application as the bandwidth access software application engages with the at least one specified online data address.

[0005] The user may be allowed to access the at least one specified online data address at upload and download speeds determined by the provider of the bandwidth access software application. The user may be allowed to access the at least one specified online data address at times determined by the provider of the bandwidth access software application. The user may be allowed to access the at least one specified online data address in accordance with data quantities as determined by the provider of the bandwidth access software application. The method and apparatus may comprise charging, via an application activity system settlement engine that receives charge calculations from the application activity system registry, an account of the provider of the bandwidth access software application, an amount that the provider of such bandwidth access software application has agreed to pay the bandwidth provider for the online access provided to the user and crediting, via the application activity system settlement engine, an account of the bandwidth provider with the amount. The method and apparatus may comprise monitoring and recording, via the bandwidth access software application, including locally storing a record of the online access activity by the user; and providing, via the communication network, the recorded online access activities of the user to be periodically communicated to the application activity system registry, via the communication network.

[0006] The bandwidth access software application may be created by the provider of the bandwidth access software application utilizing a software development toolkit provided to the provider of the bandwidth access software application by one of the bandwidth provider and an agent of the bandwidth provider. The application activity system registry authenticates recorded online access activity data provided by the bandwidth access software application with the online access activity data supplied by an administrator of the target content source interacted with by the user of the bandwidth access software application. The user may be allowed access via the bandwidth access software application to at least one specified online data address to access target content hosted on at least one target content source at no charge to the user to preview the target content source and thereafter the user is allowed access to upload and download data via the bandwidth access software application at a specified bandwidth charge rate. The bandwidth access software application may be uploaded by the provider of such bandwidth access software application to a bandwidth access software application marketplace where end users can search for and download the bandwidth access software application.

[0007] A data connection method and apparatus is disclosed which may comprise establishing a data connection between a bandwidth access software application on a network connected user device and a data source on a network connected target device over a communication network relating to the provision of data connection services to the user utilizing a bandwidth access software application to allow the user access to at least one target content source via a communication network, and may comprise providing, via the communication network, a bandwidth brokerage engine, including a bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front, providing, via the web site, an online sale of a data connectivity package to at least one provider of a bandwidth access software application; accepting, via the web site, the purchase by a provider of a bandwidth access software application of the at least one data connectivity package for inclusion by the provider of the bandwidth access software application into a bandwidth access software application to be used by a user to access at least one target content source as specified by the provider of the bandwidth access software application on a data connection basis. The method and apparatus may also comprise delivering, via a communication network, to each provider of the bandwidth access software application, purchasing a data connectivity package, a software development toolkit for the creation of at least one bandwidth access software application.

[0008] The software development kit may include a bandwidth access software application identification code associated with both the bandwidth access software application and the provider of the bandwidth access software application, via a

communication network, to the user of the software development toolkit. The method and apparatus may also comprise forwarding, via the bandwidth brokerage engine, to an application activity system registry, commercial terms and identification codes relating to a commitment by the provider of the bandwidth access software application to pay data connection charges incurred by the user; preparing, via the application activity system registry, data connection charges for an application activity system settlement engine to settle credits and debits among the bandwidth provider and the provider of the bandwidth access software application.

[0009] The method and apparatus may also comprise calculating, via the application activity system registry, data connection charges to be paid by the provider of the bandwidth access software application resulting from the user utilizing the bandwidth access software application to engage with a specified target content source, and the registry forwarding data connection charges to an application activity system settlement engine for settlement between the provider of the bandwidth access software application.

[0010] Consideration negotiated through the bandwidth brokerage engine owed by the provider of the bandwidth access software application to the bandwidth provider for bandwidth access provided to the user may comprise contingent cash consideration represented by the sharing of advertising revenues earned by the provider of the bandwidth access software application for any on-line advertisement impressions during use by the user of the bandwidth provider network. The consideration may comprise contingent cash consideration represented by the sharing of merchant revenues earned by the provider of the bandwidth access software application from the user purchasing one of a good and a service during use by the user of the bandwidth provider network. The consideration may comprise in-kind consideration represented by the provision of one of online content, a good, and a service to the user by the application/content provider as an incentive for the user to utilize the user credit application on the network of the broadband network access provider. The consideration may comprises in-kind consideration represented by the provision of one of off-line content, a good, and a service provided to the end user by the provider of such bandwidth access software application as an incentive for the user to utilize the bandwidth access software application on the bandwidth provider's network.

[0011] The method and apparatus may comprise a tangible machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, which may comprise creating a data connection for establishing a data connection between a bandwidth access software application on a network connected end user device and a data source on a network connected target device over a communication network where the bandwidth consumption activities by the end user would normally incur a bandwidth usage charge from the network operator providing the bandwidth connection, which may comprise providing a bandwidth access software application with a bandwidth access software application identification code associated with both the bandwidth access software application and the provider of the bandwidth access software application; providing the user with the bandwidth access software application for installation on the user device, whereby the bandwidth access software application recognizes and records the user device identification code associated with the user device; allowing the user access to at least one specified online data address to access target content hosted on at least one target content source determined by the provider of the bandwidth access software application; monitoring and recording the online access activity by the user consuming bandwidth as it engages with the at least one specified online data address; providing the recorded user device identification code, the bandwidth access software application identification code associated with the bandwidth access software application, and the recorded online access activity by the user consuming bandwidth as the user engages with the at least one specified online data address to an application activity system registry server.

[0012] The system and method may be implemented on a computing device utilizing instructions from a tangible machine readable medium.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0013] All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed and claimed subject matter of the present application are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the aspects, features and advantages of the disclosed and claimed subject matter will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth what are meant to be only illustrative embodiments and not limiting disclosures, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a high level schematic and block diagram representation of a system and method for promoting end user bandwidth access software application activity according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic and block diagram representation of a system and method for promoting end user bandwidth access software application activity according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter; [0017] FIGS. 3A-B illustrate a schematic and block diagram representation of a system and method for promoting user bandwidth access software application activity according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic and block diagram representation of a process flow for a bandwidth access software application provider providing free and/or discounted bandwidth access along with "pay as you go" access according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement of computing equipment useful with aspects of the disclosed subject matter;

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates an arrangement of software and like modules and functions according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter; and

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a system according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Aspects, features and advantages of the disclosed and claimed subject matter can be seen in the description herein of an application activity system for expanding the access of users to bandwidth communications by which online value chain participants such as (i) bandwidth providers (both fixed line and mobile), (ii) bandwidth access software application providers (interested third party payors of bandwidth charges), and (iii) bandwidth access software application end users (consumers of online access, content, and services via a bandwidth access software application) can all utilize in a coordinated fashion a platform for more efficient, effective and wide spread distribution of commercial and non-commercial bandwidth enabled online content and services to the end user population.

[0023] The present patent application relates to a mechanism through which certain bandwidth consumption activity objectives are met (e.g., bandwidth provision by a bandwidth provider to a user, payment to the bandwidth provider for such consumption of bandwidth by the user by an interested third party payor, and the use of a bandwidth access software application by the user, e.g., at the behest of the interested third party payor / bandwidth access software application provider). By way of an example, the application activity system which may comprise a method and apparatus for facilitating online value chain participants such as (i) bandwidth providers, such as a carrier like AT&T®, as it relates to the provision of fixed line and mobile bandwidth which the system can render "free" or at a reduced charge for end users (ii) bandwidth access software application providers, such as an online vender like Amazon®, selling online content and services, and (iii) bandwidth access software application users such as online

consumers/users of content and services for which bandwidth access would be required or at least desirable. Such participants and can all utilize in a coordinated fashion a method and apparatus e.g., implemented as a software platform, for the efficient and effective distribution of commercial and non-commercial bandwidth enabled content and services to the user population according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0024] While preferred embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are shown and described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now or in the future occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosed and claimed subject matter. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosed subject matter described herein may be employed in taking advantage of the aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter. It is intended that the appended claims define the scope of the disclosed subject matter and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered by such appended claims.

[0025] More particularly an application activity system and method , which may be implemented as a software platform, can enable each of these three value chain

participants to more efficiently price, negotiate terms for, and sell their value inputs within the bandwidth access value chain to the other value chain participants. Generally, each value chain participant and has at least the following value inputs to broker (exchange for consideration) through the bandwidth brokerage engine of the present application:

a. bandwidth provider value input, i.e., bandwidth access and bandwidth (e.g., DSL, fiber optic, coax, 3G, LTE, WiMax, Wi-Fi, Satellite, etc.) to access online content and service providers (e.g., software applications, software bandwidth access software applications, web pages, audio, video, social networks, communication platforms); b. bandwidth access software application provider value input, i.e., cash

resources, as well as, non-cash resources such as online content, such as software applications, software bandwidth access software applications, web pages, audio, video, social networks, communication platforms, and other elements that can be downloaded or otherwise be interacted with and used in one form or another by users over bandwidth networks, including interacting with other users or bandwidth access software application providers or other elements over a bandwidth network, as well as other online goods and services and offline goods and services;

c. User of the bandwidth access software application value input, i.e., the ability to pay either one or more of the bandwidth provider and interested third party payor/bandwidth access software application provider for the provision of bandwidth as well as content, goods, and services related to access utilizing the bandwidth by providing consideration in the form of cash or in-kind services (engaging in online behavior such as participating in online advertising, surveys, online commerce, or the like).

[0026] The application activity system according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter can provide a transparent, efficient, and effective system by which, e.g., each value chain participant and can identify an opportunity for a trade in, e.g., the participant's value input, e.g., as brokered through the system and execute on such opportunity through a negotiated cash or the like or in-kind exchange, or the like, as will be explained in further detail below according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter.

[0027] In its most common form, according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, the disclosed subject matter brokered trading of respective value inputs can involve, for example, three participating parties trading something of value in the form of a "multi-party-trade," such as a "three way trade," where consideration can be delivered, e.g., by a first party to a second party, and may further include the second party in turn delivering something of value to a third party, who in turn may also deliver something of value to the first party (thus, for example, completing the circle as illustrated In FIG. 1 by way of example, where each party gets something of value in exchange for their

contribution within the circle of the value chain). The circle can be more than three, but for purposes of simplicity, examples disclosed herein have been limited to only three party trading groups.

[0028] As an example, an Internet user 22 (e.g., a bandwidth access software application user 22) may access content that, to some degree or other, may be pre-determined by a bandwidth access software application provider 30, e.g., www. amazon,com or

www.wikipedia.org. Thus, the content being accessed by a bandwidth access software application 24 created by Yahoo!® could be configured to facilitate access to content created by, for example, Wikipedia®.

[0029] The access 28 may be over an independent service provider ("ISP") such as the AT&T® wireline or wireless bandwidth network. As an example, 10 MB of data 28 may be consumed by the user 22 utilizing a bandwidth access software application 24 as the user engages, for example, with www.amazon.com. The bandwidth access software

application 24 engaging with www.amazon.com may then record this access activity and instruct the bandwidth access software application provider 30 (in this example case, Amazon®) to pay the bandwidth provider 26 (in this example case AT&T®) for some or all of the cost of the data throughput, indicated by arrow 28 in FIG. 1. Data throughput could, for example, be 10 MG of data.

[0030] There have thus been a plurality of sets of value input exchanges, e.g., three sets of value input exchanges, as is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 1. That is, a value input exchange can occur, i.e., the Internet user 22 accesses online content 24 of

www.amazon.com at the behest of the bandwidth access software application provider 30 (in this example case Amazon® itself) for "free" or at a reduce charge in exchange for availing itself to the bandwidth access software application 24 which may be, and in the example is, associated with particular Amazon® content and commercial services 24. The bandwidth provider 26, such as AT&T®, is paid in part or in full for bandwidth provided to user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 (Amazon®), which thereby promotes associated content and commercial services associated with the bandwidth access software application 24 at the expense of paying the bandwidth provider 30 for some or all of the bandwidth access connection. [0031] Instead of paying the bandwidth provider 26 directly for the bandwidth access fee, the bandwidth access software application provider 30 may pay the bandwidth provider 26 a percentage (e.g., commission) on sales or advertising revenues garnered by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 that was earned in the process of engaging with the end user 22 facilitated through the end user's 22 use of the bandwidth access software application 24. For example, the bandwidth access software application provider 30 may pay the bandwidth provider 26 a 2% commission, e.g., on the fee charged by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 for content provided to the end user 22, e.g., a web-page by a bandwidth access software application provider 30 such as AOL® or Amazon®, a movie by a bandwidth access software application provider 30 such as, Netflix®, an electronic card game, e.g., from a provider 30 such as the MGM Grand Casino®, and the like. The 2% commission may cover the entire cost of the bandwidth usage 28 by the end user 22 or represent some discounted or premium charge for such use.

