Network identification as a service

• US 10,432,581 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatiq Technologies Ltd. (Smartpipe Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smartpipe Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Field, Tanya May
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US15/555,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 709245, 709220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

Certain examples described herein make use of an intermediate network device (110) in a service provider network (104) to enable the modification of network requests to provide enhanced functionality. These examples use a rotating network identifier that is inserted into a network request that is receivable by a server device (108) located outside of the service provider network (104). An association between the network identifier and data originating from the service provider network may be effected via a mapping that exists for the predefined time period. In certain examples, a data broker (114) is introduced within the telecommunications network (100). The data broker (114) may be configured based on the aforementioned mapping between the network identifier and data originating from the service provider network. The data broker is adapted to use the mapping to provide data to the server device (108). This may be considered network identification as a service as the data broker (114) is configured to supply data originating from within the service provider network as a computing service to the server device (108).

Claims

1. A method of modifying a network request comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate network device in a service provider network, a network request from a client device;

modifying, at the intermediate network device, the network request to include a network identifier; and

transmitting, from the intermediate network device, the network request to a server device located outside the service provider network;

wherein modifying the network request comprises;

selecting the network identifier from a set of available network identifiers, wherein a different network identifier is associated with each network request;

generating, for the received network request, a mapping between the selected network identifier and data originating from the service provider network,

wherein the set of available network identifiers comprises network identifiers that are not associated with an active mapping at a time of selection,

wherein the mapping is configured to persist for a predefined time period following receipt of the network request, and

wherein the selected network identifier is returned to the set of available network identifiers on expiry of the predefined time period,

such that there is no correlation between a network identifier and a network request or data originating from the service provider network outside of the mapping; and

configuring a data broker accessible from outside the service provider network based on the mapping, the data broker being configured to transmit at least a portion of the data originating from the service provider network based on the mapping within the predefined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the data broker comprises:

transmitting, over a secure communication channel between the intermediate network device and the data broker, the mapping and at least a portion of the data originating from the service provider network,

wherein the mapping and the portion of the data originating from the service provider network are stored in a data storage device accessible to the data broker for use in transmission to the server device, and

wherein the mapping and the portion of the data originating from the service provider network are removed from the data storage device following expiry of the predefined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the portion of the data originating from the service provider network is anonymised.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping comprises an entry in a look-up table that associates the network identifier with a subscriber identifier, the subscriber identifier being used as an index in the data originating from the service provider network, and wherein the method comprises:

removing the entry in the look-up table following expiry of the predefined time period.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a subscriber identifier from the received network request, including using network data that is accessible within the service provider network, said network data not being accessible from outside of the service provider network; and

using the subscriber identifier to retrieve data associated with a subscriber from at least one database accessible within the service provider network, said database not being accessible from outside of the service provider network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the network request comprises:

retrieving a consent variable for the subscriber from the at least one database accessible within the service provider network,

wherein the network request is only modified if the consent variable indicates that consent has been provided.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network request comprises an application protocol request and the network identifier comprises a random fixed-length string that is inserted into the application protocol request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data broker is configured to transmit said portion of the data originating from the service provider network and the network identifier to a data provision end-point associated with the server device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data broker is configured to receive a request from the server device comprising the network identifier and to transmit said portion of the data originating from the service provider network in response to the request.

10. A method of providing data originating within a service provider network, a subscriber being authenticated to communicate over the service provider network using a client device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a data broker, at least a mapping between a first network identifier and data originating within the service provider network, the mapping being associated with a particular network request made by the client device;

storing, in data storage communicatively coupled to the data broker, the mapping for a predefined time period,

wherein, following expiry of the predefined time period, the mapping is removed from the data storage, and

wherein the first network identifier is selected from a set of available network identifiers that are not associated with an active mapping at a time of selection and wherein the first network identifier is configured to be returned to the set of available network identifiers on expiry of the predefined time period,

wherein a different network identifier is associated with each network request,

such that there is no correlation between a network identifier and a network request or data originating from the service provider network outside of the mapping;

obtaining, at the data broker, a data request from a server device located outside of the service provider network, the data request comprising at least a second network identifier;

applying, at the data broker, the mapping to the second network identifier and, responsive to the second network identifier matching the first network identifier and a current time being within the predefined time period, retrieving the data originating within the service provider network based on the mapping; and

transmitting, from the data broker, at least a portion of the data originating within the service provider network to the server device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, at a data broker, at least a mapping between a first network identifier and data originating within the service provider network comprises:

