METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING USER BETWEEN CAPTIVE AND OPEN DOMAINS

• US 20090119749A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Avirneni, Srini, Datla, Raju
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A method for limiting user access to a captive domain or an open domain. The captive domain may include electronically accessible content that is selected/controlled by a service provider and the open domain may include electronically accessible content that is not completely selected/controlled by the service provider. The method may include configuring a modem or other user device in such a manner as to limit use access to the desired domain.

Claims

1. A method for controlling user access to a captive domain and an open domain, the method comprising:

limiting user access to the captive domain and, thereafter, allowing user access to the open domain without requiring reboot of a customer premise equipment (CPE) used to facilitate user access to the captive and open domains.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising instructing the CPE to facilitate communications with a captive domain server used to facilitate access to the captive domain if the user is forced to the captive domain, and instructing the captive domain server to communicate with the open domain if the user is allowed to access the open domain.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, after allowing the user to access the open domain by way of the captive domain server, instructing the CPE to facilitate communications with an open domain server instead of the captive domain server upon reboot of the CPE, the open domain server used to facilitate access to the open domain.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising instructing the CPE to facilitate communications with the open domain server in advance of a previously scheduled reboot of the CPE.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising, after instructing the CPE to facilitate communications with the open domain server, instructing the CPE to facilitate communications with the captive domain server instead of the open domain server if user access is limited to the captive domain.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising waiting until a previously scheduled reboot of the CPE before the CPE facilitates communications with the captive domain server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising limiting user access to the captive domain if a provider associated with supporting user access to the open domain requires the user to access provider-specified content.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising allowing the user to access the open domain if the user is permitted to access non-provider-selected content.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising limiting user access to the captive domain during a user activation process in order to allow the user to make service-specific configuration changes associated with services offered by the provider.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising forcing the user to access a warning page included within the captive domain if the user reaches a threshold limit associated with consumption of services offered by the provider.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising forcing the user to access the captive domain to inform the user of missing or delayed payments owed to the provider.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising forcing the user to access the captive domain to view a message sent by another user associated with the provider.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising forcing the user to access the captive domain until the user takes a corrective action specified by the provider.

18. The method of claim 3 further comprising, after instructing the user devices to facilitate communications with the open domain server, instructing the user devices to facilitate communications with the captive domain server instead of the open domain server if user access is limited to access to the captive domain.

14. A method for limiting a plurality of users to a captive domain or an open domain, the method comprising:

associating a user device with each of the plurality of users, the user devices configured to facilitate user access to the captive and open domains; and

allowing one or more users previously limited to access the captive domain to access the open domain without requiring reboot of the user device associated with the plurality users.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising instructing one or more of the user devices to facilitate communications with a captive domain server used to facilitate access to the captive domain if the associated users are limited to access the captive domain, and thereafter instructing the captive domain server to communicate with the open domain if the associated user is allowed to access the open domain.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising instructing the captive domain server to communicate with an open domain server used to facilitate access to the open domain in order to facilitate the captive server communicating with the open domain.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising, prior to rebooting the user devices, instructing the user devices associated with the user allowed to access the open domain to facilitate communications with the open domain server instead of the captive domain server, such that upon reboot the user devices communicate with the open domain server instead of the captive domain server.

19. A method for controlling user access to domains in a domain name system (DNS) having a captive domain and an open domain, the method comprising:

facilitating user access to content available through the captive domain with a captive domain server;

facilitating user access to content available through the open domain with an open domain server; and

instructing the captive domain to communicate with the open domain if a modem used to facilitate user access to the domains is instructed to communicate with the captive domain server while user access to the open domain is permitted.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, prior to reboot of the modem and while user access to the open domain is permitted, instructing the modem to facilitate communications with the open domain server instead of the captive domain server such that upon reboot the modem facilitates communications with the open domain server instead of the captive domain server.