Network selection for a given application or context

摘要

A network usage manager in an operating system executing on a mobile device is configured to enable selection among different cellular data connections by application (“app”) or by app class so that end users can tailor cellular network allocation, app performance, and costs to meet their specific needs while mobile operators can improve network utilization and provide more comprehensive data plan offerings. The network usage manager applies app usage policies to select among different cellular data connections which may be supported on the mobile device using single or multiple SIM/UICC (Subscriber Identity Module/Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards. The app usage policies can be set for a given app or class of app on the mobile device so that, for example, apps that implement background synchronization processes can use typically less expensive, lower bandwidth connections while typically more expensive, higher bandwidth connections are selected for data intensive apps.

主权项

1. A method performed on a mobile device, comprising:
providing a user interface (UI), the UI being configured for setting application usage policies, the application usage policies determining which one of multiple mobile data connections to one or more mobile operator (MO) networks available to the mobile device is utilized for mobile data access by an application executing at least in part on the mobile device, wherein the application usage policies are applicable to categories of applications executing at least in part on the mobile device; storing the application usage policies with a user-configured setting; placing applications installed in the mobile device into the categories; selecting a mobile data connection from the multiple mobile data connections to one or more mobile operator (MO) networks available to the mobile device according to the stored application usage policy and mapping the selected mobile data connection to the application, the selected mobile data connection being utilized by the application for mobile data access; and configuring the UI to allow a user to override the selection of a mobile data connection, selected for an application according to the stored usage policy, the overriding being performed on a single instance of mobile data access by the application or the overriding being persisted to subsequent instances of mobile data access by the application.