Managing selective access of a user equipment to internet-based services based on transport type

• US 10,003,652 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cha, David S., Deninger, Daniel A., Oertle, Kenneth H., Riggs, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAVLESKI, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/560,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

In an embodiment, a subordinate mobile communication device (SMCD) receives a content access profile from a dispatcher. The content access profile includes (i) proxy server selection criteria to facilitate the SMCD to select between a plurality of proxy servers based on a current transport mechanism type (e.g., WiFi, 3G, Satellite, etc.), each of the plurality of proxy servers being configured by the dispatcher to provide different degrees of support for Internet-based services to the SMCD, and/or (ii) a set of Internet-based service access rules to facilitate the SMCD to independently determine whether to grant or deny access by the SMCD to Internet-based services based on the current transport mechanism type of a connection between the SMCD and an access network. The SMCD determines its current transport mechanism type and uses the content access profile to selectively engage with a given Internet-based service.

Claims

1. A method of operating a subordinate mobile communication device, comprising:

receiving a content access profile from a dispatcher, the content access profile including proxy server selection criteria to facilitate the subordinate mobile communication device to select between a plurality of proxy servers, each of the plurality of proxy servers being configured by the dispatcher to provide different degrees of support for Internet-based services to the subordinate mobile communication device, wherein the proxy server selection criteria maps a network address of each of the plurality of proxy servers to a different transport mechanism type of an access network;

connecting to a first access network via a connection to an access point;

determining to access a given Internet-based service while connected to the first access network;

determining a current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network;

selecting one of the plurality of proxy servers based upon the determined current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network matching the proxy server selection criteria for the selected proxy server, wherein the determined current transport mechanism type includes one of an unlimited WiFi or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection, a pay-per-use WiFi or WLAN connection, a cellular or terrestrial data connection or a satellite data connection; and

transmitting, to the selected proxy server at the respective network address via the connection to the access point, a request for access to the given Internet-based service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of proxy servers are configured to provide their respective different degrees of support for the Internet-based services responsive to the subordinate mobile communication device being connected to their respective associated transport mechanism type.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the content access profile further includes a set of Internet-based service access rules to facilitate the subordinate mobile communication device to independently determine whether to grant or deny access by the subordinate mobile communication device to one or more of the Internet-based services based on the subordinate mobile communication device'"'"'s current transport mechanism type for the current access network, and

wherein the set of Internet-based service access rules includes at least one rule configured to grant access by the subordinate mobile communication device to the given Internet-based service when the subordinate mobile communication device is connected to the first access network via the determined current transport mechanism type for the first access network, and

wherein the selecting and transmitting are performed responsive to execution of the at least one rule.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of Internet-based service rules includes at least one other rule configured to deny access by the subordinate mobile communication device to the given Internet-based service when the subordinate mobile communication device is connected to an access network via a transport mechanism type that is different from the determined current transport mechanism type.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected proxy server, an indication that the request for access to the given Internet-based service is denied.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected proxy server, an indication that the request for access to the given Internet-based service is granted; and

accessing the given Internet-based service via the selected proxy server in accordance with a given degree to which the selected proxy server supports the given Internet-based service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an updated current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and a second access network that is different from the determined current transport mechanism type;

determining to continue access to the given Internet-based service;

selecting a different one of the plurality of proxy servers based upon the determined updated current transport mechanism type and the proxy server selection criteria; and

transmitting, to the selected different proxy server, another request for access to the given Internet-based service.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected different proxy server, an indication that the another request for access to the given Internet-based service is denied.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected different proxy server, an indication that the another request for access to the given Internet-based service is granted; and

accessing the given Internet-based service via the selected different proxy server in accordance with a first degree to which the selected different proxy server supports the given Internet-based service, the first degree being different than a second degree to which the selected proxy server supports the given Internet-based service.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a subordinate mobile communication device, causes the subordinate mobile communication device to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to receive a content access profile from a dispatcher, the content access profile including proxy server selection criteria to facilitate the subordinate mobile communication device to select between a plurality of proxy servers, each of the plurality of proxy servers being configured by the dispatcher to provide different degrees of support for Internet-based services to the subordinate mobile communication device, wherein the proxy server selection criteria maps a network address of each of the plurality of proxy servers to a different transport mechanism type of an access network;

