LIMITING DATA TRANSMISSION TO AND/OR FROM A COMMUNICATION DEVICE AS A DATA TRANSMISSION CAP IS APPROACHED AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR CONFIGURING SAME

• US 20100144312A1
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: RUNSTEDLER, Christopher James, Scriver, Aaron David, Hardy, Michael Thomas, Jain, Rohit Rocky
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/407
• 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 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/835 Time or frequency of notifications, e.g. Advice of Charge [AoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/846 optical, e.g. icon
• 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 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/858 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/881 for continuing the call beyond the limit using allow grace
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/012 : Continue allow grace, e.g. accept negative balance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 : WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/78 : Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8104 : Time or frequency of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8137 : Message, e.g. alphanumeric text, SMS, MMS, EMS or www-based messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8141 : Optical, e.g. flashing indication of a lamp, icon, soft-key or symbol
• 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: H04M 2215/8162 : Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8183 : Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A data transmission cap represents a maximum amount of data that can be transmitted to and/or from a communication device during a subscriber billing cycle without incurring a penalty under a subscriber rate plan. To limit data transmission to and/or from the communication device as the data transmission cap is approached, a graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed. The GUI includes one or more GUI controls for selecting a data transmission limiting tactic from a plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and for specifying a data transmission threshold at which the selected tactic is to take effect, the threshold being below the operative cap. Upon user interaction with the GUI control(s), user input indicating the selected data transmission tactic and specified data transmission threshold is received. The communication device or another electronic device in communication therewith is configured to effect the selected data transmission limiting tactic when the specified data transmission threshold is reached.

Claims

1. A method of limiting data transmission to, from, or to and from a communication device, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI), said GUI comprising one or more GUI controls for selecting a data transmission limiting tactic from a plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and for specifying a data transmission threshold at which the selected data transmission limiting tactic is to take effect, said data transmission threshold being below an operative data transmission cap, said data transmission cap representing a maximum amount of data that can be transmitted to, from, or to and from said communication device during a subscriber billing cycle without incurring a penalty under a subscriber rate plan;

by way of said one or more GUI controls, receiving user input indicating the selected data transmission tactic and the specified data transmission threshold; and

based on said user input, configuring said communication device or another electronic device in communication therewith to effect the selected data transmission limiting tactic when the specified data transmission threshold is reached.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said data transmission threshold is expressed within said GUI as a relative amount of the operative data transmission cap.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said relative amount is a percentage less than 100% or a fraction less than one.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying said data transmission cap within said GUI as a first absolute amount of transmitted data and wherein said data transmission threshold is expressed within said GUI as a second absolute amount of transmitted data less than said first absolute amount.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said displayed data transmission cap is user-configurable by way of at least one further GUI control.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more GUI controls are further for configuring a user notification to be provided when the selected data transmission tactic is effected.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more GUI controls preclude specification of said data transmission threshold at or above said data transmission cap.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said data transmission limiting tactic is a first data transmission limiting tactic, said data transmission threshold is a first data transmission threshold, and further comprising:

by way of said one or more GUI controls, receiving further user input indicating a selected second data transmission limiting tactic of said plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and a specified second data transmission threshold; and

based on said further user input, configuring said communication device or said other electronic device in communication therewith to effect the second data transmission limiting tactic when the second data transmission threshold is reached.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first and second data transmission limiting tactics are distinct and wherein said first and second data transmission thresholds are also distinct.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuring of said other electronic device comprises sending at least one command to said other electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of data transmission limiting tactics includes two or more of:

reducing a size of chunks into which an electronic message exceeding a threshold size is subdivided for individual on-demand transmission to or from said communication device;

reducing a size of a body of an electronic message prior to its transmission to or from said communication device;

reducing a size of an attachment of an electronic message prior to its transmission to or from said communication device;

transmitting only a header portion of an electronic message to or from said communication device;

transmitting data to or from said communication device not over a primary transmission medium to which said data transmission cap is applicable, but over a secondary transmission medium to which said data transmission cap is not applicable; and

configuring a browser at said communication device to refrain from requesting images within browsed documents.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said communication device is a wireless communication device, said primary transmission medium is a wireless transmission medium, and said secondary transmission medium is a wired transmission medium.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said reducing a size of a body of said electronic message comprises changing a format of said electronic message from a hypertext markup language (HTML) format to a non-markup language textual format.

14. A machine readable medium storing instructions for limiting data transmission to, from, or to and from a communication device that, when executed by one or more processors of said communication device, cause said communication device to:

display a graphical user interface (GUI), said GUI comprising one or more GUI controls for selecting a data transmission limiting tactic from a plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and for specifying a data transmission threshold at which the selected data transmission limiting tactic is to take effect, said data transmission threshold being below an operative data transmission cap, said data transmission cap representing a maximum amount of data that can be transmitted to, from, or to and from said communication device during a subscriber billing cycle without incurring a penalty under a subscriber rate plan;

by way of said one or more GUI controls, receive user input indicating the selected data transmission tactic and the specified data transmission threshold; and

based on said user input, configure said communication device or another electronic device in communication therewith to effect the selected data transmission limiting tactic when the specified data transmission threshold is reached.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said data transmission threshold is expressed within said GUI as a relative amount of the operative data transmission cap, said relative amount being percentage less than 100% or a fraction less than one.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said one or more GUI controls are further for configuring a user notification to be provided when the selected data transmission tactic is effected.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said one or more GUI controls preclude specification of said data transmission threshold at or above said data transmission cap.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said data transmission limiting tactic is a first data transmission limiting tactic, said data transmission threshold is a first data transmission threshold, and wherein said instructions further cause said computing device to:

by way of said one or more GUI controls, receive further user input indicating a selected second data transmission limiting tactic of said plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and a specified second data transmission threshold; and

based on said further user input, configure said communication device or said other electronic device in communication therewith to effect the second data transmission limiting tactic when the second data transmission threshold is reached.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18 wherein said first and second data transmission limiting tactics are distinct and wherein said first and second data transmission thresholds are also distinct.

20. A communication device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory interconnected with said at least one processor storing instructions for limiting data transmission to, from, or to and from said communication device that, when executed by said processor, cause said communication device to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI), said GUI comprising one or more GUI controls for selecting a data transmission limiting tactic from a plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and for specifying a data transmission threshold at which the selected data transmission limiting tactic is to take effect, said data transmission threshold being below an operative data transmission cap, said data transmission cap representing a maximum amount of data that can be transmitted to, from, or to and from said communication device during a subscriber billing cycle without incurring a penalty under a subscriber rate plan;

by way of said one or more GUI controls, receive user input indicating the selected data transmission tactic and the specified data transmission threshold; and

based on said user input, configure said communication device or another electronic device in communication therewith to effect the selected data transmission limiting tactic when the specified data transmission threshold is reached.