System and Method of Redirecting Internet Protocol Traffic for Network Based Parental Controls

• US 20110292938A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Jason M., Harp, David, Bearden, Toby
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

A method of redirecting traffic on a network includes receiving a subscriber request to use a parental control service, assigning to the subscriber'"'"'s access device an Internet protocol (IP) address from a block of addresses reserved for the service, receiving a transaction, determining that the transaction is from an address in the block, and redirecting the transaction to a parental control device on the network. A network-based parental control system includes an access device for an account that uses a parental control service, a dynamic host configuration protocol server that assigns to the access device an IP address from a block of addresses reserved for the parental control service, a parental control policy device, and a router that receives a transaction from the access device, determines that the transaction is from an address in the block, and redirects the transaction to the parental control policy device.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting Internet protocol (IP) traffic for a network-based parental control service, comprising:

receiving a first request from a first subscriber to use a network-based parental control service provided by the network;

assigning a first IP address to a first access device associated with the first subscriber in response to receiving the first request, wherein the first IP address is selected from a first block of IP addresses that are reserved on the network for users who desire to use the network-based parental control service;

receiving a first transaction from the first access device;

determining that a first source IP address of the first transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses; and

redirecting the first transaction to a parental control device on the network in response to determining that the first source IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses.

2. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second transaction destined for the first access device;

determining that a first destination IP address of the second transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses; and

redirecting the second transaction to the parental control device in response to determining that the first destination IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses.

3. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a second request from a second subscriber to not use the network-based parental control service provided by the network;

assigning a second IP address to a second access device associated with the second subscriber in response to receiving the second request, wherein the second IP address is selected from a second block of IP addresses that are reserved on the network for users who have requested to not use the network-based parental control service;

receiving a third transaction from the second access device;

determining that a second source IP address of the third transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses; and

routing the third transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the third transaction in response to determining that the second source IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses.

4. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a fourth transaction;

determining that a third destination IP address of the fourth transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses; and

routing the fourth transaction to the third destination IP address in response to determining that the third destination IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses.

5. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 2, further comprising:

determining at the parental control device that the first transaction is allowed based on a filter; and

routing the first transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is allowed.

6. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 5, further comprising:

determining at the parental control device that the first transaction is not allowed based on the filter; and

terminating the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is not allowed.

7. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 6, further comprising issuing a third transaction from the parental control device that is destined to the first source IP address, and that indicates that the first transaction was terminated in response to terminating the first transaction.

8. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 5, further comprising:

determining at the parental control device that the second transaction is allowed based on the filter; and

routing the second transaction to the first destination IP address in response to determining that the second transaction is allowed.

9. The method of redirecting IP traffic of claim 8, further comprising:

determining at the parental control device that the second transaction is not allowed based on the filter;

terminating the second transaction in response to determining that the second transaction is not allowed; and

issuing a fourth transaction from the parental control device that is destined to the first source IP address, and that indicates that the second transaction was terminated in response to terminating the second transaction.

10. A network-based parental control system, comprising:

a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server operable to assign a first Internet protocol (IP) address to a first access device on a network, the first access device being associated with a first account that uses a parental control service, wherein the first IP address is selected from a first block of IP addresses that are reserved for accounts that use the parental control service;

a parental control policy device; and

a router operable to;

receive a first transaction from the first access device;

determine that a first source IP address of the first transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses; and

redirect the first transaction to the parental control policy device in response to determining that the first source IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses.

11. The network-based parental control system of claim 10, wherein the router is further operable to:

receive a second transaction destined for the first access device;

determine that a first destination IP address of the second transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses; and

redirect the second transaction to the parental control device in response to determining that the first destination IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses.

12. The network-based parental control system of claim 11, wherein further:

the DHCP server is operable to assign a second IP address to a second access device on the network, the second access device being associated with a second account that does not use the parental control service, wherein the second IP address is selected from a second block of IP addresses that are reserved on the network for accounts that do not use the parental control service; and

the router is further operable to;

receive a third transaction from the second access device;

determine that a second source IP address of the third transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses; and

route the third transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the third transaction in response to determining that the second source IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses.

13. The network-based parental control system of claim 10, wherein the router is further operable to:

receive a fourth transaction;

determine that a third destination IP address of the fourth transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses; and

route the fourth transaction to the third destination IP address in response to determining that the third destination IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses.

14. The network-based parental control system of claim 10, wherein the parental control policy device is operable to:

determine that the first transaction is allowed based on a filter;

route the first transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is allowed;

determine that the first transaction is not allowed based on the filter; and

terminate the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is not allowed.

16. The machine executable code of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second request from a second subscriber to not use the network-based parental control service provided by the network;

assigning a second IP address to a second access device associated with the second subscriber in response to receiving the second request, wherein the second IP address is selected from a second block of IP addresses that are reserved on the network for users who have requested to not use the network-based parental control service;

receiving a third transaction from the first access device;

determining that a second source IP address of the third transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses;

routing the third transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the third transaction in response to determining that the second source IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses;

receiving a fourth transaction;

determining that a third destination IP address of the fourth transaction is included in the second block of IP addresses; and

routing the fourth transaction to the third destination IP address in response to determining that the third destination IP address is included in the second block of IP addresses.

17. The machine executable code of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the first transaction is allowed based on a filter; and

routing the first transaction to a second destination IP address associated with the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is allowed.

18. The machine executable code of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the first transaction is not allowed based on the filter;

terminating the first transaction in response to determining that the first transaction is not allowed; and

issuing a third transaction that is destined to the first source IP address, and that indicates that the first transaction was terminated in response to terminating the first transaction.

19. The machine executable code of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the second transaction is allowed based on the filter; and

routing the second transaction to the first destination IP address in response to determining that the second transaction is allowed.

20. The machine executable code of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the second transaction is not allowed based on the filter;

terminating the second transaction in response to determining that the second transaction is not allowed; and

issuing a fourth transaction that is destined to the first source IP address, and that indicates that the second transaction was terminated in response to terminating the second transaction.

15. Machine-executable code embedded within a non-transitory tangible medium and including instructions for carrying out a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first request from a first subscriber to use a network-based parental control service provided by a network;

assigning a first IP address to a first access device associated with the first subscriber in response to receiving the first request, wherein the first IP address is selected from a first block of IP addresses that are reserved on the network for users who desire to use the network-based parental control service;

receiving a first transaction from the first access device;

determining that a first source IP address of the first transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses;

redirecting the first transaction to a parental control device on the network in response to determining that the first source IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses;

receiving a second transaction destined for the first access device;

determining that a first destination IP address of the second transaction is included in the first block of IP addresses; and

redirecting the second transaction to the parental control device in response to determining that the first destination IP address is included in the first block of IP addresses.