OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORTING COST AWARE APPLICATIONS

• US 20140323084A1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Menezes, Pascal, Piumatti, Marco, Parks, Upshur W., Rao, Ravi
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8022 Determining tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/885 limit per application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/886 limit per terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

A mobile computing device that supports cost-aware application components for operation over a metered network. A current basis for computing usage charges over one or more networks may be made available to the cost-aware application components through an application programming interface supported by an operating system service. That service may receive a policy for charging for data usage over a network and may also obtain information defining data usage for the mobile computing device. Based on this information, the service may determine a current basis for charging for data usage. With this information, the application component can determine a manner for executing network operations that involve data transmission over the network, such as deferring the operation or selecting an alternative network.

Claims

1. At least one computer storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device configured for utilizing a network that has a monetary cost associated with the utilizing, cause the device to display a user interface that includes:

a first control configured for indicating a monetary cost threshold; and

a second control configured for indicating conditional processing to be performed in response to a cost associated with an amount of data exceeding the monetary cost threshold, where the amount of data is being considered for transfer via the network.

2. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the monetary cost threshold is expressed as a percentage of a data usage cap.

3. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the conditional processing includes throttling data transmissions.

4. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the conditional processing includes blocking data transmissions.

5. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the user interface further includes a third control configured for selecting a particular network to which the monetary cost threshold and the conditional processing apply.

6. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the first control and the second control apply to a specified category of a plurality of categories of applications.

7. The at least one computer storage device of claim 6 where the plurality of categories includes an email category, a browser category, a games category, or a multimedia category.

8. A method performed on a computing device configured for utilizing a network that has a monetary cost associated with the utilizing, the method comprising:

causing the computing device to display a user interface that includes;

a first control configured for indicating a monetary cost threshold; and

a second control configured for indicating conditional processing to be performed in response to a cost associated with an amount of data exceeding the monetary cost threshold, where the amount of data is being considered for transfer via the network.

9. The method of claim 8 where the monetary cost threshold is expressed as a percentage of a data usage cap.

10. The method of claim 8 where the conditional processing includes throttling data transmissions.

11. The method of claim 8 where the conditional processing includes blocking data transmissions.

12. The method of claim 8 where the user interface further includes a third control configured for selecting a particular network to which the monetary cost threshold and the conditional processing apply.

13. The method of claim 8 where the first control and the second control apply to a specified category of a plurality of categories of applications.

14. The method of claim 13 where the plurality of categories includes an email category, a browser category, a games category, or a multimedia category.

15. A system comprising a computing device and at least one software module that are together configured for performing actions, the computing device configured for utilizing a network that has a monetary cost associated with the utilizing, the actions comprising:

causing the computing device to display a user interface that includes;

a first control configured for indicating a monetary cost threshold; and

a second control configured for indicating conditional processing to be performed in response to a cost associated with an amount of data exceeding the monetary cost threshold, where the amount of data is being considered for transfer via the network.

16. The system of claim 15 where the monetary cost threshold is expressed as a percentage of a data usage cap.

17. The system of claim 15 where the conditional processing includes throttling data transmissions or blocking the data transmissions.

18. The system of claim 15 where the user interface further includes a third control configured for selecting a particular network to which the monetary cost threshold and the conditional processing apply.

19. The system of claim 15 where the first control and the second control apply to a specified category of a plurality of categories of applications.

20. The system of claim 19 where the plurality of categories includes an email category, a browser category, a games category, or a multimedia category.