Methods, systems and computer program products for proactively offering a network turbo boost service to end users

• US 8,239,516 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huslak, Nicholas S., McQuaide, Jr., Arnold C., Carter, Sharon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US10/719,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,182 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/228, 709/233, 725/98, 725/116
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Methods for proactively offering a network turbo boost service to consumers including receiving a set of one or more turbo boost triggering criteria associated with a user. A network is monitored for a task that meets at least one of the turbo boost triggering criteria. If the monitoring results in locating a task that meets at least one of the turbo boost triggering criteria, then the network turbo boost service is invoked for the task.

Claims

1. A method of providing a network turbo boost service, the method comprising:

receiving at a service provider system turbo boost triggering criteria, a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by a user of the network turbo boost service, the turbo boost triggering criteria received via a user interface provided by the network turbo boost service;

monitoring, at the service provider system, a network for a task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria; and

upon determining the monitoring results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria, automatically invoking by the service provider system the network turbo boost service for the task;

wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria includes a network-based trigger, the network-based trigger invoked when one of a file that exceeds a predefined threshold in size is detected, a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data; and

wherein another portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user, wherein a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria in the default preference list is modifiable by the user, and some of the turbo boost triggering criteria in the default preference list is not modifiable by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria includes:

a user client-based trigger.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user client-based trigger includes:

detecting that the user has requested the network turbo boost service; and

detecting an outgoing file that is larger than a pre-selected size.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is user client software.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user includes a destination address of a file subject to the network turbo boost service.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is an application program.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the task includes accessing a website and downloading and uploading data.

8. A method of providing a network turbo boost service, the method comprising:

receiving at a service provider system turbo boost triggering criteria, a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by a user of the network turbo boost service, the turbo boost triggering criteria received via a user interface provided by the network turbo boost service;

monitoring, at the service provider system, a network for a task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria;

upon determining the monitoring results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria, transmitting an offer to the user to invoke the network turbo boost service for the task; and

invoking the network turbo boost service for the task when the user responds to the offer by requesting that the network turbo boost service be invoked for the task;

wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria includes a network-based trigger, the network-based trigger invoked when one of a file that exceeds a predefined threshold in size is detected, when a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and when a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data; and

wherein another portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user, wherein a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria in the default preference list is modifiable by the user, and some of the turbo boost triggering criteria in the default preference list is not modifiable by the user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising executing the task without the network turbo boost service if the user does not respond to the offer within a pre-selected time interval.

10. A method of providing a network turbo boost service, the method comprising:

receiving at a service provider system turbo boost automatic triggering criteria and turbo boost offer triggering criteria, a portion of the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria and a portion of the turbo boost offer triggering criteria are defined by a user of the network turbo boost service, the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria and the turbo boost offer triggering criteria received via a user interface provided by the network turbo boost service;

monitoring, at the service provider system, a network for a task that meets either of the turbo boost offer triggering criteria and the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria;

upon determining the monitoring results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost offer triggering criteria, transmitting an offer to the user to invoke the network turbo boost service for the task that meets the turbo boost offer triggering criteria;

invoking the network turbo boost service for the task that meets the turbo boost offer triggering criteria if the user responds to the offer by requesting that the network turbo boost service be invoked, wherein the turbo boost offer triggering criteria includes detecting a file that exceeds a predefined threshold in size, detecting that a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and detecting that a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data; and

if the monitoring results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria, invoking the network turbo boost service for the task that meets the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria;

wherein another portion of the turbo boost offer triggering criteria and the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the turbo boost automatic triggering criteria and the portion of the turbo boost offer triggering criteria defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user.

11. A system of providing a network turbo boost service, the system comprising:

a service provider system in communication with a network, the service provider system comprising;

a trigger profile system including a computer processor configured for receiving turbo boost triggering criteria, a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by a user of the network turbo boost service, the turbo boost triggering criteria received via a user interface provided by the network turbo boost service,

a trigger detecting system configured for monitoring the network for a task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria; and

trigger processing logic executable by the service provider system, the trigger processing logic including instructions configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

upon determining the monitoring of the network by the trigger detecting system results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria, transmitting an offer to the user via the network to invoke the network turbo boost service for the task, and

invoking the network turbo boost service for the task if the user responds to the offer via the network by requesting that the network turbo boost service be invoked for the task;

wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria includes a network-based trigger, the network-based trigger invoked when one of a file that exceeds a predefined threshold in size is detected, a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data;

wherein another portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the network is a broadband network.

13. A computer program product providing a network turbo boost service, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit and when executed by the processing circuit, causing the processing circuit to perform a method comprising;

receiving turbo boost triggering criteria, a portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by a user of the network turbo boost service, the turbo boost triggering criteria received via a user interface provided by the network turbo boost service;

monitoring a network for a task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria;

upon determining the monitoring results in locating the task that meets the turbo boost triggering criteria, transmitting an offer to the user to invoke the network turbo boost service for the task; and

invoking the network turbo boost service for the task if the user responds to the offer by requesting that the network turbo boost service be invoked for the task;

wherein the turbo boost triggering criteria includes a network-based trigger, the network-based trigger invoked when one of a file that exceeds a predefined threshold in size is detected, a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data;

wherein another portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the turbo boost triggering criteria defined by the user.

14. A computer program product providing a network turbo boost service, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

receiving available network turbo boost triggering options, the available network turbo boost triggering options includes destination addresses for which high speed transfer on a network is recommended, being notified when a file exceeding a predefined threshold in size detected, being notified when a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and being notified when a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data, the application that requires downloading of application code data includes service packs and software updates, the list of high transmission rate applications includes video conferencing sites and gaming sites, and the destination addresses include a gaming application address and a video conferencing address;

offering the available network turbo boost triggering options to a user;

detecting selection of one of the network turbo boost triggering options by the user; and

communicating the selection of the one of the network turbo boost triggering options to a network service provider system;

wherein the application that requires downloading of application code data executes on an application provider system separate from a network service provider system, and the request is generated by the application that requires downloading of application code data independent of information about a current traffic load on the network;

wherein a portion of the network turbo boost triggering options is defined by the user, and another portion of the network turbo boost triggering options is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the network turbo boost triggering options defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the network turbo boost triggering options defined by the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the offering the available network turbo boost triggering option to a user is performed via a graphical user interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the offering the available network turbo boost triggering option to a user is performed via a textual user interface.

17. A computer program product for providing a network turbo boost service, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving available network turbo boost triggering options, the available network turbo boost triggering options include destination addresses for which high speed transfer on a network is recommended, being notified when a file exceeding a predefined threshold in size is detected, being notified when a destination address is on a list of high transmission rate applications, and being notified when a request is received from an application that requires downloading of application code data, where the application that requires downloading of application code data includes service packs and software updates, the list of high transmission rate applications includes video conferencing sites and gaming sites, and the destination addresses include a gaming application address and a video conferencing address;

selecting one of the network turbo boost triggering options;

communicating the selection of the network turbo boost triggering option to a network service provider system;

wherein the application that requires downloading of application code data executes on an application provider system separate from a network service provider system, and the request is generated by the application that requires downloading of application code data independent of information about a current traffic load on the network; and

wherein a portion of the network turbo boost triggering options is defined by a user, and another portion of the network turbo boost triggering options is defined by the service provider system, the other portion of the network turbo boost triggering options defined by the service provider system is stored in a default preference list that is housed separately from the network turbo boost triggering options defined by the user.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the receiving is in response to a request from a user system.