[0032] Three sets of value input exchanges thus occur. The user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 accesses the online content for free or at the discount represented by the commission received by the bandwidth provider 26 from the bandwidth access software application provider 30 which, therefore, partially or entirely subsidizes the cost of the bandwidth connection 28 normally paid for by the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24. The bandwidth provider 26 is therefore compensated for the cost of providing bandwidth access 28 to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24. The bandwidth access software application provider 30 promotes its commercial services or those of its affiliates or partners (e.g., Amazon®, Netflix®, Yahoo!®, MGM Grand®, etc.) to a user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 that otherwise could not afford the bandwidth connection 28 (thereby making the end user 22 inaccessible to a bandwidth access software application provider 30 or their partners or affiliates) in exchange for sharing revenue with the bandwidth provider 26 and/or paying the bandwidth provider 26 for some or all of the bandwidth access. Furthermore, the system 20 for generating such a bandwidth access software application affiliate commission could be implemented in an environment where the bandwidth provider 26 did not subsidize the cost of the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application's bandwidth service 24, but instead provided a higher quality of bandwidth service (e.g., faster download speeds, more reliable connections, etc.), i.e., in some fashion upgrading the service ordinarily provided with the cost of the upgrade being paid on behalf of the user 22, e.g., by the bandwidth access software application provider 30.

[0033] In the alternative, the bandwidth access software application provider may configure the bandwidth access software application 24 to not provide any bandwidth support to the user for initially visiting a first internet site associated with the bandwidth access software application 24, but instead will reward the user 22 with payment for consumption of bandwidth to access at another internet site (also accessible through this or another bandwidth access software application 24) when the user 22 engages in certain activities relating to the first internet site visited using the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., where the user uses the bandwidth access software application 24 to visit

www.amazon.com with no bandwidth subsidy support and thereafter purchases $10 worth of music from another site, e.g. Sony®. As a reward for purchasing such music, the bandwidth access software application provider 30 allows that particular end user's 22 bandwidth access software application 24 to watch online music videos on at

www.youtube.com and consume, for example, 100 mb of bandwidth in the process, for which the end user 22 will not have to pay the bandwidth provider 26, or pay a reduced fee.

[0034] In addition, in other situations the bandwidth access software application provider 30 can similarly program the bandwidth access software application 24 to provide partially supported bandwidth access to, e.g., www.youtube.com. Moreover, the bandwidth access software application provider 30 can similarly program the bandwidth access software application 24 to provide full or partial payment for end user 22 charges not associated with bandwidth per se, but with other goods and services, whether such goods or services are to be attained online or offline, e.g., following the purchase of, for example, the first $10 worth of music from www.amazon.com, rewarding the end user 22 with a free or

discounted additional song download, a ticket to a live concert, or associated music clothing and merchandise.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 need not have traditional online access, such as a web site, online business, etc. The bandwidth access software application 24 can be created by a small business owner with no website or online presence (e.g., a local automobile service station), with a desire to make a bandwidth access software application 24 that can be downloaded to a user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 and utilized in a manner that promotes commerce with the business. In doing so, the bandwidth access software application 24 that is provided by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 can operate independently of any website and the bandwidth provider 26 can be paid, e.g., a bandwidth access software application affiliate commission based upon the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application's 22 use of the bandwidth access software application 24 (e.g., by a user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 scheduling a car tune-up using the bandwidth access software application 24 as a facilitating tool).

[0036] In this way, the Internet user 22 (user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24) schedules an appointment with the bandwidth access software application provider 30 service station using a bandwidth access software application 24 created by service station (in this case the bandwidth access software application provider 30), e.g., through a bandwidth provider 26 such as AT&T® bandwidth network 28. The service station bandwidth access software application 24 can record such scheduling activity and instruct the bandwidth access software application provider 30 service station to pay bandwidth provider 26 a bandwidth access software application affiliate commission, such as $1.00, for enabling the connection between the end user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 and the bandwidth access software application provider 30, e.g., where 10 MB of data was sent to and from service station bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24. The user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 accesses the bandwidth access software application provider 30 service station online content utilizing free or partially paid for bandwidth 28 as the $1.00 commission received by the bandwidth provider 26 partially or entirely subsidizes the cost of the bandwidth connection 28 normally paid for by the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24.

[0037] The bandwidth provider 26 is compensated for the cost of providing bandwidth access 28 to the end user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24. The bandwidth access software application provider 30 service station promotes its commercial services (automobile repair) to an user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 that otherwise could not afford the bandwidth connection (thereby making the potential customer for service inaccessible to the service station bandwidth access software application provider 30) in exchange for compensating the bandwidth provider 26, e.g., with the $1.00 bandwidth access software application affiliate commission.

[0038] As such, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that one major and novel advantage of this system 20 is that these types of bandwidth bartering and cross-subsidy relationships (including relationships dealing with non-bandwidth related content, goods, and services) can be put into effect quickly, widely, and at low cost by the bandwidth access software application providers 30 without having to install monitoring, recording, auditing and/or reporting intelligence into the bandwidth provider's network per se. A bandwidth provider's 26 network, as noted above can include a physical communication network (towers, transmitters, servers, gateways, cables, servers, etc.) that supports the flow of data from one part of the Internet to the user's 22 device, e. g., for a user 22 subscribing to the connectivity service of the bandwidth provider 26. A permission server, e.g., an additional computer element (database, registry, server, etc.) may be required, as has historically been the case, in the bandwidth provider's 26 network to monitor, audit, restrict access flows, and bill for "reverse billing" or "toll-free" data activities and the like as reflected in the prior art. The application activity system 20 does not utilize such an "in-network" (in the bandwidth provider 26 network) permission server or the like, which has historically been associated with onerous risks, costs, and maintenance complexities for the bandwidth provider 26. Instead, this complexity, according to aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter can be captured and managed outside of the bandwidth provider's 26 network by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and other parties (e.g., other affiliated entities).

[0039] Of note, previous online interactivity and commerce subsidy bundling required two or more "enabling parties" (e.g., content provider and access provider) to support the activities of an Internet user (e.g., an individual consumer using a piece of software such as a web browser) by having these multiple enabling parties build a customized back-end software system that could interface directly between their own data infrastructures as well as the Internet user's software (usually a web browser). This posed integration and maintenance costs and security risks to the enabling parties as, over time, they needed to open up their systems to other systems to greater and greater degrees. In the case of the access provider (e.g., a mobile or landline bandwidth provider), these integration, maintenance, and security costs have proven to be prohibitively large and as a result innovative bundling and subsidy relationships have not flourished.

[0040] However, by leveraging individual bandwidth access software applications 24 (e.g., Android bandwidth access software applications) that are easily created by the enabling parties (bandwidth access software application providers 30), these bandwidth access software applications 24, outside of the carrier's 26 network (at the "edge" of the carrier's 26 network) can be used by the user. The resulting data flow 52 (use history, billing instructions, etc.) can be routed to a centralized application activity system registry 60, shown in FIG. 2, in or accessible through a network or cloud 62, such as the Internet, and not a part of the carrier's internal network, as noted above, which registry can record, audit, calculate, and report to an application activity system settlement engine 98 (shown in FIG. 3A). Resulting settlement instructions 70, which can then in turn be passed on to the enabling parties such as broadband access provider settlement system 86, application provider settlement system 80, other vendors 82 (which are both online and offline), and application user billing systems 84, at periodic intervals. As a result, this "outside of the carrier's 26 network" clearinghouse as enabled by the application activity system 20 can enable greater numbers of enabling parties (e.g., small businesses, local authorities, and other bandwidth access software application providers 30, etc.) to collaborate on creating and distributing customized, low-cost, bandwidth access software applications that provide compelling user goods and services.

[0041] Furthermore, having this intelligence (metering, billing, etc.) being built into a cheap and flexible bandwidth access software application 24 outside of the bandwidth provider's network (remotely at the edge of the carrier network, e.g., in the user's 22 home on a user 22 device such as a mobile phone, laptop, PC, game console, set-top box, tablet, embedded system, modem) enables the bandwidth provider 26 to negotiate and implement countless tiered billing and cross subsidy platforms via the intelligence within the

bandwidth access software applications 24 themselves instead of having to build this intelligence directly into the bandwidth provider's 26 network 28 via extra equipment, such as numerous permission servers (firewalls, access level gateways, and analogous mechanisms that are costly, insecure, difficult to maintain, and may put the core efficacy of the carrier's 26 network to speed data through the network at considerable risk). Moreover, remotely based third party bandwidth access software applications 24, like the bandwidth access software application 24, can each independently generate a data flow relating to the activity of an user of the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., time of use, operating system used, device used, content accessed, bandwidth used, etc. The data flow can be fed into requisite processing elements, e.g., via wireless, wired, or

combinations of both communication path types, e.g., xDSL, WiMax, etc. In addition, third party bandwidth access software application 24 data flow can be received by and

processed, e.g., recorded, calculated, audited, distributed, etc., as further Instructions, etc. by the application activity system registry 60.

[0042] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the application activity system 20 contemplates numerous functional elements required in the course of providing bandwidth to the markets and is designed to do so in a manner that empowers all bandwidth access software application market participants, i.e., bandwidth access software application providers 30, other parties, and end users 22 of the bandwidth access software applications 24 to fully utilize and benefit from the system 20, e.g., to effect settlements for such as cash and/or in-kind exchanges, e.g., with a bandwidth access software application provider settlement system 80, e.g., based on instructions 70 provided by the application activity system registry 60 and application activity system settlement engine 210 in FIG. 6, operating in conjunction with one another. Application activity system registry 60 data can also be analyzed, repackaged and sold to these and other parties.

[0043] In addition, in FIG. 2 there is illustrated schematically and in block diagram form aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. The system 20 as illustrated may include an application activity system registry 60 and an application activity system settlement engine, 210 in FIG 6, that in unison may perform a number of functions, such as core functions, which may include linking data sources, e.g., to provide a user of the bandwidth access software application 24 an accounting system including, e.g., an application activity system settlement engine 210 using, such as, bank and credit card account data from the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 (the end user settlement systems ). Also the application activity system registry 60 may utilize instructions for controlling bandwidth provider settlement systems 86, bandwidth access software application provider settlement systems 80 and other party settlement systems 82.

[0044] Turning to FIGS. 3A and 3B, as an example of the core functions that the application activity system registry may perform, the registry 60 may link various key data sources, e.g., bandwidth access software application provider 30 contract data provided by the bandwidth brokerage engine, bandwidth usage data from the bandwidth access software application 24, the application activity system settlement engine 210 which in turn links to the settlement systems of the users 22 (including their credit card and bank accounts), bandwidth access software application providers 30, bandwidth providers 26, and other vendors.

[0045] As such, the registry 60 is capable of recording various key bandwidth access software application activities, such as time of use, bandwidth used, e.g., both to send and receive, content accessed, and the user device identification. Bank functions include, linking key data sources (such as application user checking account data, application user credit card account information, application (or one or more applications, bandwidth access provider settlement system, application provider settlement system), recording application activities (such as time of use, bandwidth used (e.g., sent and received), content accessed, and resident device identification), calculating cash and in-kind credits and debits (such as credits and debits for earned applications, credits and debits for earned content (e.g., audio and/or video), and credits or debits for earned bandwidth (e.g., walled garden and/or unrestricted) effect aggregations (e.g., allowing netting of uniform elements amongst different system users (application users, applicator providers, bandwidth access providers, banks, etc.), effects of non-cash bartering (e.g., allow trading of uniform elements amongst different system users (application users, application providers, bandwidth access providers, banks, etc.), and instructions on settlement (e.g., credits and debits for earned applications, credits and debits for earned content (audio and/or video) and credits and debits for earned bandwidth (walled garden and/or unrestricted). The application user checking account 92 communicates with a billing system 90 which communicates with an app user credit card account 94, a bandwidth access provider settlement system 96, and an application provider settlement system 98. An Application store settlement system 100 and an "other" provider settlement system 102 can be provided, e.g., for content, OGS and the like provider settlements.

[0046] As illustrated by way of example in FIG. 3B the system 20 may, e.g., track the inbound and outbound data usage of a bandwidth access software application 24 whether it resides on an user device is the form of a modem system 40, a set-top box system 41 , a personal computer system 44 , an mobile phone 46, a tablet, a game console, an

embedded system 48 and the like. Each of the user devices 40, 41 , 44, 46, and 48 has one or more bandwidth application software applications 24 associated with it. Each application 24 is configured to communicate 42 with the registry 60. Additionally, bandwidth in and out can be processed through a firewall 45 to the Internet. Also the registry 60 can calculate cash and in-kind consideration, credits and debits, e.g., for earned applications, for earned bandwidth access software applications, for earned content, such as, audio and/or video, and for earned bandwidth, including, e.g., earned bandwidth that is restricted, i.e., so called because it is to be consumed only in the course of engaging with Internet resources as pre-determined by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or unrestricted and capable of being consumed in the course of engaging with any Internet source of the user's 22 choosing. Further, the bandwidth access software applications 24 may operate on devices and operating systems whose communication path is to or through the network on a wireless or wired basis, or a combination of both, including, by way of example, based on a mobile communication standard, such as, LTE, a wireless standard for connecting electronic devices, such as, Wi-Fi, or Worldwide

Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX"), telecommunications standards, such as, BT, satellite, digital subscriber line technologies, such as, xDSL, coaxial cable, fiber optic, and the like.