receiving a data structure comprising the first network identifier and the data originating within the service provider network, the data structure having the first network identifier as an index; and

wherein applying the mapping comprises;

using the second network identifier to perform a look-up operation on the data structure,

wherein, responsive to the second network identifier correlating to the first network identifier, the data originating within the service provider network is returned by the look-up operation, and

wherein, responsive to the second network identifier not correlating to the first network identifier, the data originating within the service provider network is not returned by the look-up operation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the data request comprises:

authenticating the server device,

and wherein transmitting at least a portion of the data originating within the service provider network to the server device comprises;

retrieving a registered data format associated with the server device; and

formatting the portion of the data according to the registered data format.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

registering the server device with the data broker, including storing an indication of one or more data items that are requestable by the server device,

wherein the server device is one of a plurality of server devices that are registered with the data broker and the data originating within the service provider network comprises a set of data items that are indicated as being requestable by the plurality of server devices.

14. Apparatus for modifying a network request,

the apparatus being located within a service provider network operated by a service provider responsible for providing telecommunications services to a plurality of client devices operated by authenticated subscribers,

the apparatus being communicatively coupled to the plurality of client devices and one or more server devices outside of the service provider network,

the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the computer program code being configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive, from one of the plurality of client devices, a network request;

modify the network request to include a network identifier; and

transmit the network request to one of the one or more server devices outside of the service provider network,

wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to;

select a network identifier from a set of available network for use with each received network request, wherein a different network identifier is associated with each network request;

generate, for each received network request, a mapping between the selected network identifier and data originating from the service provider network; and

configure a data broker accessible from outside the service provider network based on the mapping,

wherein the set of available network identifiers comprises network identifiers that are not associated with an active mapping at a time of selection,

wherein each mapping is useable for a predefined time period following receipt of a corresponding network request,

wherein a selected network identifier is returned to the set of available network identifiers on expiry of the predefined time period,

such that there is no correlation between a network identifier and a network request or data originating from the service provider network outside of the mapping, and

wherein the data broker is configured to transmit at least a portion of the data originating from the service provider network to a data provision end-point associated with said one of the server devices based on the mapping within the predefined time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the service provider network comprises one or more of:

a carrier network;

a mobile network;

a cellular network; and

an internet service provider network.

16. Apparatus for providing data originating within a service provider network,

the service provider network being operated by a service provider responsible for providing telecommunications services to a plurality of client devices operated by authenticated subscribers,

the apparatus being communicatively coupled to one or more server devices that are located outside of the service provider network,

the apparatus comprising:

a first interface to receive data associating network requests to data originating within the service provider network,

a data storage device to cache data received at the first interface;

a second interface to receive data requests from the one or more server devices located outside of the service provider network; and

a request handler to parse data requests received at the second interface to extract, for each data request, at least a network identifier,

wherein each item of data received at the first interface indicates a relationship between a network identifier assigned to a given network request and data originating within the service provider network, the data being associated with a given subscriber that is registered with a client device that transmitted the given network request,

wherein a different network identifier is associated with each network request,

such that there is no correlation between a network identifier and a network request or data originating from the service provider network outside of the relationship,

wherein the apparatus is configured to persist each item of said data for a predefined time period in the data storage device, and

wherein the request handler is configured to use, for each data request, the extracted network identifier in association with cached data stored in the data storage device to determine whether data originating within the service provider network is available that relates to the extracted network identifier, wherein responsive to data originating within the service provider network being available the request handler is configured to response to a data request with said data originating within the service provider network.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the request handler is configured to filter the data originating within the service provider network based on a server device associated with a given data request.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the network identifier is a random data sequence that does not carry information.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a network request from a client device;

modify the network request to include a network identifier, including to;

select the network identifier from a set of available network identifiers, wherein a different network identifier is associated with each network request;

generate, for the received network request, a mapping between the selected network identifier and data originating from a service provider network,

wherein the set of available network identifiers comprises network identifiers that are not associated with an active mapping at a time of selection,

wherein the mapping is configured to persist for a predefined time period following receipt of the network request, and

wherein the selected network identifier is returned to the set of available network identifiers on expiry of the predefined time period,

such that there is no correlation between a network identifier and a network request or data originating from the service provider network outside of the mapping; and

configure a data broker accessible from outside the service provider network based on the mapping, the data broker being configured to transmit at least a portion of the data originating from the service provider network based on the mapping within the predefined time period; and

transmit the network request to a server device located outside the service provider network.