Signal upload optimization

Abstract

Aspects of the technology described herein allocate limited computing resources, such as available bandwidth and battery power, to transferring the most urgent and important data from a client device to an online service. Client devices have enormous amounts of information about the user's activities that could be communicated to the service at any given time. However, the wireless transfer of information uses available battery power and can consume a user's data plan. The technology described herein uses a model to determine how often information should be sent to a service. The model can also determine what information to send. Different models can be implemented in different scenarios. The different models can include different weighting that will produce different decisions given the same inputs.

1 . A computing device comprising:
 a processor; and   computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:   determine a device context for the computing device by evaluating device characteristics;   adjust a default user-data transmission frequency according to the device context to generate a device-context-sensitive transmission frequency;   determine a user context for a user of the computing device;   adjust the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency according to the user context to generate a user-context-sensitive transmission frequency; and   transmit user data to a service at the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:
 determine the device context by evaluating whether the computing device is connected to an external power source; and   determine the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on whether the computing device is connected to the external power source.   
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:
 determine the device context by evaluating an energy level remaining in a battery of the computing device; and   determine the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the energy level remaining in the battery of the computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:
 determine the device context by evaluating whether the computing device is will communicate the user data over a channel with a data quota; and   determine the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on whether the computing device will communicate the user data over the channel with the data quota.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:
 based at least on the device context, adjust a default content definition obtain an adjusted content definition; and   select the user data to transmit to the service according the adjusted content definition, wherein the adjusted content definition excludes at least some other user data that is transmitted when the default content definition is applicable.   
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the user context indicates that the user is out-of-routine and the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency is greater than the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the user context indicates that the user has an upcoming event and the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency is greater than the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency. 
     
     
         8 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:
 determining a device context for the computing device by evaluating device characteristics;   adjusting a default user-data transmission frequency according to the device context to generate a device-context-sensitive transmission frequency;   determining a user context for a user of the computing device;   adjusting the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency according to the user context to generate a user-context-sensitive transmission frequency; and   transmitting user data to a service at the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the device context by evaluating a power usage rate of the computing device and an expected remaining battery life of the computing device given the power usage rate; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the expected remaining battery life.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the device context by evaluating whether the computing device is expected to arrive at a charging location within a specified amount of time; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on whether the computing device is expected to arrive at the charging location within the specified amount of time.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the device context by evaluating a running total of a data quota for the computing device; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the running total of the data quota for the computing device.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the device context by identifying applications that are active on the computing device; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the applications that are active on the computing device.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 selecting a device context profile from a plurality of predefined device context profiles based at least on a current data transfer capability of the computing device; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the selected device context profile.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 selecting a device context profile from a plurality of predefined device context profiles based at least on a current availability of power to the computing device; and   determining the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the selected device context profile.   
     
     
         28 . A hardware computer storage medium comprising instructions embodied thereon which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:
 determining a device context for the computing device by evaluating device characteristics;   adjusting a default user-data transmission frequency according to the device context to generate a device-context-sensitive transmission frequency;   determining a user context for a user of the computing device;   adjusting the device-context-sensitive transmission frequency according to the user context to generate a user-context-sensitive transmission frequency; and   transmitting user data to a service at the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency.   
     
     
         29 . The hardware computer storage medium of  claim 28 , the acts further comprising:
 determining the user context based at least on a communication by the user of the computing device; and   determining the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the communication by the user.   
     
     
         30 . The hardware computer storage medium of  claim 29 , the acts further comprising:
 deriving information from at least one of a calendar entry, an email, a text message, or a social network interaction by the user of the computing device; and   determining the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the information derived from the at least one of the calendar entry, the email, the text message, or the social network interaction.   
     
     
         31 . The hardware computer storage medium of  claim 28 , the acts further comprising:
 determining at least one task that the user of the computing device is currently performing or has performed within a predefined time frame; and   determining the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the at least one task.   
     
     
         32 . The hardware computer storage medium of  claim 28 , the acts further comprising:
 determining at least one object that the user of the computing device is currently engaging or has engaged within a predefined time frame; and   determining the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the at least one object.   
     
     
         33 . The hardware computer storage medium of  claim 28 , the acts further comprising:
 determining at least one physical characteristic of the user of the computing device; and   determining the user-context-sensitive transmission frequency based at least on the at least one physical characteristic of the user.