[0047] Turning again to FIG. 3A, the registry 60 may also effect aggregations, such as, by allowing netting of uniform elements (cash, bandwidth credits, etc.) amongst different system participants, including, e.g., users 22 of the bandwidth access software application providers 30, content providers 30, bandwidth providers 26, banks, credit card providers, etc. The registry 60 may also effect non-cash barter, such as, by allowing trading of so- called uniform elements amongst different system 20 participants and, including, e.g., users 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 and bandwidth access software application providers 30, content providers 30, bandwidth providers 26, banks, credit card providers, etc. The registry 60 may also provide instructions regarding settlements, e.g., providing credits/debits for earned applications, for earned bandwidth access software applications, credits/debits for earned content, such as audio and/or video, and

credits/debits for earned bandwidth (restricted and/or unrestricted). The data flow generated may include accessing core content, viewing third party advertisements, and purchasing items.

[0048] Data flow out of and bandwidth into the bandwidth access software application 24 may flow to and from a network, with such Internet access managed through an access control built into the bandwidth access software application 24 itself (a firewall 44 that is resident within the bandwidth access software application 24- as distinct from a firewall that is part of the bandwidth provider's 26 network or embedded into the operating system of a modem that communicates with the bandwidth provider's 26 network).

[0049] In a first mode, such as a bandwidth access software application 24 providing free and/or discounted bandwidth access, the registry 60 may perform the functions of linking data sources, recording bandwidth access software application 24 activities, calculating credits and debits effecting aggregations and instructing on settlements as noted above, with the additions that credits/debits for bandwidth access software application affiliate commissions for online or off-line advertisement, commerce and/or other activities as may be derived and also accounted for under instructions on settlements. The data flow generated may include accessing core content, viewing third party advertisements, purchasing items, participating in gaming and/or gambling, participating in social networking and providing personal information.

[0050] The bandwidth access software application 24 purpose may include allowing free and/or discounted restricted access only to affiliated domain/content of the bandwidth access software application provider 30, e.g., bandwidth access software applications 24 created by Amazon® only capable of accessing other applications, bandwidth access software applications, services, and content on the www.amazon.com, in exchange for certain activities of the user of the bandwidth access software application 24, such as accessing core content, viewing third party advertisements, purchasing goods, services, or other items, participating in gaming or gambling, participating in social networking, providing personal information, and the like on or associated with amazon.com.

[0051] Bandwidth for access can be paid for in whole and/or in part by the bandwidth access software application provider 30, in the example, amazon.com, and/or its affiliate (e.g., Amazon® may allows unlimited access of the Amazon® domain and content).

Payment to the bandwidth provider 26 for the provision of the access bandwidth 28 can come from the bandwidth access software application provider 30 settlement system 98. Efforts to access content not pre-authorized by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 can be prohibited, e.g., by the bandwidth access software application 24 internal firewall 44, in FIG. 3B (i.e., the user may be only allowed to view and download content from www.amazon.com when using the Amazon® created bandwidth access software application 24).

[0052] With regard to bandwidth access software application activities reporting, all activity may be reported to the bandwidth access software application provider 30, such as, the user 22 device identification code, time of access, size of access, type of content accessed, etc., in the form of data flow as processed by the application activity system registry 60. All bandwidth use (user 22 device identification code, time and size of bandwidth use, etc. can be reported to the bandwidth provider 26 in the form of data flow as processed by the application activity system registry 60. As a result, bandwidth usage costs for access can be calculated by the application activity system registry 60 pursuant to the terms agreed upon, e.g., between the bandwidth provider 26 and the bandwidth access software application provider 30. The terms may be agreed upon between the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the bandwidth provider 26, and any other counterparties, e.g., through the other parties participation in the creation of the bandwidth access software application 24, such as, at the time the bandwidth access software application 24 was created and distributed, using, e.g., a bandwidth brokerage engine discussed below in regard to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0053] A bandwidth brokerage engine can include a value input transfer system 202 in

FIG. 6 ("VITS"), which can include a computerized element of the application activity system 20 that is accessible to prospective payors for costs of the consumption of bandwidth using a bandwidth access software application 24 from a bandwidth access software application providers) 30. The VITS 202 can assist in the negotiation and creation of contracts between bandwidth providers 26 and parties 30 who agree to pay for such consumption of bandwidth through the use of a bandwidth access software

application(s) 24. The VITS can also create and deliver to the party acting as the payor, such as a bandwidth access software application provider 30, for such consumption of bandwidth. The VITS 202 can include, for example, value input templates 220, parties 222, price, 224, terms 226, settlement method 228, and VITS data output 230.

[0054] A software development toolkit ("SDK") 204 can also thereafter be used to create the bandwidth access software application(s) 24 that enables obtaining the benefits from the consumption of bandwidth, through the use of a bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front (FIG. 7). The SDK 204 can include, for example, VITS data input 250, developer interface 252, operating system 254, core function tools 256, recordation tools 258, and reporting tools 260.

[0055] The bandwidth brokerage engine web-site store front can be used to present a graphical user interface ("GUI"), e.g., over the world wide web (Internet). For example the end user application 20 can include core functions 270, recordation capability 272, reporting 274, firewall 276 and application data output 278. Registry 60 can include application data input 2Θ0, commission owed data 2Θ2, free or discounted bandwidth data or determination 294 and registry data output 300.; The registry data output 300 can, in turn, communicate with application providers 302, etc., and/or use metering applications 304. A settlement engine 210 can include registry data input 310, recordation data 312, reporting data 314, settlement data 316, and settlement engine data output 318.

[0056] Bandwidth provider(s) 26 may engage with prospective payors 30 for the payment for the consumption of bandwidth utilizing a bandwidth access software application 24 and have such process managed in a web commerce environment through the store front (FIG. 7). It is contemplated that in some applications of the technology, one or more parties may act as payor for a single bandwidth access software application 24.

[0057] Bandwidth costs for access can be paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or its affiliate, e.g., Amazon®, as the bandwidth access software application provider 30, can allow unlimited access of, as an example, the

Amazon® domain and content, and payment to the bandwidth provider 26 for the bandwidth access 28 can come from the bandwidth access software application provider 30 settlement system 98. The bandwidth access software application provider settlement system 98 can arrange payment to the bandwidth provider 26. In related operating environments the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios can also be applied in situations where the user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 access resides on modem system 40, a set-top box 41 , TV set, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, tablet, game console, embedded system 48 (automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any other such analogous system (shown in FIG. 3B).

[0058] In a second mode the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 may be granted free and/or discounted bandwidth access to a first Internet resource as specified, e.g., by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 or other party agreeing to be the payor, along with free and/or discounted restricted bandwidth access to further bandwidth access software application provider 30 specified Internet resources that are distinct from the first Internet resource. In this second mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode. The data flow generated may be the same as for the first mode.

[0059]The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as noted above for the first mode, with the exception that the bandwidth access software application provider 30, or other payor 30, may pay in whole or in part for additional restricted bandwidth access for the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 using another bandwidth access software application 24. For example, as an additional incentive to use the Amazon® bandwidth access software application 24, Amazon® may subsidize user 22 for the bandwidth access software application 24 that enables access at Yahoo! utilizing a Yahoo! targeted bandwidth access software application 24 as well as access to Amazon®.

[0060] Bandwidth for additional access can then be paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30, such as Amazon®, and/or its affiliate, or another party agreeing to act as the payor 30. The bandwidth access software application's 24 activities reporting will also be identical to that of the first mode, except that calculation and reporting of payments for the additional bandwidth access may in this case be shared between the bandwidth provider 26 and the bandwidth access software application provider 30 for audit purposes. The bandwidth access software application 24 activities result can be the same as for the first mode with the exception that calculation and reporting of payments for the additional bandwidth access may also paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 through the bandwidth access software application provider settlement system 98. With regard to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios also apply in such situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on modem system 40, a set-top box 41 , TV set, personal computer 44, tablet, game console, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48 (automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any other related analogous system.

[0061] In a third mode the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 may be granted free and/or discounted bandwidth access to a first Internet resource as specified by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 along with free and/or discounted unrestricted bandwidth access to Internet resources of the user's own choosing. In this third mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode and second modes and in addition calculating credits/debits for earned bandwidth (unrestricted) and for effecting aggregations, allowing user use of the bandwidth access software application 24 "bandwidth credits" to be aggregated with other bandwidth credits (earned or paid for by the user of the bandwidth access software application 24, and to effect non-cash barter, i.e., by allowing trading of "bandwidth credits" for content, applications, bandwidth access software applications 24, bandwidth, or cash from another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or bandwidth access software application provider 30. The data low generated may be the same as for the first and second modes.

[0062] The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as for the first mode noted above, except that that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 may pay in whole or in part for unrestricted (i.e. the user is free to consume bandwidth while engaging with any Internet resource) bandwidth access for the user of the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., using a bandwidth access software application 24 in the form of a standard "browser", with such, e.g., being limited in some fashion, such as, access being pre-determined to not exceed a given activity threshold, such as, time of day, bandwidth consumed, time spent online and the like. Monitoring of such unrestricted, though not unlimited, bandwidth access activity may be performed by a separate use metering application (304 in FIG. 6) residing on the system 20 such as in the registry 60 and within the bandwidth access software application 24 itself.

[0063] Application activities reporting may also be the same as for the first mode except that the user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 free and/or discounted, unrestricted, but not unlimited, bandwidth access activity and/or credit activity may be reported to the registry by the bandwidth provider 26, and the bandwidth access software application provider 30 for real-time or near real-time monitoring and payment settlement purposes. In this case, however, "in-network," i.e., within the carrier's 26 network, monitoring intelligence would be required by the bandwidth provider 26 and therefore is not a probable embodiment of the disclosed subject matter (i.e. the currently disclosed subject matter does not preclude the use of such "in-networking" intelligence activities working in unison with the system 20 if, e.g., it is so required by the bandwidth provider 26, with the undertaking of the associated costs and other risks).

[0064] In regard to the bandwidth access software application 24 activities result, the same applies as for the first mode except that any bandwidth access costs due the bandwidth provider 26 and not paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 will need to be paid by another bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or any other parties (the users, or another party agreeing to be the payor, third party beneficiaries, etc.) associated with the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., using traditional payment mechanisms.

[0065] The registry 60 can have a mechanism by which the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 may sell or trade the user's 22 "bandwidth credits" to another user 22 of a bandwidth access software application 24 or a bandwidth access software application provider 30. Such activity may be performed by a separate bartering application residing on the system 20 such as in the registry 60. With regard to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios can also apply in situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on a user device such as a modem system 40, a set-top box 41 , tablet, game console, TV set, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48 (automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any other analogous system, just as is illustrated in FIG. 3B. [0066] In a fourth mode the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 may be granted free and/or discounted bandwidth access to a first Internet resource as specified by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 along with free and/or discounted software (including those bandwidth access software applications 24 that during the normal course of their operation consume bandwidth and those applications that are bandwidth static and do not typically consume bandwidth in the course of their operation). In this fourth mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode and second modes and in addition in the area of calculate cash and in-kind credits, calculating credits and debits for earned applications and bandwidth access software applications 24 and in effecting aggregations, allowing the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 "bandwidth access software application/application credits" to be aggregated with other application and bandwidth access software application credits, e.g., earned or paid for by the user of the bandwidth access software application, and for effecting non-cash barter, allowing trading of "bandwidth access software

application/application credits" for content, applications, bandwidth access software applications, bandwidth, or cash from another user of the bandwidth access software application or a bandwidth access software application provider 30. The instruction on settlements function is the same as for the first mode with the addition of credits and debits for earned applications and bandwidth access software applications.

[0067] The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as for the first mode noted above, except that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 may pay in whole or in part for a bandwidth access software application 24 to be downloaded, e.g., from an application/bandwidth access software application store or equivalent, e.g., both bandwidth access software application 24 and bandwidth 28 needed for such a download may be paid for by the original bandwidth access software application provider 30. The bandwidth access software application activities reporting may be the same as for the first mode, except that the user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 free and/or discounted bandwidth access software application 24 download and/or credit activity may be reported to the registry 60 and in turn the bandwidth provider 26, the

application/bandwidth access software application store, and the bandwidth access software application provider 30 for real-time or near real-time monitoring and payment settlement purposes. The bandwidth access software application activities result may be the same, except that any bandwidth access software application 24 purchase price and/or download access bandwidth costs not paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 will need to be paid by another bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or any other parties (users, third parties, third party

beneficiaries, etc.) associated with the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., using traditional payment mechanisms. The registry 60 may have a mechanism by which the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 may sell or trade the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application's 24 "bandwidth access software application credits" to another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or to the bandwidth access software application provider 30, such an activity to be performed by a separate bartering application, e.g., residing on the system 20, e.g., in the registry 60. In regard to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios also apply in situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on a modem system 40, a set-top box 41 \ tablet, game console, TV set, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48 (automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any analogous system.

