Data constrained resource access

• US 9,836,528 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Min, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hasan, Syed
• Application Number:
  US14/804,180
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/141 Indication of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• 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 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing data deliver for data constrained user devices. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, from a user device, requests for resources. For each of the requests, determining whether the user device is currently subject to a data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request. For each request for which the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, provide data that causes the user device to display a prompt to choose whether a resource responsive to the request is to be provided in the unrestricted data form or a restricted data form. A resource can be provided in an unrestricted data form has a first data size and provided in a restricted data form has a second data size that is less than the first data size.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user device, requests for resources;

for each of the requests, determining whether the user device is currently subject to a data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request;

for each request for which the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint, providing a resource responsive to the request in an unrestricted data form; and

for each request for which the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, providing data that causes the user device to display a prompt to choose whether a resource responsive to the request is to be provided in the unrestricted data form or a restricted data form;

wherein;

a resource provided in an unrestricted data form has a first data size and provided in a restricted data form has a second data size that is less than the first data size, and when a resource is provided in restricted data form only textual data of the resource is provided and the providing of non-textual data of the resource is precluded;

for at least one of the requests the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, and for at least another of the requests the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a search query and the resource is a set of search results.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-textual data includes image data and video data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is connected to and receiving data over a Wi-Fi connection;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not connected to the Wi-Fi connection; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is connected to the Wi-Fi connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is within a threshold amount of a data plan cap;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is within the threshold amount of the data plan cap; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not within the threshold amount of the data plan cap.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds a data size threshold;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds the data size threshold; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form do not exceed the data size threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining a cost to download the resource, the cost based on a data size of the resource;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost exceeds a threshold cost; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost does not exceed the threshold cost.

8. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

receive, from a user device, requests for resources;

for each of the requests, determine whether the user device is currently subject to a data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request;

for each request for which the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint, provide a resource responsive to the request in an unrestricted data form;

for each request for which the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, provide data that causes the user device to display a prompt to choose whether a resource responsive to the request is to be provided in the unrestricted data form or a restricted data form; and

wherein;

a resource provided in an unrestricted data form has a first data size and provided in a restricted data form has a second data size that is less than the first data size, and when a resource is provided in restricted data form only textual data of the resource is provided and the providing of non-textual data of the resource is precluded; and

for at least one of the requests the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, and for at least another of the requests the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the request is a search query and the resource is a set of search results.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-textual data includes image data and video data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is connected to and receiving data over a Wi-Fi connection;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not connected to the Wi-Fi connection; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is connected to the Wi-Fi connection.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is within a threshold amount of a data plan cap;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is within the threshold amount of the data plan cap; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not within the threshold amount of the data plan cap.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds a data size threshold;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds the data size threshold; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form do not exceed the data size threshold.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining a cost to download the resource, the cost based on a data size of the resource;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost exceeds a threshold cost; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost does not exceed the threshold cost.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user device, requests for resources;

for each of the requests, determining whether the user device is currently subject to a data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request;

for each request for which the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint, providing a resource responsive to the request in an unrestricted data form;

for each request for which the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, providing data that causes the user device to display a prompt to choose whether a resource responsive to the request is to be provided in the unrestricted data form or a restricted data form;

wherein;

a resource provided in an unrestricted data form has a first data size and provided in a restricted data form has a second data size that is less than the first data size, and when a resource is provided in restricted data form only textual data of the resource is provided and the providing of non-textual data of the resource is precluded; and

for at least one of the requests the user device is determined to be subject to the data constraint, and for at least another of the requests the user device is determined not to be subject to the data constraint.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the request is a search query and the resource is a set of search results.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the non-textual data includes image data and video data.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is connected to and receiving data over a Wi-Fi connection;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not connected to the Wi-Fi connection; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is connected to the Wi-Fi connection.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the user device is within a threshold amount of a data plan cap;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is within the threshold amount of the data plan cap; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the user device is not within the threshold amount of the data plan cap.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining whether the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds a data size threshold;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form exceeds the data size threshold; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the resource in unrestricted data form do not exceed the data size threshold.

21. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether the user device is currently subject to the data constraint for receiving data responsive to the request comprises:

determining a cost to download the resource, the cost based on a data size of the resource;

determining the user device is currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost exceeds a threshold cost; and

determining the user device is not currently subject to the data constraint in response to determining the cost does not exceed the threshold cost.