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to connect to a first access network via a connection to an access point;

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to determine to access a given Internet-based service while connected to the first access network;

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to determine a current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network;

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to select one of the plurality of proxy servers based upon the determined current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network matching the proxy server selection criteria for the selected proxy server, wherein the determined current transport mechanism type includes one of an unlimited WiFi or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection, a pay-per-use WiFi or WLAN connection, a cellular or terrestrial data connection or a satellite data connection; and

at least one instruction for causing the subordinate mobile communication device to transmit, to the selected proxy server at the respective network address via the connection to the access point, a request for access to the given Internet-based service.

11. A subordinate mobile communication device, comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive a content access profile from a dispatcher, the content access profile including proxy server selection criteria to facilitate the subordinate mobile communication device to select between a plurality of proxy servers, each of the plurality of proxy servers being configured by the dispatcher to provide different degrees of support for Internet-based services to the subordinate mobile communication device, wherein the proxy server selection criteria maps a network address of each of the plurality of proxy servers to a different transport mechanism type of an access network;

connect to a first access network via a connection to an access point;

determine to access a given Internet-based service while connected to the first access network;

determine a current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network;

select one of the plurality of proxy servers based upon the determined current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and the first access network matching the proxy server selection criteria for the selected proxy server, wherein the determined current transport mechanism type includes one of an unlimited WiFi or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection, a pay-per-use WiFi or WLAN connection, a cellular or terrestrial data connection or a satellite data connection; and

transmit, to the selected proxy server at the respective network address via the connection to the access point, a request for access to the given Internet-based service.

12. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of proxy servers are configured to provide their respective different degrees of support for the Internet-based services responsive to the subordinate mobile communication device being connected to their respective associated transport mechanism type.

13. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the content access profile further includes a set of Internet-based service access rules to facilitate the subordinate mobile communication device to independently determine whether to grant or deny access by the subordinate mobile communication device to one or more of the Internet-based services based on the subordinate mobile communication device'"'"'s current transport mechanism type for the current access network, and

wherein the set of Internet-based service access rules includes at least one rule configured to grant access by the subordinate mobile communication device to the given Internet-based service when the subordinate mobile communication device is connected to the first access network via the determined current transport mechanism type for the first access network, and

wherein the processor performs the selecting and transmitting responsive to execution of the at least one rule.

14. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the set of Internet-based service rules includes at least one other rule configured to deny access by the subordinate mobile communication device to the given Internet-based service when the subordinate mobile communication device is connected to an access network via a transport mechanism type that is different from the determined current transport mechanism type.

15. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to receive, from the selected proxy server, an indication that the request for access to the given Internet-based service is denied.

16. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, from the selected proxy server, an indication that the request for access to the given Internet-based service is granted; and

access the given Internet-based service via the selected proxy server in accordance with a given degree to which the selected proxy server supports the given Internet-based service.

17. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine an updated current transport mechanism type of the connection between the subordinate mobile communication device and a second access network that is different from the determined current transport mechanism type;

determine to continue access to the given Internet-based service;

select a different one of the plurality of proxy servers based upon the determined updated current transport mechanism type and the proxy server selection criteria; and

transmit, to the selected different proxy server, another request for access to the given Internet-based service.

18. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to receive, from the selected different proxy server, an indication that the another request for access to the given Internet-based service is denied.

19. The subordinate mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, from the selected different proxy server, an indication that the another request for access to the given Internet-based service is granted; and

access the given Internet-based service via the selected different proxy server in accordance with a first degree to which the selected different proxy server supports the given Internet-based service, the first degree being different than a second degree to which the selected proxy server supports the given Internet-based service.