Managing a data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537746-B2
Application number	US-201213614928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2012
Priority date	Sep 13, 2012
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for managing a data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period includes a storage device storing machine-readable code and a processor executing the machine-readable code. The machine-readable code includes a determination module determining a target data rate for data communication over a network by a network device. The target data rate is based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period and an amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period. The machine-readable code includes a data rate module maintaining the data rate at or below the target data rate in response to the determination module determining the target data rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a storage device storing machine-readable code;
a processor executing the machine-readable code, the machine-readable code comprising:
a determination module dynamically determining, at a network device, a target data rate for data communication over a network by the network device in communication with a service provider, the target data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period and an amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, wherein the target data rate is determined by dividing the amount of available data for the predetermined time period by the amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, the amount of available data is an amount of data remaining from a data quota for the predetermined time period, the target data rate is determined at least one time after a start of the predetermined time period, the predetermined time period comprises a billing cycle, the predetermined time period comprises a plurality of sub-time periods, and the target data rate is determined by dividing an amount of available data for each sub-time period of the plurality of sub-time periods by a respective amount of time remaining in the sub-time period; and
a data rate module, at the network device, dynamically maintaining a data rate at or below the target data rate in response to the determination module dynamically determining the target data rate, wherein the data rate module maintains the data rate by throttling the data rate in response to the data rate nearing the target data rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each sub-time period has an amount of allotted data, the machine-readable code further comprising a carryover module determining an amount of unused data from a particular sub-time period, the amount of unused data remaining from the amount of available data for the particular sub-time period.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the data rate module does not maintain the data rate at or below the target data rate until the amount of unused data is consumed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the determination module adds the amount of unused data to the amount of available data and increases the target data rate based on the amount of unused data.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the determination module adds the amount of unused data to an amount of available data allocated to an additional network device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network device is in communication with one or more additional network devices, the network device comprising an access point for other devices on the network, the network device managing communication by the one or more additional network devices with the network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the network device is a router.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable code further comprises a device management module allocating a total amount of available data to a plurality of additional network devices, wherein the determination module determines a target data rate for each additional network device and wherein the data rate module maintains a data rate of a particular additional device at or below the target data rate for the particular additional device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data rate module stops maintaining the data rate at or below the target data rate in response to determining that a data usage for the amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period will not exceed the amount of available data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable code further comprises a history module maintaining a history of data usage and recognizing a reoccurring time period with an increased data rate, wherein the data rate module does not maintain the data rate at or below the target data rate during the reoccurring time period.

11. A method comprising:
dynamically determining, at a network device, a target data rate for data communication over a network by the network device in communication with a service provider, the target data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period and an amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, wherein the target data rate is determined by dividing the amount of available data for the predetermined time period by the amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, the amount of available data is an amount of data remaining from a data quota for the predetermined time period, the target data rate is determined at least one time after a start of the predetermined time period, the predetermined time period comprises a billing cycle, the predetermined time period comprises a plurality of sub-time periods, and the target data rate is determined by dividing an amount of available data for each sub-time period of the plurality of sub-time periods by a respective amount of time remaining in the sub-time period; and
dynamically maintaining, at the network device, a data rate at or below the target data rate in response to dynamically determining the target data rate, wherein maintaining the data rate further comprises throttling the data rate in response to the data rate nearing the target data rate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising allocating a total amount of available data to a plurality of additional network devices, the method further comprising determining a target data rate for other devices on the network and maintaining a data rate of a particular additional device at or below the target data rate for the particular additional device.

13. A computer program product comprising a storage device storing machine readable code executed by a processor to perform the operations of:
dynamically determining, at a network device, a target data rate for data communication over a network by the network device in communication with a service provider, the target data rate based on an amount of available data for a predetermined time period and an amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, wherein the target data rate is determined by dividing the amount of available data for the predetermined time period by the amount of time remaining in the predetermined time period, the amount of available data is an amount of data remaining from a data quota for the predetermined time period, the target data rate is determined at least one time after a start of the predetermined time period, the predetermined time period comprises a billing cycle, the predetermined time period comprises a plurality of sub-time periods, and the target data rate is determined by dividing an amount of available data for each sub-time period of the plurality of sub-time periods by a respective amount of time remaining in the sub-time period; and
dynamically maintaining, at the network device, a data rate at or below the target data rate in response to dynamically determining the target data rate, wherein maintaining the data rate further comprises throttling the data rate in response to the data rate nearing the target data rate.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein each sub-time period has an amount of allotted data, the operations further comprising determining an amount of unused data from a particular sub-time period, the amount of unused data remaining from the amount of available data for the particular sub-time period.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the operations include adding the amount of unused data to the amount of available data and increasing the target data rate based on the amo

Assignees

• Peterson Nathan J
• Kelso Scott Edwards
• Mese John Carl
• Vanblon Russell Speight
• Waltermann Rod D
• Weksler Arnold S
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Peterson Nathan J
• Kelso Scott Edwards
• Mese John Carl
• Vanblon Russell Speight
• Waltermann Rod D
• Weksler Arnold S

Classifications

• H04L43/16 Primary

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04L41/5006

  Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties · CPC title

• H04L12/1439

  time-based · CPC title

• H04L12/1435

  volume-based · CPC title

• H04L47/22

  Traffic shaping · CPC title