[0068] In a fifth mode a bandwidth access software application provider 30 may provide free and/or discounted bandwidth access and free and/or discounted online content. In this fifth mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode and in addition in the area of calculate cash and in-kind credits, calculating credits and debits for earned content and in effecting aggregations, allowing the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 "content credits" to be aggregated with other content credits, earned or paid for by the user of the bandwidth access software

application 24, and for effect non-cash barter, allowing trading of "content credits" for content, applications, bandwidth access software applications 24, bandwidth 28, or cash from another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or bandwidth access software application provider 30. With regard to the instructing on settlements function this can be the same as for the first mode with the addition of credits and debits for earned content. [0069] The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as for the first mode noted above, except that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 can pay in whole or in part for online content (films, TV, music, etc.) to be downloaded from the accessible content provider, e.g., both content and bandwidth needed for download can be paid for by the original bandwidth access software application provider 30. In regard to the bandwidth access software application activities reporting, the difference is that the user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 free and/or discounted content download and/or credit activity can be reported to the registry 60, the bandwidth provider 26, the content provider 30, and bandwidth access software application provider 30 for real-time or near real-time monitoring and payment settlement purposes. As to the bandwidth access software application activities result, the difference is that any content purchase price and/or download access costs not paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 will need to be paid by another bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or any other parties (users, other parties, third party beneficiaries, etc.) associated with the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., using traditional payment mechanisms. The registry 60 can have a mechanism by which the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 may sell or trade "content credits" to another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or bandwidth access software application provider 30, such activity performed, e.g., by a separate bartering application residing on the system 20, e.g., in the registry 30. In regard to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios can also be applied in situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on a modem system 40, a set- top box 41 , TV set, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48

(automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any analogous system.

[0070] In a sixth mode a bandwidth access software application provider 30 may provide free and/or discounted bandwidth access along with free and/or discounted offline goods and/or services ("OGS"). In this sixth mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode and in addition calculating credits and debits for OGS, and also in the area of effect aggregations allowing the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 "OGS credits" to be aggregated with other OGS credits, earned or paid for by the user of the bandwidth access software application 24, effect non- cash barter by allowing trading of "OGS credits" for content, applications, bandwidth access software applications 24, bandwidth, or cash from another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or a bandwidth access software application provider 30. With regard to instructing on settlements function is the same as for the first mode with the addition of credits and debits for earned OGS may be provided.

[0071] The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as for the first mode noted above, except that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 may pay to the OGS provider in whole or in part for OGS, (food, clothing, travel, etc.) to be delivered to the user of the bandwidth access software application 24. In the area of bandwidth access software application activities reporting, the difference with the first mode is that the user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 free and/or discounted OGS credit activity is reported to the registry 60, OGS provider, and bandwidth access software application provider 30 for real-time or near-real-time monitoring and payment settlement purposes. The bandwidth access software application activities result is different in that any OGS purchase price costs not paid for by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 will need to be paid by another bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or any other parties (users, other parties, third party beneficiaries, etc.) associated with the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., using traditional payment mechanisms. The registry 60 will have a mechanism by which the end user of the bandwidth access software application may sell or trade the "OGS credits" to another user of the bandwidth access software application 24 or bandwidth access software application provider 30, such activity to be performed by a separate bartering application residing on the system 20, e.g., in the registry 60. In regard to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios also apply in situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on a modem system 40, a set-top box 41 , tablet, game console, TV set, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48

(automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any analogous system.

[0072] In a seventh mode a bandwidth access software application provider 30 may provide free and/or discounted bandwidth access as well as a "Pay As You Go bandwidth access software application" ("PAYG" bandwidth access software application) for additional bandwidth access. This specialized PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 allows the user to purchase bandwidth (perhaps at a discount) directly from a bandwidth provider 26 for use accessing restricted (e.g., as pre-selected by the bandwidth provider 26) or unrestricted Internet resources, and have the bandwidth consumption monitored, recorded, audited, and reported back to the bandwidth provider 26 and registry 60 from within the PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 itself, thereby obviating the need for in- network monitoring of bandwidth consumption by the Internet user by the bandwidth provider. In this seventh mode, the registry 60 may be performing the same functions as noted above for the first mode.

[0073] The application activity system 20 purpose may be the same as for the first mode noted above, except that the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 may also purchase additional bandwidth from the bandwidth provider 26 directly to access Internet content, sites, data, or analogous information and do so using a specialized bandwidth access software application 24 ("PAYG" bandwidth access software application) which may allow the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 to purchase such bandwidth 28 using a credit card, bank account, or other form of credit or value exchange. This PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 may monitor, record, audit, and report to the bandwidth provider 26 and the registry 60 the amount of restricted or unrestricted bandwidth 28 used, provide warnings periodically when such bandwidth 28 and access are "near expiry" or "running low" and can terminate access when the purchased service expires or runs out. The bandwidth access software application activities reporting may be the same as for the first mode, except that that calculation and reporting of use status and payments for additional PAYG restricted or unrestricted bandwidth access may be listed in a separate application or bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., called a "bandwidth scorecard application/bandwidth access software application," which may allow the user of the PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 to see how much access remains before the user must pay again for unrestricted access. The bandwidth access software application activities result may be the same except that calculation and reporting of use status and payments for additional PAYG restricted or unrestricted bandwidth access may be borne by the user of the PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 or a party willing to reimburse the user of the PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 for this PAYG service and access. As to related operating environments, the above noted purpose, reporting, and result scenarios also apply in situations where the bandwidth access software application 24 resides on a modem system 40, a set-top box 41 , TV set, tablet, game console, personal computer 44, mobile phone 46, embedded system 48 (automotive, refrigerator, etc.), or any analogous system.

[0074] With regard to the seventh mode, the flow chart of FIG. 4 illustrates the bandwidth access software application provider providing free and/or discounted bandwidth access along with "pay as you go" ("PAYG") restricted or unrestricted bandwidth access. An interaction example between a free bandwidth access bandwidth access software application 24 and a PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 illustrates what can happen when some data that is accessible via a bandwidth access software application 24 leads to some data that is not supported by a bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., steps of purchasing restricted or unrestricted access and then, e.g., launching a "browser type" PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 that may be metered, recorded, and reported back on the status of bandwidth and content access being consumed by the PAYG bandwidth access software application 24.

[0075] As an example, in a Google Search bandwidth access software application 24, search terms 122 may be entered, e.g., "best pizza in the world." In response to this search, the results 124 may be returned as shown in FIG. 4, such as:

bandwidth access software applications application activity system 20 applications:

- Domino's Pizza bandwidth access software

applications

- Papa Johns Pizza bandwidth access software applications

- Round Table Pizza bandwidth access software applications

- California Pizza Kitchen bandwidth access software applications

- Pizza Hut bandwidth access software applications No bandwidth access software applications Available

(Just Web Links)

Menlo Park Pizza:

- Domino's Pizza, Menlo Park

- Papa Johns Pizza, Menlo Park

- Round Table, Menlo Park

Frozen Pizza:

- California Pizza Kitchen

- Celeste Frozen Pizza

Palermo Frozen Pizza

[0076] The user 22 may be prompted co "click-on" a result on the list shown above, such as

"Pizza Hut" which when clicked upon 126 by the user 22 would launch a pre-existing bandwidth access software application 130 relating to Pizza Hut. Thereafter the user will see, e.g., instructions 132 on how to order a pizza, and, e.g., other data or information, such as a discount offers. On the other hand, the user may wish to click on another search response restaurant not supported by a pre-existing bandwidth access software

application 24 as identified, in which event the click on 140 would result in the user being taken to a PAYG service prompt page 150 where the user is prompted as to the steps to take to get to the Internet resources that are supported by a pre-existing PAYG bandwidth access software application, e.g., 162. Once payment is confirmed 160 an outside the garden browser application 162 pops up and will allow access to pay as you go payment.

[0077] These instructions may be in the form of:

You have requested access to Internet content that is not supported by a bandwidth access software application.

If you would like to proceed with this or similar activities please subscribe to one of the several "pay as you go" broadband packages currently available in your area from one or more participating broadband service providers.

AT&T®

- Plan A: 1GB download for $10. - Plan B: Unlimited downloads for 30 days for $40.

- Plan C: "Off-peak" (9 PM to 9 AM) unlimited downloads for 30 days for $20.

Verizon

- Plan A: 1GB download for $19.95.

- Plan B: Unlimited downloads for 15 days for $25.

- Plan C: "Off-peak" (8 PM to 8 AM) unlimited downloads for 30 days for $20.

- Plan D: Content basic (Unlimited Yahoo! Destinations for $2. Please have your credit card ready for immediate processing.

[0078] After selecting a "Plan" and completing the PAYG payment process the user can then be provided with a PAYG bandwidth access software application 162 as downloaded to the user device which will launch and take the user 22 to the selected page, such as the "Domino's Pizza Website" 162, e.g., with such access bandwidth being paid for by the user according to term agreed with the bandwidth provider 26 when the PAYG bandwidth access software application service plan was purchased by the user.

[0079] FIG 5 illustrates an arrangement of computing equipment useful with aspects of the disclosed subject matter and associated systems 20. Various non-computer input devices 170, including, for example, keyboard, mouse, etc. are provided in communication with non-computer devices 174 and computing devices 172. These in turn are in communication with a display, e.g., monitor 180.

[0080] Turning Now to FIG. 6 there is illustrated tools and an operating platform that may be utilized to create an application activity system 20 as described above. Given the need to simultaneously satisfy various parties in each value input trading scenario, the software platform can require a level of sophistication that is currently unavailable in the prior art. Specifically, the application activity system 20 can be enabled by a software system that may be comprised of five elements that can interact with one another and coordinate the resulting interactions between the providers of the respective value inputs. Three of these elements have been discussed above, i.e., the application activity system registry 60, the application activity system settlement system 210, and the bandwidth access software application 24.

[0081] The remaining elements as set forth below are software systems that assist in the creation of the bandwidth access software application 24 and the maintenance of the application activity system registry 60 and the application activity system settlement system 210. More specifically, these are a bandwidth brokerage engine 202 (also referred to as a "Value Input Trading System" or "VITS"), and a customized software development toolkit ("SDK") 204, also referred to as an application development kit ("ADK") 204. The bandwidth brokerage engine 202 can be a software platform that can be made available to the bandwidth access software application providers 30 so that the bandwidth access software application providers 30 can coordinate commercial terms in advance of making a bandwidth access software application 24 available for distribution to the user 22of the bandwidth access software application 30. Moreover, the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 can also allow prospective enabling parties (bandwidth access software application providers 30, other partiesendors, billing agents, bandwidth suppliers, etc.) to negotiate and bid on the value of their value inputs, e.g., allowing the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 to act as a not just a bandwidth trading platform, but also a content and services brokerage engine that can match bandwidth access software application providers 30 with other market participants who might wish to collaborate, e.g., on the creation of a system-wide bandwidth access software application.

[0082] Once the terms of the value inputs have been agreed, e.g., price, delivery, time periods, eligible parties, etc., the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 can import these terms into the SDK 204, e.g., that can then be released to bandwidth access software application providers 30. With the SDK 204, a bandwidth access software application provider 30 can then create bandwidth access software applications 24 and commercial terms relating to cross subsidies, payment for bandwidth access, and other commercial value input trading features, which can then be incorporated in the ADK 204 and, e.g., following an user of the bandwidth access software application's 24 use of the bandwidth access software application 24, can generate the appropriate data flow to the application activity system registry 60, as discussed above, for further analysis and action. [0083] Once the data flow is received and processed by the application activity system registry 60 the bandwidth access software application providers 30 and affiliated

commercial partners can be instructed by the application activity system settlement engine 210 on the manner in which they can settle obligations with one another, e.g., cash, in-kind, etc. In addition, the application activity system settlement engine 210 can also record, process, and invoice appropriate parties for the services provided by the application activity system registry 60. The settlement engine can include a registry data input module 300 receiving the registry data output 300 from the registry 60, a recordation module 302, a reporting module 10 and a settlement module 312. The settlement engine 210 can provide settlement engine data output through a module 318.

[0084] Turning again to FIG. 6 there is illustrated schematically in block diagram form tools and operating platforms required to create the application activity system 20. The bandwidth brokerage engine 202 can be maintained by the application activity system administrator in the "cloud," meaning for purposes of this application, that part of the newtor, i.e., the Internet, outside of the hardware and software constituting the carrier's (bandwidth provider 26) network, in order to provide a set of standard input templates by which any software programmer (e.g., for a bandwidth access software application provider 30) can construct a viable subsidy framework, e.g., including quantities and characteristics of value inputs 220, parties to the subsidy arrangement 222, the price to be attributed to the traded elements 224, the terms associated with the traded elements 226, and the method of settlement 228 (cash, in-kind, etc.), and submit the proposed framework as bandwidth brokerage engine data output 230 to prospective commercial partners (e.g., bandwidth provider 26, other parties, etc.) as discussed herein.

