Network adaptive content download

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300814-B2
Application number	US-201113230659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2011
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for managing content downloads to a computing device. The techniques include an agent on the computing device determining for each network of a plurality of networks available to the computing device, costs of downloading content and an exemption list. The exemption list includes content downloads that are exempted from costs charged by a particular network. The agent determines possible content downloads for the computing device. The agent also assesses potential costs associated with the possible content downloads based upon the costs and exemption lists determined for the plurality of networks. Based upon the assessment, the agent selects one of the networks for downloading at least part of the possible content downloads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining possible content downloads initiated by a computing device for background downloading;
by the computing device, assessing potential costs associated with the possible content downloads based at least on first costs and a first exemption list for a first network and second costs and a second exemption list for a second network, the first exemption list and the second exemption list indicating content downloads that are exempted from costs charged by the first network and the second network, respectively;
based upon the assessing, selecting by the computing device one of the first network or the second network for background downloading to the computing device at least a part of the possible content downloads;
executing a background downloading based upon the selection;
determining, during the background downloading, that the selected network becomes unavailable for performing the background downloading;
in response to the determining that the selected network becomes unavailable, assessing by the computing device costs associated with one or more available networks and costs associated with content still to be downloaded; and
ceasing content downloading based on the costs associated with the one or more available networks exceeding a threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least a part of the possible content downloads includes any of the possible content downloads that appear on the exemption list for the selected network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the assessing is further based on network capacity of the first network and the second network, throughput of the first network and the second network, utilization of the first network and the second network, sizes of the possible content downloads, a geographical location of the computing device and quotas of data allowed by the first network and the second network for the computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising tagging possible content downloads that appear on the first exemption list or the second exemption list, wherein the tagging is performed based upon a configuration file received from a network operator.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from a network operator for the selected network information that the selected network is experiencing peak load; and
pausing downloading the one or more content downloads over the selected network until the network operator provides information that the selected network is no longer experiencing peak load.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first network or the second network has a default network status or a preferred network status and the assessing is further based on which of the networks has the default network status or the preferred network status.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising downloading all of the possible content downloads if a cost of doing so is at or below a certain threshold of a user's bandwidth quota for the selected network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising downloading the part of the possible content downloads, the part of the possible content downloads being associated with a specific download type.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising delaying downloading of the possible content downloads and requesting approval for downloading any of the possible content downloads.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein categories of content downloads that are included in the first exemption list and the second exemption list comprise content downloads related to security updates, top rated content downloads at application stores, top selling content downloads at application stores and previously acquired content downloads.

11. One or more computer storage media configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors within a computing device, configure the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
determining possible content downloads initiated by a computing device for background downloading;
assessing potential costs associated with the possible content downloads based at least on first costs and a first exemption list for a first network and second costs and a second exemption list for a second network, the first exemption list and the second exemption list indicating content downloads that are exempted from costs charged by the first network and the second network, respectively;
based upon the assessing, selecting one of the first network or the second network for background downloading at least a part of the possible content downloads;
executing a background downloading based upon the selection;
determining, during the background downloading, that the selected network becomes unavailable for performing the background downloading;
in response to the determining that the selected network becomes unavailable, assessing by the computing device costs associated with one or more available networks and costs associated with content still to be downloaded; and
ceasing content downloading based on the costs associated with the one or more available networks exceeding a threshold.

12. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the at least a part of the possible content downloads includes any of the possible content downloads that appear on the exemption list for the selected one of the first network or second network.

13. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the acts further comprise tagging possible content downloads that appear on the first exemption list or the second exemption list, wherein the tagging is performed based upon a configuration file received from a network operator.

14. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the assessing is further based on network capacity of the first network and the second network, throughput of the first network and the second network, utilization of the first network and the second network, sizes of the possible content downloads, a geographical location of the computing device and quotas of data allowed by the first network and the second network for the computing device.

15. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the acts further comprise:
receiving from a network operator for the selected network information that the selected network is experiencing peak load; and
pausing downloading the one or more content downloads over the selected network until the network operator provides information that the selected network is no longer experiencing peak load.

16. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein one of the first network or the second network has a default network status or a preferred network status and the assessing is further based on which of the networks has the default network status or the preferred network status.

17. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the acts further comprise downloading all of the possible content downloads if a cost of doing so is at or below a certain threshold of a user's bandwidth quota for the selected network.

18. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11 , wherein the acts further comprise downloading the part of the possible content downloads, the part of the possible content downloads being associated with a specific d

Assignees

• Thapar Gautam
• Li Jimin
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Thapar Gautam
• Li Jimin

Classifications

• H04M15/8083 Primary

  involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts · CPC title

• H04L12/145

  trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff · CPC title

• H04L12/1496

  involving discounts · CPC title

• H04L41/0826

  for reduction of network costs (H04L41/0833 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L41/5029

  Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less · CPC title