Data usage profiles for users and applications

• US 9,544,212 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zalmanovitch, Gil, Scott, Gregory James, Guday, Shai, Kwok, Alec Garvin, Jiang, Yue, Ma, Kenneth Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US13/721,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 455423-425, 705/23, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• 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 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/856 : Unsuccessful event
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/86 : Recipients of the notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Embodiments profile users and applications based on network data usage. Data usage statistics are collected and compared for the users and applications. Profiles are assigned to the users and applications based on the comparison. In some embodiments, the applications are ranked based on data usage and presented to the users in an application marketplace.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory area associated with a mobile computing device, said memory area storing a plurality of applications; and

a processor programmed to;

calculate data usage statistics associated with the plurality of applications stored in the memory area, the calculated data usage statistics representing data usage by the plurality of applications under a first data usage plan;

analyze, at the mobile computing device, the calculated data usage statistics, the analysis determining a frequency of use by the mobile computing device of different types of network connections associated with different types of network data;

present information describing at least a second data usage plan for review and selection on the mobile computing device;

calculate an expected network usage by each of the plurality of applications as a percentage of the first data usage plan, the percentage reflecting a cost of network transfers associated with one or more applications of the plurality of applications; and

rank, at the mobile computing device, the plurality of applications based on the percentage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to display an overview of data usage per application over the different types of network connections for the plurality of applications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory area further stores a plurality of predefined application data usage profiles, and wherein the processor is further programmed to compare, at the mobile computing device, the calculated data usage statistics associated with the plurality of applications with data usage statistics associated with the plurality of pre-defined application data usage profiles.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to assign each of the plurality of applications to one of the plurality of pre-defined application data usage profiles based on information received from a plurality of users.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to rate each of the plurality of applications based on the analysis, the plurality of applications being rated based on the different types of the network data consumed by the plurality of applications and costs associated with the different types of the network data in the first data usage plan.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the ranked plurality of applications to an application marketplace that provides an interface for users to download one or more of the plurality of applications.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive data usage statistics for a plurality of users, the plurality of user data usage profiles being defined by arranging the plurality of users into groups based on the calculated data usage statistics, the arrangement of the plurality of users into the groups being dynamic such that, over time, one or more users move from one group to another group.

8. A method performed by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving data usage statistics for a user;

comparing the received data usage statistics for the user with data usage statistics associated with a plurality of user data usage profiles, a user data usage profile from the plurality of user data usage profiles being defined based on data usage statistics of a plurality of users;

assigning the user to one of the plurality of user data usage profiles based on the comparison, the assigned one of the plurality of user data usage profiles, after the assigning, indicating network data use characteristics of the user over a time period;

receiving data usage statistics representing data usage by a plurality of applications under a first data usage plan;

receiving information describing at least a second data usage plan competing with the first data usage plan associated with the plurality of applications; and

providing the received information for review and selection by the user, an expected network usage by each of the plurality of applications as a percentage of the first data usage plan being provided for display on a device of the user before one or more of the plurality of applications is installed on the device of the user, the percentage reflecting a cost of network transfers associated with one or more applications of the plurality of applications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the received data usage statistics for the user comprises matching the received data usage statistics for the user to the data usage statistics associated with one of the plurality of user data usage profiles.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the received data usage statistics for the user comprises comparing the received data usage statistics for the user with the data usage statistics associated with the plurality of user data usage profiles based on similarities in usage patterns.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving data usage statistics for a plurality of users, the plurality of user data usage profiles being defined by arranging the plurality of users into groups based on the received data usage statistics, the arrangement of the plurality of users into the groups being dynamic such that, over time, one or more users move from one group to another as additional data usage statistics for the plurality of users are received.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising creating one of the plurality of user data usage profiles for each of the groups.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising matching the user to one of a plurality of mobile operators based on the assigned user data usage profile.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising matching the user to one of a plurality of data usage plans based on the assigned user data usage profile.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the assigned user data usage profile to a current data usage plan associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising making a recommendation to the user to change the current data usage plan based on the comparison between the assigned user data usage profile and the current data usage plan, the recommendation providing a plurality of alternative data usage plans with a name of a mobile operator for selection of an alternative data usage plan, the recommended plurality of alternative data usage plans being ranked in decreasing order of anticipated cost savings.

17. One or more computer storage media embodying computer-executable components, said components comprising:

a user profile component that when executed causes at least one processor to;

receive data usage statistics for a plurality of users,

compare the received data usage statistics for the plurality of users with data usage statistics associated with a plurality of user data usage profiles, and

assign each of the plurality of users to one of the plurality of user data usage profiles based on the comparison; and

an application profile component that when executed causes at least one processor to;

receive data usage statistics associated with a plurality of applications,

analyze the received data usage statistics associated with the plurality of applications,

rank the plurality of applications based on said analyzing and a selection of one of a plurality of user selectable options for ranking the plurality of applications, ranks for the plurality of applications being changed based on a selection of other user selectable option from the plurality of user selectable options, and

present the ranked plurality of applications in an application marketplace based on the one of the plurality of options selected by a user, the application marketplace providing an interface for users to download one or more of the plurality of applications and to display anticipated network data consumption by each of the applications relative to each other before installing the one or more of the plurality of applications,

wherein the user profile component obtains information describing at least one data usage plan competing with a current data usage plan of at least one of the plurality of users, and presents the obtained information to the at least one of the plurality of users for review and selection, an expected network usage by each of the applications as a percentage of the current data usage plan being displayed to the at least one of the plurality of users before one of the applications is installed on a user device, the percentage reflecting a cost of network transfers associated with one or more applications of the plurality of the applications.

18. The computer storage media of claim 17, wherein the application profile component further presents, to the plurality of users in the application marketplace, the plurality of applications as ranked, wherein one or more of the plurality of users download one or more of the plurality of applications from the application marketplace.

19. The computer storage media of claim 18, wherein the application profile component further visually distinguishes a subset of the ranked plurality of applications in the application marketplace as recommended applications based on an expected increase in network data consumption by one or more applications beyond threshold limits associated with data usage plans used by the one or more applications.

20. The computer storage media of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of applications is rated based on different types of the network data consumed by the plurality of applications and costs associated with the different types of the network data in the current data usage plan.