[0085] Once the commercial terms are selected and agreed to by the bandwidth provider 26 and the bandwidth access software application provider 30, the bandwidth brokerage engine 201 can generate a customized application development toolkit ("SDK" 204 using the bandwidth brokerage engine data output 230, which can be provided to the SDK 204 as bandwidth brokerage engine data input 250 that can then allow bandwidth access software application providers 30 to construct bandwidth access software applications which may have, e.g., meta data automatically included that can represent the aspects input from the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 as well as monitoring and reporting functions for tracking and billing purposes. Thus, the SDK 204 can then be used by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and/or his agent(s) to create one or more bandwidth access software applications 24 that can then be provided to the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 for free or at a definable charge.

[0086] The ADK 204 can also include a developer graphical user interface ("GUI") 252., an operating system 256, a set of core functional tools 258, recordation tools 260 and reporting tools 262.

[0087] The bandwidth access software application 24 can be either pre-installed on a bandwidth modem (or analogous connected device such as set-top box, etc.) or

downloaded by the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 for use by the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 as a standard bandwidth access software application on a user device, e.g., for e-mail, browsing, word processing, social networking, etc. As with the SDK 204, the bandwidth access software application 24 can have embedded within it the ability to monitor and report all key activities of the user of the bandwidth access software application 24 including a core functions module 270., a recordation module 27 and a reporting module 280. The data collected by the application 24 can be used as the basis for all subsequent cross-subsidy and billing actions. To this end, the bandwidth access software application 24 can produce a bandwidth usage data report 278 that can be sent as a data input file 290 to the application activity system registry 60 residing in the cloud for purposes of determining the billing and subsidy activity generated by the use of the bandwidth access software application 24.

[0088] This billing and subsidy activity data from the application activity system registry 60 , i.e., the registry data output 300 that can be forwarded to both the bandwidth access software application providers) 30 and their partners, as well as to an application activity system settlement engine 210 which may be hosted in the cloud and which can effect settlement(s) on behalf of the application activity system 20 i.e., in effect, collecting commissions and fees for being a clearinghouse for all application activity system 20 enabled activities. The application activity system settlement engine 210 can collect on amounts owed to the bandwidth providers 26, other parties, users, bandwidth access software application providers 30, and the administrator for the application activity system 20 by sending out an application activity system settlement engine 210 data output 304 to various parties obligated to pay such commissions and fees, as noted above. The registry 60 can include an application data input module 290, a commissions owed module 292 and a free/discounted bandwidth calculation module 294.

[0089] Finally, the application activity system registry 60 data output 278 can also be routed to be used by a metering bandwidth access software application 304, e.g., resident on the premises equipment of the user 22, e.g., which can act as a real-time or near real-time meter for all bandwidth enabled activities (e.g., credits for future Internet browsing, free application downloads, free bandwidth access software application downloads, free audio and video content, etc.

[0090] The application activity system registry 60 can also be used to convey indexed and analyzed data to any affiliated party (bandwidth provider 26, bandwidth access software application provider 30, user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24) at any time depending on the needs of the bandwidth access software application 24 being used. The application activity system registry 60 will also be used to collect data generated by bandwidth access software application 290 that do more than just log the amount that the "sender pays". More complicated bandwidth access software application models (to be created by next generation SDKs) include:

i) Bandwidth access software applications designed for the partial payment of bandwidth costs where the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 must pay part of the bandwidth cost directly to the bandwidth provider 26 as part of a "bandwidth access software application provider partial pay" model.

ii) Bandwidth access software applications 24 designed for the full or partial payment of bandwidth costs directly to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 as opposed to the bandwidth provider 26 (i.e. the bandwidth access software application provider 30 must pay part or all of the bandwidth cost directly to the end user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 as part of this "bandwidth access software application provider 30 pays user" 22 model. In this case, the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 would still need to pay the bandwidth provider 26 directly for bandwidth used.

iii) Bandwidth access software applications 24 designed for the logging of advertising elements within the bandwidth access software application 24 that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 receives payment for and which they can also share revenues with the bandwidth provider 26 and/or the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 ("Advertising Affiliate" model) iv) Bandwidth access software applications 24 designed for the logging of commerce actions (sales of goods and services) within the bandwidth access software application 24 that the bandwidth access software application provider 30 receives payment for and which they can also share sales commissions with the bandwidth provider 26 and/or the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 ("Affiliate Marketer" model).

v) Logging all activities of the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 (bandwidth used, time spent on bandwidth access software

application, advertisements viewed, items purchased) and the bandwidth access software application provider 30 rewarding the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 with cash, unrestricted bandwidth credits (for use apart from a bandwidth access software application 24), credits for other applications, bandwidth access software applications 24, and content (music, film, games), and/or offline goods and services.

[0091] In addition to the aforementioned bandwidth access software application 24 models, each bandwidth access software application 24 can be hosted on different types of devices with different levels and means of bandwidth connectivity. For instance, in one

embodiment the bandwidth access software applications 24 (bandwidth access software application provider pays model, etc.) for use in one locality (e.g., Menlo Park, CA) which are hosted on one device can be utilized by different carriers 26 for completing the bandwidth connectivity. By way of example, a modem device (home gateway) could host one set of bandwidth access software applications 24 that conveys data through a xDSL line enabled by an xDSL modem chipset resident within the gateway. Simultaneously, a second set of bandwidth access software applications 24 could also be resident on this same gateway but be configured to convey data using a separate line (e.g., a 3G baseband chipset operating on a cellular line). The novel and favorable result would be that a bandwidth access software application provider 30 could seek at least two bids from two bandwidth providers 26 prior to agreeing to such payment terms for the delivery of data through their affiliated bandwidth access software application 24. The user could literally switch their residential bandwidth provider 26 every day (without penalty) if they wanted, as opposed to every twelve months as is often the case today.

[0092] In another variant, the two carriers 26 could actually share the same bandwidth line enabled within the home gateway (e.g., two 3G carriers who support a shared 3G baseband chipset). For instance, two cellular carriers could offer competing PAYG bandwidth access software application 24 services to the user 22 of the home gateway when they sought access to data outside of the bandwidth access software application ecosystem (wishing to engage with an Internet resource 26 that was not supported by a bandwidth access software application 24).

[0093] In addition, it is contemplated that one embodiment may not use the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 to agree on bandwidth pricing and terms with a bandwidth provider 26 at all, but will instead allow the bandwidth access software application provider 30 to set the value of the bandwidth themselves (the tariff to include how much the bandwidth access software application provider 30 is willing to pay directly to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 for use of the same, during specific times, for specific actions) and offer to pay the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 for the bandwidth consumed by their bandwidth access software application 24. In such an embodiment, the bandwidth provider 26 does not play a role in the subsidy of the bandwidth 282, but merely provides the bandwidth 28 on its normal terms at arm's length with the user 22 (e.g., $40 charged to the user 22 for the consumption of retail bandwidth 28). As for the payments to be made to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24, they could be paid directly by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 to the user's 22 own settlement system - such as their bank account, bandwidth account (with AT&T®, Comcast®, etc.), or a third party credit aggregator (PayPay®, Visa® Card, etc.). Where the bandwidth access software application provider 30 did not wish to make these payments to the user's 22 own settlement systems, they could also have the operator of the application activity system registry 60 make payments on their behalf to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 (thereby limiting the complexity of payment processing for the bandwidth access software

application provider 30). [0094] In addition, it is contemplated that one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter may not use the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 at all, but will instead use a web-based variant bandwidth brokerage engine input system ("variant bandwidth brokerage engine") that allows the bandwidth access software application provider 30 to negotiate with a third party beneficiary (a charity, public agency, or other entity) for the payment by the bandwidth access software application provider 30 of a pre-determined amount (cash or in-kind good or service) to such third party beneficiary in exchange for the user 22 using the bandwidth access software application 24 in a particular fashion (during certain hours of the day, for certain time periods, sequentially over a period of days, downloading or sending a particular amount of data, viewing an extra ad, etc.). Currently some web sites (using standard browsers) will donate a percentage of their on-site sales revenue to one or more charities of choice (which is also an option for the bandwidth access software applications 24 envisioned herein), however the current art does not extend to a self-monitoring bandwidth access software application 24 that can measure far more than a sale of a good or service, but instead measure a user's 22 behavior apart from purchasing goods or services. Also, because the bandwidth access software application 24 is isolated from other web surfing activities, people are more likely to feel comfortable with the web engagement monitoring. In effect, there still exists a modified three way trade taking place between the parties (the user 22, bandwidth access software application provider 0, and the third party beneficiary - as discussed herein), but now the bandwidth provider 26 (the party providing the bandwidth) is not needed per se since the bandwidth is already paid for by the user 22 (the last leg of the three-way trade involves the third party beneficiary receiving some form of payment from the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the user 22 receiving "satisfaction" that the third party beneficiary has benefitted by the actions of the user 22.

[0095] As with the previous embodiments of the systems 20 described herein, the administrator of the system 20 assists in structuring the payment parameters between the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the third party beneficiary, which would include the creation of a customized SDK 204 (Fig. 6) for creating such bandwidth access software applications 24 and then a back-end application activity system registry 60 that would receive meta data from the bandwidth access software application 24 after it has been used by the user 22. This meta data collected than would form the basis for providing settlement and payment instructions between the parties as per their original intent memorialized in the variant bandwidth brokerage engine.

[0096] By way of example, an user 22 (user of the bandwidth access software application 24) would access content at www.amazon.com using the bandwidth access software application 23 created by Amazon® (bandwidth access software application provider 30) over a bandwidth network to which the user already subscribes and pays a carrier for such subscription. The Amazon® bandwidth access software application 24 would record all access activity and this data would be used to instruct Amazon® to pay the third party beneficiary (as pre-determinable by Amazon®) a cash sum for each quantum of activity (time, data consumed, etc.) engaged in by the bandwidth access software application 24 between user 22 and Amazon® (data sent, time spent, etc.). In terms of the value inputs (the three -way trade)

• user 22 avails itself of Amazon® content in exchange for knowing that their access activities will prompt Amazon® to make a charitable contribution to the third party beneficiary.

• Amazon® promotes its commercial services to user 22 by promising to make a

charitable contribution to the third party beneficiary.

• Third party beneficiary (e.g., a charity focused on promoting online connectivity) receives funds or other resources to effect their charitable mission.

[0097] Given the commercial and operational flexibility that a bandwidth access software application 24 provides to value chain participants (users 22, bandwidth providers, bandwidth access software application providers 30, other parties, third party beneficiaries, and others) it will be clear to a person well-versed in the art to see that such a technology solution enables numerous cross-subsidy relationships across the online value chain and its participants.

[0098] In this regard, Table 1 maps additional basic use cases available according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter within the application activity system 20. The variety demonstrates the value in having bandwidth access software applications 24 outside of a carrier 26 network at the "edge" because such a granular, iterative approach can be utilized to construct very many commercial revenue sharing and subsidy relationships between, e.g., bandwidth providers 26, bandwidth access software application providers 30, other parties, third party beneficiaries, users 22, and other parties whether they be content providers, merchants, government agencies, and other entities wishing to engage with the user 22. Looked at another way, these bandwidth enabled activities might not be technically or economically feasible if these same commercial relationships had to be "coded into" the carrier network. The costs of doing such network coding, and inherent risk to the network core efficacy (moving data from one part of the network to another as efficiently as possible) by adding this complexity on top of a network not designed to handle this level of, e.g., required metering, auditing, and billing associated with bandwidth, online commerce, and content, could simply be too great.

[0099] As such, a platform for deploying very many bandwidth access software applications 24 from varying sources of bandwidth access software application provider 30 candidates, with the online activity intelligence being hosted at the edge of the carrier's 26 network, can be envisioned, whether as bandwidth access software applications 24 managing simple bandwidth subsidy activities, basic browsing functions, revenue sharing functions, or otherwise as is made technically practical and valuable.

[00100] In a first set of bandwidth access software applications in Table 1 some form of element is provided to the user 22, i.e., the individual accessing and utilizing the bandwidth access software application 24 utilizing bandwidth network access, which may be provided by a bandwidth access software application provider 30 coming within one of several noted categories, e.g., a content provider, a social network provider, content aggregator/portal, online service provider (e-mail, video, etc.), online merchant, bandwidth provider (wireless/wireline), government service provider, each of which may act as a subsidizer, e.g., of the user's 22 access to bandwidth network usage.

[00101] As can also be seen from Table 1 , the element can be free bandwidth, discounted bandwidth, free online content (images, film, TV, audio, text), discounted online content (images, film, TV, audio, text), free goods and services (excluding online content) procured and/or delivered in-whole online or in-part online (clothing, food, travel, medical care, utilities, financial services, education, books, DVDs, CDs, etc.), discounted goods and services (excluding online content) procured and/or delivered in-whole online or in-part online (clothing, food, travel, medical care, utilities, financial services, education, books, DVDs, CDs, etc.), and the core subsidy parameter may be data sent to or received by a subsidizing entity, such as the content provider or data sent to or received by a party other than the subsidizing party, e.g., the content provider. The ellipses ("...") appearing in the Table 1 show that the entries are repeated throughout the first portion of the table where the entity is the user 22 and then the table entries repeat themselves where the party is the bandwidth provider 26 and then for the non-end user/non-bandwidth provider ("NEU/NBC"), i.e., any one or more of a content provider, social network provider, content

aggregator/portal, online service provider, online merchant or government service provider.

