SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING DATA AND BANDWIDTH USAGE

• US 20100017506A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 for managing data provider resource consumption, comprising:

monitoring data provider resource consumption;

determining that the data provider consumption is within a predetermined range of a data provider resource limit; and

automatically providing a notice related to the consumed data provider resources in response to determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring further comprises monitoring during a subscription period; and

the data provider resource limit comprises a data provider resource limit during the subscription period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option for preventing consumption of data provider resources beyond the data provider resource limit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option for accessing additional data provider resources beyond the data provider resource limit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing further comprises receiving purchase information for accessing additional data provider resources.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically limiting access to data provider resources in response to determining.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein limiting further comprises:

identifying a restricted set of data provider resource usages;

detecting that a requested use is within the identified set; and

preventing access to the data provider resources in response to detecting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identified set comprises at least one of:

data provider resource usage by a particular user;

data provider resource usage by a particular electronic device;

data provider resource usage by a particular application;

data provider resource usage by a particular process;

data provider resource usage using a particular communications protocol;

data provider resource usage for a particular type of data transfer; and

data provider resource usage for a particular type of data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular process comprises at least one of a scheduled download, an auto-update, and a rogue process.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular application is not included in a list of authorized applications.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the quality of transferred media.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting further comprises at least one of changing the resolution of transferred media, changing the display size of transferred media, and changing the codec used for decoding the transferred media.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the notice further comprises an estimation of expected future data provider resource consumption for a particular period.

14. A system for monitoring resource utilization of data provider resources, comprising:

an electronic device operative to consume data provider resources; and

a resources utilization component coupled to the electronic device, the resource utilization component operative to monitor the data provider resources consumed by the electronic device and operative to adjust the consumption of the electronic device to data provider resources.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the resources utilization component is further operative to:

determine that the electronic device has consumed an amount of data provider resources that is within a predetermined range of a data provider resource limit; and

indicate to the electronic device the determined consumption amount.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined range comprises a dynamically changing range.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the dynamically changing range is operative to change based on the current day within a subscription period associated with the data provider resource limit.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the resources utilization element is operative to define the dynamically changing range based on the expected data provider resource consumption for the time remaining in a subscription period associated with the data provider resource limit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the resources utilization component is further operative to:

review data provider resource usage from previous subscription periods associated with the data provider resource limit;

extract variations to linear data provider resource usage based on the reviewed usage; and

define the dynamically changing range based on the extracted variations.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the data provider resource limit comprises at least one of:

an amount of transferred data;

an amount of uploaded data;

an amount of downloaded data;

a bandwidth limitation;

an amount of a particular type of transferred data;

an amount of data transferred using a particular protocol; and

an amount of data transferred using a particular application.

21. A method for managing the consumption of data provider resources by a plurality of electronic devices, comprising:

monitoring data provider resource consumption by the plurality of electronic devices;

determining that the consumed data provider resources have reached a predetermined resource limit; and

automatically indicating to at least one of the plurality of electronic devices that the predetermined resource limit has been reached.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein monitoring further comprises monitoring the individual data provider resource consumption by each of the plurality of electronic devices.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying at least one of the plurality of electronic devices based on the data provider resources consumed by the at least one of the plurality of electronic devices; and

managing the access to data provider resources of the identified electronic device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein identifying further comprises identifying at least one of an electronic device consuming a disproportionately large amount of data provider resources and an electronic devices consuming a disproportionately small amount of data provider resources.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein managing further comprises at least one of:

reducing the data provider resources available to the identified electronic device;

preventing the identified electronic device from consuming data provider resources;

re-allocating data provider resources from other electronic devices to the identified electronic device;

changing the attributes of a transferred media file;

changing the attributes of the transfer of a media file;

restricting particular programs from consuming data provider resources; and

receiving purchase authorization from the identified electronic device to purchase access to additional data provider resources.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein reducing further comprises at least one of:

preventing the identified electronic device from transferring a particular type of data;

preventing the identified electronic device from transferring data using a particular communications protocol;

preventing the identified electronic device from consuming data provider resources using a particular application; and

preventing the identified electronic device from consuming data provider resources at a particular time of day or week.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

associating a resource limit with each of the plurality of electronic devices;

detecting that one of the plurality of electronic devices has reached the resource limit associated with the detected electronic device; and

automatically providing an indication that the resource limit has been reached to the one of the plurality of electronic devices.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising directing the one of the plurality of electronic devices to at least one of:

limit data provider resources consumed; and

purchase access to additional data provider resources.

29. A system for automatically switching between communications networks based on monitored usage of the communications networks comprising:

a first communications network, wherein a first resource limit is associated with the first communications network;

a second communications network, wherein a second resource limit is associated with the second communications limit; and

an electronic device operative to consume resources using either of the first and second communications networks, the electronic device operative to;

consume resources using the first communications network;

determine that the resource consumption has reached the first resource limit; and

connect to the second communications network for further resource consumption in response to determining.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the electronic device is operative to automatically connect to the second communications network in response to determining.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the electronic device is further operative to display and indication of the resources remaining on the second communications network until the second communications limit is met.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the electronic device is further operative to receive an instruction to switch to the second communications network in response to displaying the indication.