Systems and methods for monitoring data and bandwidth usage

• US 10,547,751 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US15/161,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/885 limit per application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8158 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

Access to a communications network may be provided via a data provider that may charge for access. In some cases, the access fee may be related to the amount of network resources consumed (e.g., amount of data downloaded or bandwidth used). In some cases, a user may have access to a particular amount of data provider resources and be required to pay an additional fee for using resources in excess of the particular amount. To assist the user in managing his data resource consumption, a resource utilization component may provide different alerts and notices informing the user of current consumption, expected future consumption, and recommendations for reducing data provider resources consumed (e.g., stopping particular processes or data provider requests, such as downloading media). If several electronic devices in a network are connected to the same data provider resources, a network component may manage the data provider resource use among the several electronic devices (e.g., allow only particular users or devices access).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

by a wireless communication device;

associating a first application with a cellular network;

associating a second application with a Wi-Fi network;

subsequently determining that a communication has been requested by an application; and

selecting a network on which to perform the communication, based on the application requesting the communication, wherein the selecting comprises;

preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application; and

automatically switching between the cellular network to perform communications relating to the first application and the Wi-Fi network to perform communications relating to the second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application is performed in response to determining that an allocated data provider resource limit associated with the cellular network has been reached.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the allocated data provider resource limit associated with the cellular network comprises bandwidth on the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to determining that the allocated data provider resource limit associated with the cellular network has been reached, preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to least one of:

a particular process;

a particular type of data transfer;

or

a particular type of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application further comprises preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application performing a scheduled download.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application further comprises preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to the second application performing an automatic update.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a criterion for preventing access to the cellular network by communications relating to any of a plurality of users.

8. An electronic device comprising:

cellular communication circuitry configured to communicate with a cellular network;

Wi-Fi communication circuitry configured to communicate with a Wi-Fi network; and

resource utilization circuitry configured to;

associate a first application with the cellular network and a second application with the Wi-Fi network; and

in response to a subsequent request to transfer data, select which network to use in transferring the data, based on an application requesting the data transfer, wherein the selecting comprises causing the electronic device to automatically switch between utilizing the cellular network for data transfer associated with the first application and utilizing the Wi-Fi network for data transfer associated with the second application.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the resource utilization circuitry is further configured to cause the electronic device to determine that an allocated data provider resource limit associated with the cellular network has been reached, wherein the automatically switching from the cellular network to the Wi-Fi network for data transfer associated with the second application is further performed in response to the determining.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the allocated data provider resource limit associated with the cellular network comprises bandwidth on the cellular network.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein automatically switching from the cellular network to the Wi-Fi network for data transfer associated with the second application is in response to a configuration preventing access to the cellular network by data transfer associated with the second application.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising I/O circuitry configured to receive a criterion for preventing access to the cellular network by data transfer relating to any of a plurality of users.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the resource utilization circuitry is further configured to cause the electronic device to prevent access to the cellular network by a data transfer relating to a scheduled download.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the resource utilization circuitry is further configured to cause the electronic device to prevent access to the cellular network by a data transfer relating to an automatic update.

15. An electronic device comprising:

cellular communication circuitry configured to communicate with a cellular network;

Wi-Fi communication circuitry configured to communicate with a Wi-Fi network; and

resource utilization circuitry configured to select which network to use in transferring data, based on an application requesting the data transfer, wherein, in performing the selecting, the resource utilization circuitry is configured to;

associate a first application with the cellular network and a second application with the Wi-Fi network; and

in response to a subsequent request to transfer data;

allow the electronic device to utilize the cellular network for data transfer associated with the first application;

prevent the electronic device from utilizing the cellular network for data transfer associated with the second application; and

allow the electronic device to utilize the Wi-Fi network for the data transfer associated with the second application.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein preventing the electronic device from utilizing the cellular network for data transfer associated with the second application is further performed in response to the resource utilization circuitry determining that an allocated data provider resource limit for the cellular network has been reached.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the allocated data provider resource limit for the cellular network comprises bandwidth on the cellular network.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein preventing the electronic device from utilizing the cellular network for data transfer associated with the second application is in response to a configuration preventing access to the cellular network by data transfer associated with the second application for a plurality of users, wherein the configuration is based at least in part on a received user input.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the resource utilization circuitry is further configured to prevent the electronic device from accessing the cellular network for a scheduled download.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the resource utilization circuitry is further configured to prevent the electronic device from accessing the cellular network for an automatic update.