Methods and systems for network services related to geographic location

• US 10,117,123 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PNI Canada Acquireco Corp. (Francisco Partners Management LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sandvine Incorporated ULC (Sandvine Corp.)
• Inventors: Mittal, Ambuj
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez, Julio
• Application Number:
  US13/761,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 4554561, 4554562, 370235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

A method for applying network services related to geographic location including receiving regions within a map and receiving geo-service definitions for the regions. The method includes determining a subscriber'"'"'s region and determining information related to the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow. The method then applies geo-service definitions based on the subscriber'"'"'s region and the information related to the traffic flow. A system for applying network services related to geographic location having a location detection module for detecting a subscriber'"'"'s location and a region detection module for determining the subscriber'"'"'s region within a map based on the subscriber'"'"'s location. The system further including a geo-service definition and enablement module for defining geo-service definitions and actions; and a subscriber detection and traffic management module adapted to receive the subscriber'"'"'s region and apply geo-service definitions to the subscriber traffic flow based in part on the region of the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for applying network services related to geographic location of a subscriber comprising:

receiving regions within a map, from a region detection module;

receiving geo-service definitions for the regions, from a geo-service definition and enablement module, wherein the geo-service definitions comprise geo-service actions based on pre-determined logical conditions for the regions and subscriber traffic flows, wherein the geo-service actions are configured to impact a subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow, via applying a geo-fencing policy to the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow, wherein the geo-fencing policy comprises a policy to amend the traffic flow related to at least one application;

determining information related to the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow by a subscriber detection and traffic management module, wherein the information related to the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow comprises the at least one application being accessed by the subscriber and protocol being accessed by the subscriber;

determining the subscriber'"'"'s location based on data extracted from packets of the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow by a location detection module;

determining a subscriber'"'"'s region based on the subscriber'"'"'s location;

and applying the geo-service definitions to modify the traffic flow related to the at least one application, based on the subscriber'"'"'s region and based on the information related to the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow, wherein the applying the geo-service definitions further comprises;

determining if the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow changes to another at least one application being accessed by the subscriber and protocol being accessed by the subscriber;

and re-applying geo-service definitions based on the subscriber'"'"'s region and the information related to the changed subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising defining geo-service definitions per traffic flow.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising generating reports of the applied geo-service definitions per subscriber to a network operator.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising updating the regions within the map based on the generated reports.

5. A method according to claim 3 further comprising modifying the geo-service definitions based on the generated reports.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the subscriber has changed region; and

re-applying geo-service definitions based on the subscriber'"'"'s changed region and the information related to the traffic flow.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of geo-service definitions may be applied if the subscriber'"'"'s region is determined to be within a plurality of regions within a map.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein re-applying geo-service definitions comprises applying further policies to directly impact the subscriber'"'"'s traffic flow without a change in the subscriber'"'"'s region.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein reapplying the geo-service definitions comprises restricting the subscriber'"'"'s access to the at least one application.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein re-applying the gen-service definitions comprises prioritizing the subscriber'"'"'s access to the at least one application.