Transmitting data requests based on usage characteristics of applications

• US 8,332,500 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Singleton, David, Eblen, Scott, Connors, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US12/697,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes example techniques to transmit a request for data for one or more applications based on usage patterns of the one or more applications by a user. A device such as, but not limited to, a mobile device may monitor usage characteristics of the one or more applications. The device may transmit a request for data used by the one or more applications executed on the device based on the monitored usage characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

monitor application and contextual usage characteristics of one or more applications executed on a device, wherein the application usage characteristics identify a manner in which a user utilized each of the one or more applications, and wherein the contextual usage characteristics identify a context in which the user utilized each of the one or more applications;

determine, based at least in part on the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics, data to be used by the one or more applications; and

prior to the one or more applications sending a request for the data, transmit, to one or more servers external to the device, the request for the data, wherein the transmittal of the request is initiated by the device without user intervention.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to throttle transmission of the request, when subsequently initiated by the one or more applications, based on trend data compiled from the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2,

wherein the instructions to throttle transmission comprise instructions to determine whether to transmit the request for data, when the request for data is subsequently initiated by the one or more applications, based on the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics, and

wherein the instructions to transmit the request for data comprise instructions to transmit the request for data based on the determination.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to transmit the request for the data comprise instructions to transmit the request for the data prior to the one or more applications sending the request for the data and prior to subsequent user interaction with the device to request the data for the one or more applications.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions to transmit the request for the data prior to the one or more applications sending the request for the data and prior to subsequent user interaction comprises instructions to transmit the request for the data prior to subsequent user interaction to request the data during or by way of execution of the one or more applications or based on connectivity of the device indicated by the contextual usage characteristics.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to transmit the request for the data comprises instructions to transmit the request for the data wirelessly to the one or more servers external to the device.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

associate the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics to generate an application data model; and

analyze the application data model to generate trend data based on the association,

wherein the trend data identifies at least one pattern of the manner and context in which the user utilized each of the one or more applications, and

wherein the instructions to transmit the request for the data comprises instructions to transmit the request for the data based on the trend data.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

store the application data model in a storage device; and

retrieve the application data model for analysis.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

receive the request for data from one or more of the one or more applications;

determine whether the request for data was initiated by the one or more applications;

determine whether the request for data should be transmitted based on the trend data; and

store the request for data when the trend data indicates that the request for data need not be transmitted to the one or more servers upon receipt of the request.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

in response to the request for the data, receive, from the one or more servers external to the device, the data to be used by the one or more applications.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions to receive comprise instructions to receive data used by at least two of the one or more applications at different times.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile device.

13. A method comprising:

monitoring, by at least one of a device or one or more servers external to the device, application and contextual usage characteristics of one or more applications executed on the device, wherein the application usage characteristics identify a manner in which a user utilized each of the one or more applications, and wherein the contextual usage characteristics identify a context in which the user utilized each of the one or more applications;

determining, by the device, based at least in part on the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics, data to be used by the one or more applications; and

prior to the one or more applications sending a request for the data, transmitting, by the device, to the one or more servers external to the device, the request for the data, wherein the transmittal of the request is initiated by the device without user intervention.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising throttling transmission of the request, when subsequently initiated by the one or more applications, based on trend data compiled from the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein throttling transmission comprises determining whether to transmit the request for data, when the request for data is subsequently initiated by the one or more applications, based on the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics, and

wherein transmitting the request for data comprises transmitting the request for data based on the determination.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the request for the data comprises transmitting the request for the data prior to the one or more applications sending the request for the data and prior to subsequent user interaction with the device to request the data for the one or more applications.

17. A device comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

execute one or more applications on the device and to monitor application and contextual usage characteristics of one or more applications, wherein the application usage characteristics identify a manner in which a user utilized each of the one or more applications, and wherein the contextual usage characteristics identify a context in which the user utilized each of the one or more applications;

determine, based at least in part on the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics, data to be used by the one or more applications; and

prior to the one or more application sending a request for the data, transmit, to one or more servers external to the device, the request for the data, wherein the transmittal of the request is initiated by the device without user intervention.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to throttle transmissions of the request, when subsequently initiated by the one or more applications, based on trend data compiled from the monitored application and contextual usage characteristics.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the request for the data prior to the one or more applications sending the request for the data and prior to subsequent user interaction with the device to request the data for the one or more applications.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors comprise:

a first processor configured to execute the one or more applications;

an application usage monitor configured to monitor the application usage characteristics, and

a context usage monitor configured to monitor the contextual usage characteristics.