[00102] In the case of instances where the subsidy is being provided to the user 22 a first subset may apply wherein there is minimal time spent using the bandwidth access software applications 24 and/or minimal bandwidth consumed by the bandwidth access software application 24 and/or minimal engagement activities (e.g., advertisements viewed, clicked, items purchased, etc.) conducted by the user 22 in using the bandwidth access software applications 24 and/or minimal non-system bandwidth access software application 24 engagement activities (e.g., device rental fees, basic bandwidth subscription package, affiliated offline commercial activities, etc.) and/or exclusive engagement activities (e.g., advertisements viewed, clicked, items purchased, etc.) conducted using a system

bandwidth access software application 24 and/or exclusive non-system bandwidth access software application 24 engagement activities (e.g., device rental fees, basic bandwidth subscription package, affiliated offline commercial activities, etc.)

[00103] A second subset may also apply whereby the user 22 has spent time using a bandwidth access software application 24 that may be limited to certain time periods and/or time spent using a bandwidth access software application 24 limited to certain time quantum and/or bandwidth consumed by the use of the bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., subject to download speed maximums and/or bandwidth consumed by using a bandwidth access software application 24 subject to a limitation(s), e.g., a data cap per specified time period, etc. A subsidy mechanism may comprise cash or substitute consideration paid by a subsidy provider to a party controlling delivery of the element and/or cash or substitute consideration paid by the subsidy provider directly to the subsidy recipient upon the subsidy recipient demonstrating (a) a cash payment and/or (b) substitute consideration has been delivered to the party controlling the delivery of element for such subsidized element having been provided to the subsidy recipient.

TABLE 1

SYSTEM SUBSIDY SUBSIDY

SUBSIDIZED ELEMENT CORE SUBSIDY PARAMETER APP PROVIDER RECIPIENT

1-A-END Free Bandwidth Content End User Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By Content

Provider

2-A-END Social Data Sent To Or

USER Network Received By Social

Provider Network Provider

3-A-END Content Data Sent To Or

USER Aggregator/Po Received By Content rtal Aggregator/Portal

4-A-END Online Service Data Sent To Or

USER Provider (E- Received By Online

Mail, Video, Service Provider

Etc.)

5-A-END Online Data Sent To Or

USER Merchant Received By Online

Merchant

6-A-END Bandwidth Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By Bandwidth

(Wireless / Provider

Wireline)

7-A-END Govt Service Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By Govt

Service Provider

8-A-END Content Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By A Party

Other Than The Content

Provider

9-A-END Social Data Sent To Or

USER Network Received By A Party

Provider Other Than The Social

Network Provider

10-A-END Content Data Sent To Or

USER Aggregator / Received By A Party

Portal Other Than The Content

Aggregator/Portal

1 1-A-END Online Service Data Sent To Or

USER Provider (E- Received By A

Mail, Video, Party Other Than The

Etc.) Online Service Provider SYSTEM SUBSIDY SUBSIDY

SUBSIDIZED ELEMENT CORE SUBSIDY PARAMETER APP PROVIDER RECIPIENT

12-A-END Online Data Sent To Or

USER Merchant Received By A Party

Other Than The Online

Merchant

13-A-END Bandwidth Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By A Party

(Wireless / Other Than The

Wireline) Bandwidth Provider

14-A-END Govt Service Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By A Party

Other Than The Govt

Service Provider

1-B-END Discounted Bandwidth Content Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By Content

Provider

1-C-END Free Online Content Content Data Sent To Or

USER (Images, Film, TV, Provider Received By Content

Audio, Text) Provider

8-C-END Free Online Content Content Data Sent To Or

USER (Images, Film, TV, Provider Received By A Party

Audio, Text) Other Than The Content

Provider

1-D-END Discounted Online Content Data Sent To Or

USER Content (Images, Film, Provider Received By Content

TV, Audio, Text) Provider

8-D-END Discounted Online Content Data Sent To Or

USER Content (Images, Film, Provider Received By A

TV, Audio, Text) Party Other Than The

Content Provider

1-E-END Free Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services (Excluding Provider Received By Content

Online Content) Provider

Procured And/Or

Delivered In-Whole

Online Or In-Part Online

(Clothing, Food, Travel,

Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.) SYSTEM SUBSIDY SUBSIDY

SUBSIDIZED ELEMENT CORE SUBSIDY PARAMETER APP PROVIDER RECIPIENT

8-E-END Content Data Sent To Or

USER Provider Received By A Party

Other Than The Content

Provider

1-F-END Discounted Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services (Excluding Provider Received By The

Online Content) Content Provider

Procured And/Or

Delivered In-Whole

Online Or In-Part Online

(Clothing, Food, Travel,

Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

8-F-END Discounted Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services (Excluding Provider Received By A Party

Online Content) Other Than The Content

Procured And/Or Provider

Delivered In-Whole

Online Or In-Part Online

(Clothing, Food, Travel,

Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

1-G-END Free Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services Procured Provider Received By Content

And/Or Delivered In- Provider

Whole Offline Or In-

Part Offline (Clothing,

Food, Travel, Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services,

Education, Books,

DVDs, CDs, Etc.) SYSTEM SUBSIDY SUBSIDY

SUBSIDIZED ELEMENT CORE SUBSIDY PARAMETER APP PROVIDER RECIPIENT

8-G-END Free Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services Procured Provider Received By A Party

And/Or Delivered In- Other Than The Content

Whole Offline Or In- Provider

Part Offline (Clothing,

Food, Travel, Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services,

Education, Books,

DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

1-H-END- Discounted Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services Procured Provider Received By The

And/Or Delivered In- Content Provider

Whole Offline Or

In-Part Offline (Clothing,

Food, Travel, Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

8-H-END Discounted Goods And Content Data Sent To Or

USER Services Procured Provider Received By A Party

And/Or Delivered In- Other Than The Content

Whole Offline Or Provider

In-Part Offline (Clothing,

Food, Travel, Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

1-A- Free Bandwidth Content Bandwidt Data Sent To Or

CARRIER Provider h Received By Content

Provider Provider

1-A-NEU- Free Bandwidth Content NEU- To Data Sent To Or

NBC Provider NBC Received By

Content Provider SYSTEM SUBSIDY SUBSIDY

SUBSIDIZED ELEMENT CORE SUBSIDY PARAMETER APP PROVIDER RECIPIENT

14-H- Discounted Goods And Gov't Service NEU- Data Sent To Or NEU- Services Procured Provider NBC Received By A

NBC And/Or Delivered In- Party Other Than The

Whole Offline Or Govt Service Provider

In-Part Offline (Clothing,

Food, Travel, Medical

Care, Utilities, Financial

Services, Education,

Books, DVDs, CDs, Etc.)

[00104] By way of and example of a system and method according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, the system 500 may include a bandwidth brokerage engine 520 as illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein, by way of example bundling

bandwidth into bandwidth access software applications 24 created by a bandwidth access software application provider 30 for use by parties, e.g., a user 22. The system 500 may provide a point of access, such as a web page 502 in FIG. 7, which may be utilized by, e.g., a bandwidth access software application provider 30, such as a party subsidizing as an example a user 22 using bandwidth access. The web-page 502 may enable the

subsidizing party 30 to, e.g., select nine (1-9) activity page levels that are related to (1) getting started, (2) creating an account, (3) logging in, (4) selecting a bandwidth access software application type, (5) a region(s), (6) a carrier(s), and (7) a bandwidth plan(s), and (8) to agree to terms and (9) download a customized software development toolkit ("SDK") 204 in FIG. 6.

[00105] The web-page at the level 9 activity selection will prompt the subsidizing party bandwidth access software application provider 30 with instructions 504 as follows:

Download customized software development toolkit ("SDK".

Now that you have agreed to pay the bandwidth provider for the bandwidth

consumed by your soon to be created bandwidth access software application(s) when used by one of your viewers or customers, please download your SDK to create the bandwidth access software application(s) which you may then distribute to your viewers or customers through the various carrier operated bandwidth access software application marketplaces (see upload instructions below left). Note - each bandwidth access software application thereafter created with this SDK is to be associated with a bandwidth access software application provider ID code "1234-abcd" and billable to you for bandwidth consumed by the resulting bandwidth access software application pursuant to the terms agreed herein.

[00106] The bandwidth access software application provider 30 is given the

opportunity to click on a button 506 to download the bandwidth access software application SDK, or a button 508 to upload an existing bandwidth access software application 24 and a button 510 which may be used by parties seeking subsidization to search for and download bandwidth access software applications 24 for use according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Additionally, a user may be given the option to log into an existing account. The bandwidth brokerage engine 502 can then deliver the customized software

development toolkit 520 to the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30, e.g., on a bandwidth access software application device of the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider's 30 choosing for the creation of a bandwidth access software application 522 in FIG 7, e.g., for providing bandwidth network access to a party, such as a user device 530. The download occurs in block 520. The subsidizing party 30 (the bandwidth access software application provider), using the bandwidth access software application customized software development toolkit 520 can then assemble a bandwidth access software application bandwidth access software application 24, utilizing the customized software development toolkit in block 522. The bandwidth access software application 24 can be uploaded into one or more online bandwidth access software application marketplace ("bandwidth access software application marketplace) in block 524. The bandwidth access software application marketplace 524 can be maintained by the bandwidth provider, the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30, or by a third party. Bandwidth access software applications 24 may be downloaded, e.g., by parties seeking subsidization of bandwidth access, such as, users 22 in block 530, e.g., onto user devices 530 from the bandwidth access software application marketplace(s) 524. Such user devices 520 may comprise, as and example, a mobile phone, a PDA, a tablet, a game console, a computer, a set-top box, etc. [00107] The user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 may then request access through a bandwidth provider in block 540, which may then be routed through a network, such as the Internet 542 to a target content source 546, through a target content source ISP 544. The content obtained from the target content source 546 can then be served through the target content source ISP 544 and the Internet 542 and bandwidth provider 540 to the bandwidth access software application user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 on the user device 530.

[00108] The terms as agreed between the bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the bandwidth provider 26 via the bandwidth brokerage engine 502 may be transmitted from the bandwidth brokerage engine 502 to an application activity system registry, 560 in FIG. 7, corresponding to the application activity system registry 60 of FIGS. 2 and 3. Thereafter, the application activity system registry 560 will receive bandwidth usage data from the bandwidth access software application 24 running on the user device 530. The application activity system registry 560 may process such delivered bandwidth usage sata and deliver resulting bandwidth usage data calculation information, such as payment calculations to an application activity system settlement engine, 580 in FIG 7, corresponding to the application activity system settlement engine 80 of FIG. 2. Settlement instructions can then be delivered to the pertinent parties, such as the bandwidth provider 26, the bandwidth access software application provider 30, the user 22, and other parties.

[00109] The bandwidth access software application 24 can therefore, e.g., function to access a target content source 546 over pre-existing, authenticated Internet connection(s) already provided by the bandwidth provider 540 in FIG 7, corresponding to 26 in FIG. 1 , in order to render content on an bandwidth access software application user device 530. The bandwidth access software application 24 can manage its own bandwidth consumption (e.g., time of access, data speed, data quantum, caps reached, conditions satisfied, etc.) and record its own bandwidth consumption. It can record the user device 530 identification code. It can also periodically report all bandwidth access software application 24

bandwidth consumption activity on the user device 530 to the application activity system registry 560.

[00110] The bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502 with its mechanism for value input trading ("bandwidth brokerage engine") can be used, e.g., where various parties within the bandwidth value chain exchange resources (bandwidth, cash, or other valuable consideration) in a collaborative fashion to allow the bundling of pre-paid bandwidth with targeted web content, where the bandwidth is not paid for by the user 22 of such bandwidth 28 (e.g., a web surfer) but by an Interested third party payor 30 (perhaps a content provider, perhaps not) who can create and pay for the bandwidth access software application 24 and its utilization for obtaining bandwidth network access.

[00111] The bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front web site 502 can allow for the selection of a bandwidth access software application 24 type. As an example, the bandwidth access software application provider 30, using the bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502 can choose a bandwidth access software application 24 type that will allow access to an Internet resource such as a web page format (e.g., for accessing news / portal / reference), an e-commerce content site, a social media site, a photo / video / music site(s) an e-mail site or a communications (voice / video) site as examples. The bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502 may allow for the selection of a carrier(s) 26 which will provide the bandwidth access and if a desired carrier 26 is not available through the bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502 for a given region, can allow for creation of bandwidth access software applications 24 for that carrier 26 anyway. The bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502 may allow for the selection of a bandwidth plan(s) supported on any given bandwidth access software application 24, such as, $0.01/MB, 10 MB cap per 24 hrs, $0.005/MB + 20% advertisement revenue share, 20 MB cap per 24 Hrs, $0.00/MB + 5% movie download fee and no data cap, as examples.

