Invented by KIM; Jae Young, OpsNow Inc.
Cloud services are everywhere today. If you run a business, stream a video, or even back up your photos, you are using the cloud. But picking the best cloud service can be hard. There are many choices, and prices and performance can be tricky to compare. A new patent application introduces a system and method that make this much easier for everyone. Let’s break down what this invention means for users, businesses, and the future of cloud computing.
Background and Market Context
Cloud computing is now the backbone of many businesses and daily tech tasks. Companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer services that let businesses move their work from their own computers to powerful, shared servers online. This means companies can work faster, save money, and always have access to the latest tools.
But as more cloud service providers (CSPs) show up, and as these services become more complex, it gets harder for customers to know what they are really getting. Each CSP uses different names, pricing plans, and technical numbers to show off their services. Sometimes, two services look the same on paper but perform very differently in real life.
Cost is also a big puzzle. CSPs use different ways to offer discounts. Some give you a deal if you promise to use their service for a long time. Others offer a special price if you only need the service for a short time or in big batches. Some even have secret discounts if you ask for them. This makes it hard for users to know if they are getting the best deal.
Right now, if you want to compare two cloud services, you usually have to look at basic numbers like the number of CPU cores or RAM. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story. For example, AWS might say two of their services each have “1 core,” but one core may be much faster than the other. The same is true for memory and other features.
Most tools today let you compare services only within the same provider. If you want to see if a service from AWS is better or cheaper than one from Azure or Google, you’re mostly out of luck. You have to do the research yourself, which takes a lot of time and can lead to mistakes.
Businesses face real pressure to cut costs and make smart choices. They want the best service for their money, but the way CSPs present information makes this hard. Without clear, easy-to-understand numbers, it’s tough to decide if switching to a new service is worth it.
This is where the new patent comes in. The goal is to give users a way to compare cloud services from any provider, using real-life performance and true costs. It promises to make switching providers, finding discounts, and picking the right service simple and smart.
Scientific Rationale and Prior Art
Let’s look at why comparing cloud services is so tricky from a technical point of view, and how past solutions have fallen short.
Cloud services are made up of many parts. The most important are the virtual machines (VMs) that run your programs. Every CSP gives details about their VMs, like how many CPU cores, how much memory, and what type of storage they include. But these numbers don’t always mean the same thing across different providers.
For example, AWS has different types of VMs, like EC2 and Graviton. Both might advertise “1 core,” but the Graviton core is faster and more efficient. AWS will say “Graviton is 25% faster and 20% cheaper” than EC2, but they don’t give you the actual numbers to prove it. This means users can’t easily compare VMs from AWS to those from Azure or Google Cloud. The same goes for memory speed and storage options.
On top of that, CSPs have different discount plans. Google Cloud, for example, offers automatic discounts if you use their service for a long period. AWS might require you to commit to a certain amount of usage to get a better price. These policies are hard to track and compare, especially if you’re using services from more than one provider.
In the past, some tools tried to help users compare services, but they fell short in key ways. Most only looked at the number of CPU cores or memory, not the real performance. Others didn’t include discounts or special deals that could change the total cost a lot. Some could only compare services within a single provider, not across many.
One patent from Korea (No. 10-2613081) worked on ways to manage cloud services, but it did not solve the problem of comparing real performance and costs across different CSPs. It did not give users a way to see which service is truly faster or more cost-effective when you include all the discounts and real-world usage patterns.
This new patent application changes the game by introducing a system that measures actual performance, calculates the true cost after all discounts, and gives a simple number that you can use to compare any service from any provider. This is a big step forward from past solutions.
Invention Description and Key Innovations
Now, let’s dig into what makes this invention special. The patent covers both a system and a method for managing and evaluating cloud services. Here’s how it works, step by step, in the simplest way possible.
First, there are three main parts:
1. The user terminal – This is the device (like your computer, phone, or tablet) that the user uses to access cloud services.
2. The CSP servers – These are the servers run by the cloud providers (like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) that offer the cloud services.
3. The cloud service management server – This is the brain of the system. It connects to the user and to the different CSPs. Its job is to gather data, measure performance, calculate costs, and help the user make the best choice.
The invention works in three big steps: benchmarking, cost calculation, and service optimization.
Benchmarking: This means measuring how well each cloud service performs in real life. The management server does this by running tests on the actual VMs from each provider. It looks at things like how fast the CPU is and how quick the memory is. The system doesn’t just take the provider’s word for it – it checks the real numbers.
The system finds out two main things:
– Required performance: This is what the user actually needs, based on their current usage. For example, if a business’s app uses a certain amount of CPU and memory every month, the system measures that.
– Supply performance: This is how much power the cloud service can really deliver. The system measures both CPU and memory performance, then picks the lower of the two as the real-world limit. This makes sure users don’t buy more power than they’ll actually use.
Cost Calculation: Next, the system figures out what each service actually costs. It does this by looking at the standard (on-demand) price and then checking for any discounts. These can include:
– Discounts for using the service in big batches (for example, only using it for two hours a day)
– Discounts for long-term use (if you agree to use the service for a year, you might get a better deal)
– Special deals, like new customer promotions or limited-time offers
The system combines all these numbers and gives you the real, final price you would pay for each service.
Service Optimization: This is where the magic happens. The system takes the real performance and the true cost and creates a simple number called the “correction performance conversion numerical value.” This number tells you how much computing power you get for your money. It’s like miles per gallon for your car, but for cloud services.
With this number, you can quickly see which service gives you the best value. The system looks at your current service and all possible alternatives, then recommends the one that gives you the most performance for your dollar (or euro, or won).
If there are services that are more powerful than you need, the system can also focus just on cost, making sure you don’t pay for extra power you’ll never use.
Key Innovations:
– The system measures real performance, not just what the provider claims. This means you always know what you are really getting.
– It combines performance and cost into a single number, making decisions simple.
– It considers all discounts and special offers, so you never miss out on a deal.
– It works with any provider, so you can compare AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and others, all in one place.
– It tracks your real usage patterns, so recommendations are tailored to what you actually need, not just what looks good on paper.
– The system is flexible. You can set your own preferences, like wanting more power, less cost, or a certain provider.
Here’s a simple example: Imagine you are using a service from AWS. The system measures your actual usage and finds out you really need 80,000 units of computing per minute. It checks AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud for what each can offer and at what price, after all discounts. It finds that, for your needs, Azure offers 100,000 units per minute at a lower price after discounts. The system calculates the conversion value and recommends Azure. You can switch and save money, or get more power for the same price.
This approach is a big help for businesses that want to save money, get better performance, or both. It takes the guesswork out of choosing cloud services and puts the user in control.
Conclusion
Choosing the right cloud service is one of the most important decisions for any business or serious user today. But with so many options, hidden discounts, and confusing specs, it’s easy to make a costly mistake. The patent application we explored brings a smart, simple, and fair way to compare cloud services from any provider, using real-world performance and true costs.
By measuring actual performance, tracking every possible discount, and turning everything into a single, easy-to-understand number, this invention takes the pain out of cloud service shopping. It empowers users to make choices that fit their real needs, avoids overspending, and helps businesses stay competitive.
As cloud technology keeps growing, tools like this will be key for everyone from small startups to giant companies. By making cloud service management smarter and more transparent, this invention sets a new standard for how we buy and use cloud computing. It’s a leap forward for users, providers, and the entire tech world.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your cloud services, keep an eye on solutions that offer this kind of clarity and power. The future of cloud is bright—and with tools like this, it’s also a lot easier to understand.
Click here https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/ and search 20250219914.