Network resource management with prediction

Abstract

An indicator for a device may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for a network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated.

1 . A computing device, comprising:
 at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor are respectively configured to store and execute computer-executable instructions, including instructions for causing the computing device to perform operations, the operations including:
 obtaining, by the computing device, a usage limit associated with a network; 
 receiving, by the computing device, input regarding a budget for the network to be allocated to a particular resource consumer of a plurality of resource consumers; 
 receiving, by the computing device, input specifying that a data transfer rate is to be automatically changed in response to a quantity of data transferred over the network in association with the particular resource consumer of the plurality of resource consumers exceeding the budget allocated to that resource consumer; and 
 automatically changing the data transfer rate in response to a determination that the quantity of data transferred over the network in association with the particular resource consumer of the plurality of resource consumers has exceeded the budget allocated to the particular resource consumer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the budget associated with the network includes:
 querying a remote data server over a network connection.   
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the budget is an amount of data associated with a subscription to a wireless data service. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining that the quantity of data transferred over the network in association with the particular resource consumer exceeds the budget allocated to the particular resource consumer.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein changing the data transfer rate includes:
 lowering the data transfer rate.   
     
     
         6 . A method, comprising:
 electronically obtaining usage limit information for a network from a remote computing device;   receiving, by the computing device, data usage allocations for the network for at least two users of a plurality of users;   receiving, by the computing device, input specifying that a data rate is to be automatically changed if an amount of the network usage for the network by a particular user of the at least two users exceeds the data usage allocation for that particular user; and   automatically changing the data rate in response to a determination that the amount of the network usage used by that particular user exceeds the data usage allocation for that particular user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing an indication of the amount of the network usage used by that particular user.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing individual indications of the amounts of the network usage used by each of the at least two users.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing indications of amounts of network usage used by each of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the data usage allocations for the network for the at least two users of the plurality of users includes a network usage limit for each of the at least two users. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein changing the data rate includes:
 lowering the data rate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further includes:
 warning that particular user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the usage limit is an amount of data associated with a subscription to a wireless data service for the network. 
     
     
         14 . A computing device, comprising:
 at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor are respectively configured to store and execute computer-executable instructions, including instructions for causing the computing device to perform operations, the operations including:
 obtaining, by a computing device, a usage threshold corresponding to a network service plan limit for a network; 
 receiving, by the computing device, individual usage allocations for the network for each of a plurality of entities associated with the network service plan; 
 receiving, by the computing device, instructions specifying that a data rate is to be automatically changed based on usage on the network by a particular entity exceeding the data usage allocation received for that particular entity; and 
 in response to usage on the network by the particular entity exceeding the data usage allocation received for that particular entity, automatically changing the data transfer rate. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 blocking additional network usage by that particular entity.   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise at least one of:
 providing an indication of the amount of the network usage used by that particular entity; or   providing individual indications of the amounts of the network usage used by each of the plurality of entities.   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the individual usage allocations for the network for the plurality of entities includes a network usage limit for each of at least two devices of the plurality of entities. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the method includes managing allocations of network usage amongst multiple entities that are serviced by a shared network subscription for the network. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the usage threshold is an amount of data associated with the network service plan for a wireless data service provided via the network. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 14 , wherein the particular entity of the plurality of entities is at least one of a device, a user, a class of application, or an application.