[00112] By way of example, the customized software development toolkit 520 can advantageously provide the ability to create bandwidth access software applications 24 for designated environments, e.g., Android phone, Windows PC, webOS Tablet, etc. Internet access functions may be limited internally within each bandwidth access software application 24, e.g., by having the customized software development toolkit 520 parameters agreed with a bandwidth provider(s) 26 (e.g., caps, speed limits, etc.) and by the

subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 (e.g., caps, speed limits, destinations, file types, etc.). No bandwidth provider, 566 in FIG. 7, "in-network" limitations, access level gateways, firewalls, or filters are needed. Each customized software development toolkit 520 can have its own bandwidth access software application provider 30 identification code (e.g., "1234-abcd") that can be embedded within each bandwidth access software application 24, thereby creating a tie between each bandwidth access software application 24 and the agreed terms between the bandwidth access software application bandwidth provider 24 and the bandwidth access software application provider 30 (FreeBand application provider 570 in FIG. 7, as formalized while engaging with the bandwidth brokerage engine web site store front 502.

[00113] The registry 560, 60 can store all terms related to the creation of the bandwidth access software application 24 customized software development toolkit 520 (e.g., bandwidth access software application provider 30 contact details, payment details, bandwidth access software application 24 bandwidth access software application provider 30 identification code, bandwidth costs, limitations on speed, limitations on data download size, etc.). The registry 560, 60 can receive information from the bandwidth access software applications 24 periodically, such data describing, e.g., the bandwidth

consumption behavior of the bandwidth access software application(s) 24. The registry 560, 60 can combine the terms associated with the creation of a particular customized software development toolkit with the actual bandwidth consumption behavior of the associated bandwidth access software application 24 and calculate an amount to be paid by the party subsidizing the use of the bandwidth access software application 24, the bandwidth access software application provider 30, to the bandwidth provider 26 for the bandwidth consumed by the bandwidth access software application 24 in question.

[00114] The registry 560, 60 can deliver this payment calculation data to a application activity system settlement engine, 580 in FIG. 7, corresponding to 80 in FIG. 2, for payment processing between the subsidizing bandwidth access software application 24 bandwidth access software application provider 30 and the bandwidth provider 26. The settlement engine 580, 80, can store bandwidth payment calculation data so as to effect invoices and settlement instructions between the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30, i.e., an Interested third party payor (564 in FIG. 7)of the bandwidth consumed by the bandwidth access software application 24, and the bandwidth provider 26 whose bandwidth was consumed by the bandwidth access software application 24. It can also deliver invoices and settlement instructions to both the subsidizing bandwidth access software application bandwidth access software application provider 30 and bandwidth provider 26 (566 in FIG. 7)and can undertake any further ancillary functions required by the parties participating in the settlement (banks, credit card providers, third party

beneficiaries).

[00115] A number of advantages can be obtained from the utilization of a system and method according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter. No bandwidth access software application 24 monitoring need occur within the bandwidth provider's network. The bandwidth access software application 24 can reside on a device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet, game console, PC, set-top box, embedded system, modem, etc.) that already has authorization to access the bandwidth provider's Network. As such, it can operate just like any other Internet enabled bandwidth access software application 24 (consuming

bandwidth as it goes). As such, all monitoring, auditing, recording, and reporting of bandwidth usage of the bandwidth access software application 24 can take place inside the bandwidth access software application 24— not within the bandwidth provider's network, e.g., via, e.g., a separate permission server or the like. Therefore, there is relatively little cost for the bandwidth provider 26 to adopt the system 20. No other current Internet data reverse billing ("toll-free") system does this. In addition, functions that limit the access of data (speed of data, quantum of data, time of data delivery, source destinations of content, conditions precedent for data delivery, etc.) to the user 22 are not managed by servers or intelligence within the bandwidth provider's 26 network (e.g., through an access level gateway or network firewall), but instead are controlled by the coded instructions inside the bandwidth access software application 24 itself (e.g., "in bandwidth access software application" firewalls, "in bandwidth access software application" limiting protocols, etc. are not needed in the bandwidth provider's network), such instructions being the direct result of parameters set forth in the customized software development toolkit 520 or set forth by the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 at the time the bandwidth access software application 24 was assembled by the customized software development toolkit 520. The bandwidth provider 566, 26 gets a complete record of the bandwidth use after the application activity system registry 560, 60 downloads usage data from the bandwidth access software application 24 and thereafter forwards the bandwidth usage data to the bandwidth provider 30 as part of the billing and settlement process. [00116] The subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 570, 24 is not necessarily the provider of target content, bandwidth access software applications 24 can be created by any interested third party subsidizing payor (content provider,

government, carriers, merchants, advertisers, individual, etc.) that wishes to subsidize the cost of bandwidth to the user 22 of the bandwidth access software application 24 in return for, e.g., some benefit received from the user 22. No other Internet data reverse billing system does this. In the prior art for "reverse billing" or "toll-free" models for bandwidth, it is the "sender pays" model (the creator of the bandwidth access software application specifically enabling the reverse billing only does so for the delivery of its own content). The bandwidth access software application user of the customized software development toolkit (the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 may or may not be affiliated with the target content source 546, i.e., actually be a bandwidth access software application provider 30 providing bandwidth access software applications 24, content or the like to the user 22, and therefore the system 20 is not accurately described as a "sender pays" model, but an "interested third party pays" model.

[00117] The bandwidth access software application 24 can work with all bandwidth provider 26 networks, bandwidth access software applications 24 can also reside on a device even where the bandwidth provider 26 has not embraced bandwidth access software application 24 usage through the application activity system 20. In such an instance, the bandwidth access software application 24 performs just like any other bandwidth access software application resident on the device and consumes bandwidth in a similar manner (the device user 22 pays directly to the bandwidth provider 26 for the bandwidth consumed by the bandwidth access software application 24— just as he or she does for any other Internet enabled bandwidth access software application). The bandwidth access software application 24 works even where the bandwidth provider 26 does not participate with the bandwidth access software application activity system 20. Bandwidth access software applications 24 can be created by the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 even when the bandwidth provider 26 has not provided prices to the bandwidth brokerage engine 202 in FIG. 6. In such a case, the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 can be given the

opportunity of "pre-loading" paid-for bandwidth into the bandwidth access software application 24 (via the customized software development toolkit 520) at a bandwidth cost reimbursement rate selected by the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 and disclosed to the user 22 in the bandwidth access software application 24. The user 22 then can simply input its own bandwidth provider account details ("data connection service account ID code") and payment instructions into the bandwidth access software application 24 prior to using it, and the bandwidth access software application, activity system registry 560, 60, and the application activity system settlement engine 580, 80 can ensure that the offered subsidy from the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider 30 is paid to the bandwidth provider 26 for the account of the user 22. As an example, the bandwidth access software application 24 can allow the user 22 on the user's 22 bandwidth access software application device 530 to download up to a certain amount of bandwidth access, such as 10 MB per day, of which the user 22 can be so informed, and have the user's 22 bandwidth provider 26 account (the account being referenced by the data connection service account ID code) reimbursed for $0.01 per MB per day, up to $1.00 total over some specified period of time, e.g., the next year, which the bandwidth access software application 24 allows the user 22 to accept as a term.

[00118] The application activity system and method according to aspects of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, can include, as noted, a system and method for providing subsidized consumption of bandwidth and online bandwidth access to a user, which may comprise one or more bandwidth brokerage engines, bandwidth brokerage engine web site store fronts, software development toolkits, subsidized bandwidth access software applications, bandwidth access software application marketplaces, application activity system registries, and application activity system settlement engines.

[00119] An application activity system registry can include as an example a server, or the like, that is operated by one or more of the bandwidth providers, the application activity system operators, or a third-parties, which registry can serve to collect (a) the terms of the bandwidth access software application provider agreement with the bandwidth provider, which may be obtained from the bandwidth brokerage engine, (b) a bandwidth access software application provider identification code, which may also be obtained from the bandwidth brokerage engine, (c) a user device identification code, which may be obtained from the bandwidth access software application, and (d) bandwidth consumption data, which may be obtained from the use of the bandwidth access software application. The registry can combine all these elements into a statement of charges applicable to the participants in the system, such statement of charges then being forwarded to an

application activity system settlement engine for payment processing amongst the parties.

[00120] The bandwidth provider can be a "user device ISP" or "network operator," such as a wireline (DSL, coax, fiber, etc.) or wireless (cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) carrier that provides online bandwidth connectivity to the user. A bandwidth provider's network can include a physical communication network (towers, transmitters, servers, gateways, cables, servers, etc.) that supports the flow of data from one part of the Internet to the user's device, e. g., for a user subscribing to the connectivity service of the bandwidth provider. Bandwidth usage data can be, as an example, data created based on utilization by the user, utilizing, e.g., a bandwidth access software application. The bandwidth access software application can describe the data consumption from target application/content sources allowed to be accessed through the use of the bandwidth access software application, and in particular relating to download speeds, download amounts, times of access, content type access, destination(s), download caps encountered, commerce conducted via the subsidized bandwidth access software application, subsidized bandwidth access software application launch events, and jump off events engaged in by the user and like aspects of the user of the bandwidth access software application.

[00121] The bandwidth access software application can include a software

application, such as, an online access and consumption of bandwidth monitoring software application ("bandwidth access software application") running on the user's device (e.g., using a particular operating system such as Android, webos, IOS, Windows, etc.) that is created by the software development toolkit, which bandwidth access software application can monitor bandwidth usage and periodically reports the consumption of bandwidth back to the application activity system registry for accounting for the payment for the

consumption of the bandwidth, e.g., by a third party payor, such as the bandwidth access software application provider. [00122] The application activity system settlement engine can be, e.g., a payment processing server that takes the statement of charges prepared by the application activity system registry and delivers settlement instructions to the relevant participating parties.

[00123] The bandwidth access software application provider identification code can be a unique identification number assigned the bandwidth access software application provider, e.g., each time the bandwidth access software application provider makes an agreement with a bandwidth provider for the provision of bandwidth for consumption by a user, such an agreement may be facilitated by utilizing a software development toolkit, with such unique code being embedded into the bandwidth access software application created by such software development toolkit and being further shared with the application activity system registry at the time of the bandwidth access software application provider agreement being created and provided to the registry.

[00124] The bandwidth access software application provider can be an interested third party payor that agrees with the bandwidth provider to subsidize the consumption of bandwidth access by the user on the bandwidth provider's network in instances where the user accesses target applications or content over such network utilizing a bandwidth access software application which can be created in conjunction with the bandwidth access software application provider, e.g., using a software development toolkit.

[00125] A bandwidth access software application provider agreement can include the contract and operational terms made between the bandwidth access software application provider and the bandwidth provider for the payment by the former to the latter to enable bandwidth consumption by the user utilizing a bandwidth access software application on a user's device to access target applications/content over the bandwidth provider's network, ;aid for, e.g., by the bandwidth access software application provider or some other payor agreeing to pay the bandwidth provider for the consumed bandwidth.

[00126] A software development toolkit ("SDK") can include a software development tool that can be provided to each bandwidth access software application provider, e.g., by a bandwidth brokerage engine for the subsequent creation of bandwidth access software applications (utilizing, e.g., Android, webos, IOS, Windows, etc.). Each software

development toolkit can also include a bandwidth access software application provider code within its contents and this bandwidth access software application provider code can further be embedded into any bandwidth access software application that is created with the software development toolkit.

[00127] The following is a disclosure by way of example of a computing device which may be used with the presently disclosed subject matter. The description of the various components of a computing device is not intended to represent any particular architecture or manner of interconnecting the components. Other systems that have fewer or more components may also be used with the disclosed subject matter. A communication device may constitute a form of a computing device and may at least include a computing device. The computing device may include a computing device level interconnect (e.g., a bus and system core logic), which can interconnect such components of a computing device to a data processing device, such as a processor(s) or microprocessor(s), or other form of partly or completely programmable or pre-programmed (e.g., hard wired and or application specific customized logic circuitry) device, such as a controller or microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or any other form of device that can fetch instructions, operate on preloaded/pre-programmed instructions, and/or followed hard-wired or customized circuitry to carry out logic operations that, together, perform steps of and whole processes and functionalities as described in the present disclosure.

[00128] In this description, various functions, functionalities and/or operations may be described as being performed by or caused by software program code/instructions, e.g., in order to simplify the description. However, those skilled in the art will recognize what is meant by such expressions is that the functions, functionalities and/or operations result from execution of the software program code/instructions by a computing device as described above, e.g., including a processor, such as, a microprocessor, microcontroller, logic circuit or the like. Alternatively, or in combination, the functions, functionalities and/or operations can be implemented using special purpose circuitry, with or without software instructions, such as using Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or Field- Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or like technologies, which may be programmable, partly programmable or hard wired.

[00129] The application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") logic may be such as gate arrays or standard cells, or the like, implementing customized logic by metalization(s) interconnecting base gate arrays in the ASIC architecture or selecting and providing metalization(s) interconnect between standard cell functional blocks included in a manufacturer's library of functional blocks, etc. Embodiments can thus be implemented using hardwired circuitry without program software code/instructions, or in combination with circuitry using program software code/instructions.

