System, method and apparatus for subscriber user interfaces
AssigneeViaSat, Inc.
InventorsMark Dankberg, Jim Esserman, Keven Lippert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and systems manage use of shared network resources among subscribers to a data communication service. In some implementations, a first metric is computed representing a subscriber's use of the shared network resources. A second metric may also be computed that represents the amount of network congestion of the shared network resources. Data derived from the first metric and the second metric may then be presented to the subscriber. The data may be transmitted to the subscriber over a network and/or the data may be displayed to the subscriber on an electronic display.
Claims20
A computer implemented method of managing network utilization in a network where a plurality of subscribers to a data communication service access a set of shared network resources, comprising
- electronically monitoring a subscriber's utilization of the shared network resources, and congestion of the shared network resources from a network access control center remote from the plurality of subscribers;
- computing, at the network access control center, a first metric indicative of an accumulated amount of the subscriber's utilization of the shared network resources, based, at least in part, on the monitored utilization;
- computing, at the network access control center, a second metric indicative of a current amount of congestion of the shared network resources due to usage of the shared network resources by the plurality of subscribers, based at least in part on the monitored congestion;
- determining, at the network access control center, whether to limit the subscriber's use of the shared network resources based on the first metric and the second metric in relation to a defined criteria;
- if the first metric and the second metric meet the defined criteria:
- limiting the subscriber's use of the shared network resources,
- presenting to the subscriber first data representing the first metric and second data representing the second metric, and
- presenting the subscriber with steps to alleviate the limiting of the subscriber's use of the shared network resource, wherein the limiting the subscriber's use of the shared network resources is maintained for a predetermined period of time, or until the first metric and the second metric do not meet the defined criteria, or the subscriber completes the steps to alleviate the limiting of the subscriber's use of the shared network resource;
- and
- if the first metric and the second metric do not meet the defined criteria, maintaining a current level of usage of the shared network resources by the subscriber.
A computing system where a plurality of subscribers to a data communication service access a set of shared network resources, comprising:
- a network access control center comprising a network server for:
- computing a first metric indicative of an accumulated amount of a subscriber's utilization of the shared network resources and for computing a second metric indicative of an amount of current congestion of the shared network resources due to usage of the shared network resources by the plurality of subscribers;
- determining whether to limit the subscriber's use of the shared network resources based on the first metric and the second metric in relation to a defined criteria;
- wherein if the first metric and the second metric meet the defined criteria, the network server is operative to:
- limit the subscriber's use of the shared network resources,
- present to the subscriber first data representing the first metric and second data representing the second metric, and
- present the subscriber with steps to alleviate the limiting of the subscriber's use of the shared network resource, wherein the limiting the subscriber's use of the shared network resources is maintained for a predetermined period of time, until the first metric and the second metric do not meet the defined criteria, or the subscriber completes the steps to alleviate the limiting of the subscriber's use of the shared network resource;
- and
- wherein if the first metric and the second metric do not meet the defined criteria, the network server is operative to maintain a current level of usage of the shared network resources by the subscriber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.