Individual mobile devices as edge network

Abstract

A system includes a participating device, an input-output interface, and a processor coupled to the input-output interface wherein the processor is further coupled to a memory, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations including authenticating the participating device as an edge device on a network, allocating a resource on the participating device to be used for serving a user device operating on the network, receiving a request for service from the user device, and causing the participating device to provide a service to the user devices using the resource from the participating device.

1 . A system comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 authenticating a first participating mobile device operating on a mobile network as an edge device on the mobile network; 
 allocating a first resource associated with a first service of the mobile network on the first participating mobile device to be used for serving a user device; 
 receiving a request for the first service from the user device; and 
 causing the first participating mobile device to provide the first service to the user device using the first resource. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining that the user device is outside a coverage area of the mobile network; and   identifying that the first participating mobile device is within the coverage area of the mobile network.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 allocating a second resource associated with the first service on a second participating mobile device; and   transitioning the first service to be from the first participating mobile device to the second participating mobile device.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first participating mobile device provides an identification of a last task being executed by the user device to the second participating mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first participating mobile device and the second participating mobile device are in communication with a common network edge device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device connects to the mobile network through the first participating mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 authenticating the user device is on the mobile network through a registration process.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 allocating a third resource on the first participating mobile device; and   receiving a request for a second service associated with the mobile network from a second user device and causing the first participating mobile device to provide the second service to the second user device using the third resource.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first resource and the third resource are securely isolated from each other on the first participating mobile device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first participating mobile device has a usage profile including resources available to be allocated as an edge device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first resource is one of a computation, storage, or routing resource. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 registering, by a processing system including a processor, a mobile device as a participating mobile device on a mobile network, wherein the mobile device is within a coverage area of the mobile network;   authenticating, by the processing system, the participating mobile device as an edge device, wherein the authenticating through a back-end server on the mobile network;   allocating, by the processing system, a portion of available resources of the participating mobile device to be shared with a user device, wherein the user device is outside the coverage area of the mobile network;   establishing, by the processing system, a first communication by the participating mobile device with the user device using the portion of available resources; and   providing, by the processing system, a first service of the participating mobile device to the user device using the portion of available resources of the participating mobile device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 handing off, by the processing system, the first communication by the participating mobile device to one of an edge network device and a second participating device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 allocating, by the processing system, a second portion of the available resources of the participating mobile device to be shared with a second user device; and   establishing, by the processing system, a second communication with the second user device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the processing system, a second communication by the participating mobile device with an edge network device; and   authenticating, by the processing system, the user device through the back-end server, the first communication being initiated by the edge network device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the establishing of the first communication is initiated by the user device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the processing system, billing credits for sharing resources used in the first communication.   
     
     
         18 . A mobile device comprising;
 a user device portion configured to operate on a mobile network;   a participating mobile device portion configured to operate as an edge device on the mobile network, wherein the participating mobile device portion and the user device portion are isolated from each other in secure containers;   a processing system including a processor;   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   registering on the mobile network as a participating mobile device;   receiving a first communication from a first edge device on the mobile network, the first communication containing a request for resources to be used by a second user device; and   establishing a second communication between the participating mobile device and the second user device.   
     
     
         19 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , wherein the second communication includes providing operating resources from the participating mobile device portion to be used by the second user device. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 identifying that a second user device is outside a coverage area of the mobile network; and   identifying that the participating mobile device is within the coverage area of the mobile network.