Methods and apparatus for incentivizing participation in fog networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for incentivizing device participation within a distributed network. In one exemplary embodiment, devices of a fog network may provide for example, computational, storage, and/or network resources in exchange for fungible tokens. In one such variant, the user contributions are recorded in a blockchain data structure, thereby enabling users to be compensated for their contributions of resources to the network at a later time. Unlike traditional networking techniques which often rely on centralized networks directing and/or commandeering user equipment for network bandwidth, the various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to ensuring that crediting and debiting of participation can be performed at the edge of the network (within the fog) without requiring authentication or trust exchanges. More directly, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to verification and/or validation of work performed by peer devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory computer readable instructions configured to, upon execution by the processor, cause the device to:   receive one or more resources as a credit in response to performing a first one or more tasks on behalf of a second device; and   send a request to redeem at least a portion of the credit to a third device, the request comprising a commission for the third device to perform a second one or more tasks on behalf of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to receive, in response to the request, data from the third device, the data related to a completion of the second one or more tasks by the third device. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to determine, before performing the first one or more tasks, that the credit available for performing the first one or more tasks is above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to perform, in response to the determination that the credit is above the predetermined threshold, the first one or more tasks. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein while the credit is below the predetermined threshold, the device does not perform the first one or more tasks. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to receive data indicative of a user consent to opt into a fog network participation prior to performing the one or more tasks. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to determine, before sending the request to redeem the at least a portion of the credit, that an amount of the credit that will be debited based on the third device performing the second one or more tasks is below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the request to redeem the at least a portion of the credit is sent to the third device only if the amount of the credit that will be debited based on the third device performing the second one or more tasks is below the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein while the amount of the credit that will be debited based on the third device performing the second one or more tasks is above the predetermined threshold, the request to redeem the at least a portion of the credit is no sent to the third device. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for maintaining a ledger for a network of devices performing tasks on behalf of one another, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory computer readable instructions configured to, upon execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to:   receive a first indication that a first device has performed a first one or more tasks on behalf of a second device;   update the ledger to indicate that the first device has been allocated one or more resources as a credit for performing the one or more tasks;   receive a second indication that a third device has performed a second one or more tasks on behalf of the first device as a redemption of the one or more resources.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to update, in response to receiving the second indication, the ledger to indicate that at least a portion of the credit has been redeemed by the first device. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to send data indicative of the credit to the first device based on the first indication that the first device performed the first one or more tasks. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more resources are first one or more resources, the credit is a first credit, and wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to update, in response to receiving the second indication, the ledger to indicate that the third device has been allocated one or more second resources as a second credit for performing the one or more tasks. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein credit is a first credit, and further wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to send data indicative of a second credit to the third device in response to receiving the second indication that the third device performed the second one or more tasks. 
     
     
         15 . A device for utilizing a network of devices to perform tasks based on usage rates of the network, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory computer readable instructions configured to, upon execution by the processor, cause the device to:   receive a credit in response to performing a first one or more tasks on behalf of a second device; and   send a request for another device to perform a second one or more tasks on behalf of the device, wherein an amount of the credit debited to perform the second one or more tasks is dependent on a usage rate of the network of devices.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein during a first period of time while the usage rate of the network devices is above a threshold, the amount of the credit debited to perform the second one or more tasks is a first amount of credit. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein during a second period of time while the usage rate of the network devices is below the threshold, the amount of the credit debited to perform the second one or more tasks is a second amount of credit. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the first amount of credit is greater than the second amount of credit. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to only send the request during the second period of time while the usage rate of the network of devices is below the threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to receive, in response to the request, data from the third device, the data related to a completion of the second one or more tasks by the third device.