Reservation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10819825-B2
Application number	US-201916285565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2019
Priority date	Dec 4, 2013
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A reservation system associated with an app installed on a user device can be used to regulate access to network-based features of a primary software service offered by the app. Network-based features can include providing access to online content items. Regulating access to these features can prevent overloading the backend service components that provide the network-based features. Growing the user base in a controlled fashion can benefit the user experience. A waitlist with a countdown can be used for users that have installed the app, but who are not yet allowed access to the network-based features of the primary software service. A user interface can display a reservation status (e.g., how many people are in front of the user in line, how many people are behind the user in line, and the like). This can increase user anticipation of the app features and reduce user attrition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a network request to create a reservation, the reservation to activate a predefined function of a particular user-installed application, wherein receiving the network request to create the reservation occurs prior to providing the particular user-installed application for installation at a user device;
based on the receiving the network request to create the reservation, creating and storing a reservation record for the reservation, the reservation record for the reservation associated with a reservation code for the reservation;
not until after creating and storing the reservation record for the reservation, providing the particular user-installed application for installation at the user device, wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to allow a user input of the reservation code, and is configured to send a network request to claim the reservation based on the user input of the reservation code;
receiving a network request to claim the reservation, wherein the network request to claim the reservation received includes the reservation code;
based on the receiving the network request to claim the reservation, activating the predefined function of the particular user-installed application for the reservation; and
wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network request to create a reservation to activate the predefined function of the particular user-installed application is based on a corresponding network request sent by a web browser application executing at the user device, the corresponding network request being sent by the web browser application executing at the user device prior to providing the particular user-installed application for installation at the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending one or more network messages comprising the reservation code toward the user device thereby causing the reservation code to be received at the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation is in a queue of reservations; and wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to: display at the user device a number of other reservations in the queue of reservations ahead of the reservation in the queue of reservations, based on the user input of the reservation code; and configured to update display at the user device of the number of other reservations in the queue of reservations ahead of the reservation in the queue of reservations after a reservation in the queue of reservations is allowed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation is in a queue of reservations; and wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to: display at the user device a number of other reservations in the queue of reservations behind the reservation in the queue of reservations, based on the user input of the reservation code; and configured to update display at the user device of the number of other reservations in the queue of reservations behind the reservation in the queue of reservations after a new reservation is added to the queue of reservations.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the particular user-installed application for installation at the user device is based on releasing the particular user-installed application through a mobile application marketplace.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the predefined function of the particular user-installed application includes accessing a network-based service using the particular user-installed application;
the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to allow a user input to create or associate a user account with the network-based service after the reservation is allowed; and
the method further comprises: after allowing the reservation, creating or associating the user account with the network-based service.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions configured for:
receiving a network request to create a reservation to activate a predefined function of a particular user-installed application;
based on the receiving the network request to create the reservation, creating and storing a reservation record for the reservation, the reservation record for the reservation associated with a reservation code for the reservation;
providing the particular user-installed application for installation at a user device;
wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to allow a user input of the reservation code, is configured to send a network request to claim the reservation based on the user input of the reservation code, and is configured to allow a user input to create or associate a user account with a network-based service after the reservation is allowed;

wherein the receiving the network request to create the reservation is performed prior to the providing the particular user-installed application for installation at the user device;
receiving a network request to claim the reservation, the network request to claim the reservation received including the reservation code;
after allowing the reservation, creating or associating the user account with the network-based service; and
activating the predefined function of the particular user-installed application for the reservation.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein the network request to create a reservation to activate the predefined function of the particular user-installed application is based on a corresponding network request sent by a web browser application executing at the user device, the corresponding network request being sent by the web browser application executing at the user device prior to providing the particular user-installed application for installation at the user device.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , including further instructions configured for:
sending one or more network messages comprising the reservation code toward the user device thereby causing the reservation code to be received at the user device.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein the reservation is in a queue of reservations; and wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to: display at the user device a number of other reservations in the queue of reservations ahead of the reservation in the queue of reservations, based on the user input of the reservation code; and configured to update display at the user device of the number of other reservations in the queue of reservations ahead of the reservation in the queue of reservations after a reservation in the queue of reservations is allowed.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein the reservation is in a queue of reservations; and wherein the particular user-installed application, when installed and executed at the user device, is configured to: display at the user device a number of other reservations in the queue of reservations behind the reservation in the queue of reservations, based on the user input of the reservation code; and configured to u

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• Underwood Iv George Milton
• Cannon Scott
• Beausoleil Sean
• Cue Adam
• Edwards Darian
• Flory Steven
• Armistead Elizabeth
• Luna Elle
• Elman Josh

Classifications

• H04L67/60 Primary

  Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources (admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04L67/32 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic