Security techniques for device assisted services

• US 10,028,144 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/948,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1, 726 3- 6, 455405, 455406, 455411, 4554141, 4554321, 370228, 370235, 370241, 370242, 370252, 370254, 370331, 370338, 705 28, 705 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 : Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• 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: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

A wireless end-user device has a wireless wide-area network (WWAN) modem and multiple execution environments. Applications execute in an application execution partition. A kernel execution partition executes processes for classifying, by application, traffic passing between the WWAN modem and the applications, measuring per-application traffic, and applying per-application traffic policies to the traffic. A separate protected execution partition contains agents to receive the traffic measurements, configure the traffic policies, and securely communicate with a network service controller. Low-level traffic measurement and control is advantageously and efficiently performed in the kernel, while the traffic-management processes that interface with the kernel are separately secured to resist hacking.

Claims

1. A wireless end-user device, comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem to receive and transmit Internet data between the device and at least one WWAN when configured for and connected to the at least one WWAN; and

one or more processors configured to execute one or more processes in a kernel execution partition, one or more processes in an application execution partition, and one or more processes in a protected execution partition,

the one or more processes executed in the kernel execution partition including an operating system packet network stack to pass Internet data packet traffic between the WWAN modem and one or more applications executing in the application execution partition, an application identification agent to classify individual flows of the Internet data packet traffic passing through the stack according to which of the one or more applications is associated with a particular individual flow, a service measurement agent to measure, for classified individual flows, an amount of the Internet data packet traffic associated with each of the one or more applications, and a policy control agent to apply application-specific traffic policy controls to classified individual flows,

the one or more processes executed in the protected execution partition including one or more device agents with limited privileges to access processes executing in the kernel execution partition, including a privilege to configure the application-specific traffic policy controls of the policy control agent, and a privilege to receive at least one of Internet data packet traffic passing between the operating system packet network stack and the WWAN modem, and

traffic information including the measured amount of the Internet data packet traffic associated with each of the one or more applications.

2. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the one or more processors further configured to execute, in the application execution partition, at least one device-assisted-services agent to communicate with at least one device agent executed in the protected execution partition.

3. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, further comprising one or more memory partitions to store program code for the respective processes of the operating system packet network stack, the application identification agent, the service measurement agent, the policy control agent, and the one or more device agents, the one or more processors configured to retrieve the stored program code from the one or more memory partitions to execute the respective processes.

4. The wireless end-user device of claim 3, wherein the one or more memory partitions include a separately protected device-assisted services partition to store the program code for the one or more device agents, the one or more device agents further comprising an access control integrity agent having exclusive permission to update program code stored in the separately protected device-assisted services partition.

5. The wireless end-user device of claim 4, the access control integrity agent further configured to validate the program code for the one or more device agents.

6. The wireless end-user device of claim 3, wherein the one or more memory partitions comprise a device-assisted services partition to store device service state information, the device service state information only modifiable by the one or more device agents.

7. The wireless end-user device of claim 6, the one or more device agents further comprising a service control link configured to securely communicate with a network service controller.

8. The wireless end-user device of claim 7, wherein the service control link is further configured to receive at least one of the application-specific traffic policy controls from the network service controller.

9. The wireless end-user device of claim 7, wherein the service control link is further configured to transmit at least some of the device service state information to the network service controller.

10. The wireless end-user device of claim 9, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to retain the transmitted device service state information until after an instruction is received from the network service controller acknowledging that the device service state information can be deleted.

11. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the one or more device agents further configured to, based on the application-specific traffic policy controls, configure application settings for the one or more applications.

12. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the one or more device agents further configured to calculate, separate from the traffic information, a service usage measurement for the Internet data packet traffic passing between the operating system packet network stack and the WWAN modem.

13. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the one or more device agents further configured to encrypt Internet data packet traffic passing from the operating system packet network stack to the WWAN modem.

14. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the protected execution partition comprises a secure virtual execution environment.

15. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the privilege to configure the application-specific traffic policy controls of the policy control agent is an exclusive privilege for one or more of the device agents executed in the protected execution partition.

16. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the WWAN modem comprising a modem execution partition configured to calculate, separate from the traffic information, a service usage measurement for the Internet data packet traffic passing between the operating system packet network stack and the WWAN modem.

17. The wireless end-user device of claim 16, the modem execution partition further comprising a modem control link to communicate the calculated service usage measure to at least one of a network service controller and at least one device agent executed in the protected execution partition.

18. The wireless end-user device of claim 2, further comprising a user interface, the at least one device-assisted-services agent comprising a user-interface agent to display to a user, and allow modification to, at least one policy setting affecting at least one of the application-specific policy controls.