[00130] Thus, the disclosed subject matter is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software, nor to any particular source for the instructions executed by the data processor(s) within the computing device. While some embodiments can be implemented in fully functioning computers and computer systems, various embodiments are capable of being distributed as a computing device including, e.g., a variety of forms and capable of being applied regardless of the particular type of machine or tangible computer-readable media used to actually effect the performance of the functions and operations and/or the distribution of the performance of the functions, functionalities and/or operations.

[00131] The computing device level interconnect may connect the data processing device to define logic circuitry including memory. The interconnect may be internal to the data processing device, such as coupling a microprocessor to on board cache memory or external memory such as main memory, or a disk drive. Commercially available

microprocessors, one or more of which could be a computing device or part of a computing device, include a PA-RISC series microprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80x86 or Pentium series microprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC

microprocessor from IBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc, or a 68xxx series microprocessor from Motorola Corporation as examples.

[00132] The computing device system level interconnect in addition to interconnecting such as microprocessor(s) and memory may also interconnect such elements to a display controller and display device, and/or to peripheral devices such as input/output (I/O) devices, e.g., through an input/output controller(s). Typical I/O devices can include a mouse, a keyboard(s), a modem(s), network interfaces, printers, scanners, video cameras and other devices which are well known in the art. The inter-connect may include one or more buses connected to one another through various bridges, controllers and/or adapters. In one embodiment the I/O controller includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) adapter for controlling USB peripherals, and/or an IEEE-1394 bus adapter for controlling IEEE-1394 peripherals.

[00133] The memory may include any tangible computer-readable media, which may include but are not limited to recordable and non-recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices, such as volatile RAM (Random Access Memory), typically implemented as dynamic RAM (DRAM) which requires power continually in order to refresh or maintain the data in the memory, and non-volatile ROM (Read Only Memory), and other types of non-volatile memory, such as a hard drive, flash memory, etc. Nonvolatile memory typically may include a magnetic hard drive, a magnetic optical drive, or an optical drive (e.g., a DVD RAM, a CD ROM, a DVD or a CD), or other type of memory system which maintains data even after power is removed from the system.

[00134] A server could be made up of one or more computing devices. Servers can be utilized, e.g., in a network to host a network database, compute necessary variables and information from information in the database(s), store and recover information from the database(s), track information and variables, provide interfaces for uploading and downloading information and variables, and/or sort or otherwise manipulate information and data from the database(s). In one embodiment a server can be used in conjunction with other computing devices positioned locally or remotely to perform certain calculations and functions.

[00135] At least some aspects disclosed can be embodied, at least in part, utilizing program software code/instructions. That is, the functions, functionalities and/or operations may be carried out in a computing device executing program software code/instructions, e.g., in one or more sequences of instructions fetched/retrieved from a memory, such as ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatile memory, cache, main memory, local or remote disc-drive, or other remote storage device. In general, the instructions within the program software code/instructions executed to implement the functions, functionalities and/or operations of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, routine or sequence of instructions usually referred to as "computer programs," "applications" or simply

"software." The program software code/instructions typically comprise instructions stored at various times in various tangible memory and storage devices in or peripheral to a computing device, such as in cache memory, main memory, internal or external disk drives, and other remote storage devices, such as a disc farm, and when read and executed by a processor(s) in the computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method(s), e.g., process and operation steps to execute an element(s) as part of some aspect(s) of the disclosed subject matter.

[00136] Program software code/instructions executed to implement embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, routine or other sequence of instructions or organization of sequences of instructions referred to as "program software code/instructions," "operating system program software code/instructions," "application program software code/instructions," or simply "software." The program software

code/instructions typically include one or more instructions stored at various times in various tangible memory and storage devices in or peripheral to the computing device, that, when fetched/read and executed by the computing device, as defined herein, cause the computing device to perform functions, functionalities and operations necessary to perform a method, so as to execute elements involving various aspects of the function,,

functionalities and operations of the method(s) forming an aspect of the disclosed subject matter.

[00137] For the purposes of this disclosure a module is a software, hardware, or firmware (or combinations thereof) system, process or functionality, or component thereof, that performs or facilitates the processes, features, and/or functions, functionalities and/or operations described herein (with or without human interaction or augmentation) as being performed by the identified module. A module can include sub-modules. Software components of a module may be stored on a tangible machine readable medium. Modules may be integral to one or more servers, or be loaded and executed by one or more servers. One or more modules may grouped into an engine or an application.

[00138] A tangible machine readable medium can be used to store program software code/instructions and data that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method(s) as may be recited in one or more accompanying claims directed to the disclosed subject matter. The tangible machine readable medium may include storage of the executable software program code/instructions and data in various tangible locations, including for example ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatile memory and/or cache and/or other tangible memory as referenced in the present application.

Portions of this program software code/instructions and/or data may be stored in any one of these storage and memory devices. Further, the program software code/instructions can be obtained from other storage, including, e.g., through centralized servers or peer to peer networks and the like, including the Internet. Different portions of the software program code/instructions and data can be obtained at different times and in different

communication sessions or in a same communication session.

[00139] The software program code/instructions and data can be obtained in their entirety prior to the execution of a respective software program or application by the computing device. Alternatively, portions of the software program code/instructions and data can be obtained dynamically, e.g., just in time, when needed for execution.

Alternatively, some combination of these ways of obtaining the software program

code/instructions and data may occur, e.g., for different applications, components, programs, objects, modules, routines or other sequences of instructions or organization of sequences of instructions, by way of example. Thus, it is not required that the data and instructions be on a tangible machine readable medium in entirety at a particular instance of time.

[00140] Examples of tangible computer-readable media include but are not limited to recordable and non-recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory devices, floppy and other removable disks, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), etc.), among others. The software program code/instructions may be temporarily stored in digital tangible communication links while implementing electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagating signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc. through such tangible communication links.

[00141] In general, a tangible machine readable medium includes any tangible mechanism that provides (i.e., stores and/or transmits in digital form, e.g., data packets) information in a form accessible by a machine (i.e., a computing device), which may be included, e.g., in a communication device, a computing device, a network device, a personal digital assistant, a manufacturing tool, a mobile communication device, whether or not able to download and run applications and bandwidth access software applications from the communication network, such as the Internet, e.g., an l-phone, Blackberry Droid or the like, or any other device including a computing device. In one embodiment, an end user terminal can be a computing device, such as in the form of or included within a PDA, a cellular phone, a notebook computer, a personal desktop computer, etc. Alternatively, the traditional communication bandwidth access software application(s) may be used in some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[00142] While some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter have been described in the context of fully functioning computing devices and computing systems, including a computing device, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various

embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, including a computing device, are capable of being distributed, e.g., as a program product in a variety of forms and are capable of being applied regardless of the particular type of computing device machine or computer- readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

[00143] In various embodiments, hardwired circuitry, such as an ASIC(s), may be used in combination with software instructions to implement an aspect(s) of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, the techniques described herein are not limited to being implemented on any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software nor to any particular source for the instructions executed by any part of the computing device(s). Various functions and operations which have been described as being performed by or caused by software code to simplify description, will be understood by those skilled in the art to mean that the function(s), functionalities and/or operations resulting from execution of the

code/instructions by a computing device, alone or in combination with any other computing device(s), the combination also forming a computing device.

[00144] The disclosed subject matter is described with reference to block diagrams and operational illustrations of methods and devices to provide an application activity system. It is understood that each block of a block diagram or other operational illustration (herein, collectively, "block diagram"), and combination of blocks in a block diagram, can be implemented by means of analog or digital hardware and computer program instructions. These computing device software program code/instructions can be provided to the computing device such that the instructions, which execute via the computing device, e.g., on a processor within the computing device or other data processing apparatus, such that, when so executed, the program software code/instructions cause the computing device to perform functions, functionalities and operations of a method(s) according to the disclosed subject matter, as recited in the accompanying claims, with such functions, functionalities and operations specified in the block diagram.

[00145] It will be understood that in some possible alternate implementations, the function, functionalities and operations noted in the blocks of a block diagram may occur out of the order noted in the block diagram. For example, the function noted in two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the functions noted in blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the function, functionalities and operations involved. Therefore, the embodiments of methods presented and described as a flowchart(s) in the form of a block diagram in the present application are provided by way of example in order to provide a more complete

understanding of the disclosed subject matter. The disclosed flow and concomitantly the method(s) performed as recited in the accompanying claims are not limited to the functions, functionalities and operations illustrated in the block diagram and/or logical flow presented therein. Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the order of the various functions, functionalities and operations may be altered and in which sub-operations described as being part of a larger operation may be performed independently or

performed differently than illustrated or not performed at all.

[00146] Although some of the drawings illustrate a number of operations in a particular order, functions, functionalities and/or operations which are not now known to be order dependent or become understood to not be order dependent may be reordered and other operations may be combined or broken out. While some reordering or other groupings may have been specifically mentioned in the present application, others will be or may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and so the disclosed subject matter does not present an exhaustive list of alternatives. It should also be recognized that the aspects of the disclosed subject matter may be implemented in parallel or seriatim in hardware, firmware, software or any combination(s) thereof co-located or remotely located, at least in part, from each other, e.g., in arrays or networks of computing devices, over interconnected networks, including the Internet, and the like.

[00147] The disclosed subject matter has been described with reference to one or more specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the appended claims. The

specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense for explanation of aspects of the disclosed subject matter rather than a restrictive or limiting sense.

[00148] Thus, according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter, the system, method and network architecture disclosed can provide for an interested third party payor (also sometimes a subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider) to assume the cost of some or all of an user's bandwidth charges associated with accessing data through the Internet through IP-based access networks which may be operated by different bandwidth providers. This system for the transfer of bandwidth charges from the user to the interested third party payor, herein sometimes referred to as "FreeBand," provides a system of self-aware, "charge shifting" Internet bandwidth access software applications that can reside on a consumer device (Android, webOS, Symbian, etc.) and self-monitor their own bandwidth consumption for the purpose of redirecting associated Internet access charges from the user of the bandwidth access software application to the subsidizing bandwidth access software application provider, also referred to as the interested third party payor - in effect enabling the "free" or "subsidized" delivery of any data that is associated with the particular bandwidth access software application.

[00149] Conceptually the application activity system is a software and hardware platform that enables each of the three main Internet connectivity value chain participants (the bandwidth provider of the user, the interested third party payor entity subsidizing the bandwidth to the user via the bandwidth access software application, and the end user) to more efficiently price, negotiate terms for, and exchange their value inputs to the other value chain participants. As referred to earlier in this patent application, generally each value chain participant has the following value inputs to broker (exchange for

consideration): (i) bandwidth provider value input: online access hardware, software, and bandwidth throughput (e.g., DSL, fiber optic, coax, 3G, LTE, WiMax, Wi-Fi, satellite) to online content and services (e.g., software applications, software bandwidth access software applications, web pages, audio, video, social networks, communication platforms); (ii) interested third party payor value input - cash resource, as well as, software

applications, software bandwidth access software applications, web pages, audio, video, social networks, communication platforms, advertising, and other elements that can be downloaded over bandwidth networks and/or interact with other elements over bandwidth networks; and (iii) user value input - the ability to pay for both the (a) bandwidth access and (b) the online content and services by providing consideration in the form of (y) cash or (z) in-kind services (engaging in online behavior such as participating in online advertising or online commerce).

[00150] The application activity system provides a transparent and efficient system by which each value chain participant can identify an opportunity for an economic trade in their value inputs and execute on such an opportunity through a negotiated cash and/or in-kind exchange. In its most common form, the trading of value inputs will involve at least three parties trading something of value in the form of a "multi-party-trade" where consideration is delivered by a first party to a second party that in turn delivers something of value to a third party, who in turn delivers something of value to the first party (completing the circle where each party gets something new of value in exchange for their contribution). The circle can be more than three, but for purposes herein we limit examples to only three party trading groups.

[00151] By way of example, an Internet user (the user) accesses content at website "X" using a custom built bandwidth access software application (e.g., an Android

bandwidth access software application) created by a bandwidth access software

application provider "Y" (the interested third party payor) over the bandwidth provider's Network. The bandwidth access software application accesses content from website "X" and consumes 10 MB of data sent over the bandwidth provider's Network. As such, the bandwidth access software application resident on the user's device (e.g., mobile phone, laptop PC, game console, set-top box, tablet, embedded system, modem) records the access activity and instructs the bandwidth access software application provider (the interested third party payor) to pay the bandwidth provider for some or all of the cost of the 10 MB of data throughput.

[00152] As the result, in its most simple form all three value chain participants benefit: (a) the user accesses online data for free or at a discount in exchange for availing itself to the interested third party payor's bandwidth access software application; (b) the bandwidth provider is paid in full or in part for online access provided to the end user by a party other than the user; and (c) the interested third party payor succeeds in driving traffic to website "X".

[00153] In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.