Interfaces for service requests in a balloon network

• US 10,305,742 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOFTBANK Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Loon, LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Teller, Eric, DeVaul, Richard Wayne, Cassidy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US15/450,299
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18502 Airborne stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 : Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Example embodiments may relate to web interfaces for a balloon-network. For example, a computing device may display a graphical interface that that includes one or more interface features to receive a request for use of bandwidth of a balloon network. In particular, the computing device may receive, via the graphical interface, input data corresponding to a bandwidth request for a first location, where the bandwidth request includes: (i) an indication of the first location and (ii) an indication of time. Subsequently, the computing device may receive an indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted, where acceptance of the bandwidth request is based at least in part on expected movement of one or more balloons from a plurality of balloons in the balloon network. As such, the computing device may display, on the graphical interface, the indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

displaying a graphical interface that comprises one or more interface features to receive a request for use of bandwidth of a balloon network;

receiving, via the graphical interface, input data corresponding to a bandwidth request for a first location, wherein the bandwidth request comprises an indication of the first location;

receiving an indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted, wherein acceptance of the bandwidth request is based at least in part on a state of the balloon network; and

displaying, on the graphical interface, the indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth request further comprises an indication of a requested quality of service.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the requested quality of service comprises a requested bandwidth level.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the input data comprises receiving, via the graphical interface, payment information associated with the bandwidth request.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

displaying, on the graphical interface, a graphical representation of a map,

wherein receiving the input data comprises receiving, via the graphical interface displaying the graphical representation of the map, user-input indicating the first location on the map.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

displaying, on the graphical interface, a graphical representation of a map;

receiving real-time bandwidth data related to a plurality of balloons in the balloon network; and

based at least in part on the received real-time bandwidth data, displaying, on the graphical representation of the map, a visual representation of bandwidth information corresponding to one or more regions in a geographical area illustrated by the map.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein receiving real-time bandwidth data comprises receiving the real-time bandwidth data from time-to-time, and wherein displaying the visual representation comprises updating the displayed visual representation of bandwidth information from time-to-time based at least in part on the real-time bandwidth data that is received from time-to-time.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the bandwidth information indicates future bandwidth information estimated based at least in part on the bandwidth request.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth request further comprises a request to receive bandwidth from one or more specified balloons of the balloon network.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth request comprises a request to receive bandwidth at one or more specified client devices associated with a user-account.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth request further comprises a request to receive bandwidth at a specified client device (i) when the specified client device is at the first location, (ii) as the specified client device moves from the first location to a second location, and (iii) when the specified client device is at the second location.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical interface further comprises one or more interface features to facilitate event reporting, the functions further comprising:

receiving, via the graphical interface, further input data indicating an event at a given event location and at a given event time, thereby causing a change in the state of the balloon network such that a bandwidth level is increased for client devices receiving bandwidth from the balloon network at the given event location and at the given event time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the graphical interface further comprises one or more interface features to facilitate a voting process for allocation of bandwidth in the balloon network,

wherein receiving the input data comprises receiving, via the graphical interface, user-input corresponding to a first vote for allocation of bandwidth at the first location,

wherein acceptance of the bandwidth request being based at least in part on the state of the balloon network comprises acceptance of the bandwidth request being based at least in part on receipt by the balloon network of one or more votes each for allocation of bandwidth at a respective location, and

wherein the one or more votes include at least the first vote.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13,

wherein the first vote being for allocation of bandwidth at the first location comprises the first vote being for allocation of increased bandwidth at the first location, and

wherein the one or more votes each being for allocation of bandwidth at a respective location comprise the one or more votes each being for allocation of increased bandwidth at a respective location.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the graphical interface further comprises one or more interface features to facilitate an auction process for allocation of bandwidth in the balloon network,

wherein receiving the input data comprises receiving, via the graphical interface, user-input corresponding to a first bid for allocation of bandwidth at the first location,

wherein acceptance of the bandwidth request being based at least in part on the state of the balloon network comprises acceptance of the bandwidth request being based at least in part on receipt by the balloon network of one or more bids each for allocation of bandwidth at a respective location, and

wherein the one or more bids include at least the first bid.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the first bid being for allocation of bandwidth at the first location comprises the first bid being for allocation of increased bandwidth at the first location, and

wherein the one or more bids each being for allocation of bandwidth at a respective location comprise the one or more bids each being for allocation of increased bandwidth at a respective location.

17. A method comprising:

displaying, on a computing device, a graphical interface that comprises one or more interface features to receive a request for use of bandwidth of a balloon network;

receiving, via the graphical interface, input data corresponding to a bandwidth request for a first location, wherein the bandwidth request comprises an indication of the first location;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted, wherein acceptance of the bandwidth request is based at least in part on a state of the balloon network; and

displaying, on the graphical interface, the indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bandwidth request further comprises an indication of a requested bandwidth level.

19. A control system comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the one or more processors to;

receive, from a computing device that displays a graphical interface comprising one or more interface features to receive a request for use of bandwidth of a balloon network, a bandwidth request for a first location, wherein the bandwidth request comprises an indication of the first location;

based at least in part on a state of the balloon network, determine whether or not to accept the bandwidth request; and

cause the computing device to display, on the graphical interface, an indication corresponding to whether or not the bandwidth request is accepted.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein the bandwidth request further comprises an indication of a requested bandwidth level.