VERIFIABLE DEVICE ASSISTED SERVICE USAGE BILLING WITH INTEGRATED ACCOUNTING, MEDIATION ACCOUNTING, AND MULTI-ACCOUNT

• US 20120088470A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: RALEIGH, Gregory G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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

Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, a communications device implements a service policy for assisting billing for the communications device use of a service on a network; and monitors use of the service based on the service policy, in which a local service usage is synchronized with a network based service usage.

Claims

1. A wireless end-user device comprising:

one or more wireless modems for enabling the wireless end-user device to communicate over at least a first wireless access network;

memory configured to store a first network access policy to be applied when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over the first wireless access network, the first network access policy comprising one or more first policy instructions associated with a first service activity, the first service activity including a data communication associated with at least one of a subset of available network resources less than all available network resources; and

one or more device agents configured to perform the following steps, when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over the first wireless access network;

determining that a traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, the traffic flow comprising one or more related data transfers or attempted data transfers,

assigning a flow tag to the traffic flow, the flow tag comprising a traffic flow identifier configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first service activity when the traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the traffic flow,

monitoring a first wireless access network service usage or attempted service usage associated with the flow tag, the steps of determining, assigning and monitoring occurring in any order, and

after determining that the traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, applying the one or more first policy instructions to the first wireless access network service usage or attempted service usage.

2. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are configured to assist the one or more device agents in one or more of:

presenting a notification associated with the first service activity through a user interface,

accounting of a wireless access usage associated with the first service activity, and

controlling a wireless access associated with the first service activity.

3. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein

the one or more wireless modems are configured to enable the wireless end-user device to communicate over a second wireless access network,

the memory is further configured to store a second network access policy associated with the second wireless access network, the second network access policy comprising one or more second policy instructions associated with the first service activity, and

the one or more device agents are further configured to:

determine that the wireless end-user device is communicating or attempting to communicate over the second wireless access network, and

apply the second network access policy when the wireless end-user device is communicating or attempting to communicate over the second wireless access network.

4. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 3, wherein the first wireless access network is a cellular network and the second wireless access network is a WiFi network.

5. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 3, wherein the first wireless access network is a roaming network and the second wireless access network is a home network.

6. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein

the one or more wireless modems are configured to enable the wireless end-user device to communicate over a second wireless access network, and

the one or more device agents are further configured to:

determine that the wireless end-user device is communicating or attempting to communicate over the second wireless access network, and

refrain from applying the first network access policy when the wireless end-user device is communicating or attempting to communicate over the second wireless access network.

7. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, and wherein the one or more first policy instructions are configured to assist the one or more device agents in:

determining an accounting for a wireless access usage associated with the first service activity, and

presenting, through the user interface, a notification comprising information about the wireless access usage associated with the first service activity.

8. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in:

obtaining a user input from the user interface, the user input comprising an indication of a restriction on the first service activity, and

implementing the restriction.

9. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 8, wherein the restriction is configured to prevent communication over the first access network that is associated with the first service activity.

10. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 8, wherein the restriction is configured to assist in limiting a first service activity aspect that is non-critical to a user of the wireless end-user device.

11. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 7 wherein the one or more device agents are configured to determine the accounting for the wireless access usage associated with the first service activity based on a particular period of time.

12. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 7, wherein the accounting for the wireless access usage associated with the first service activity comprises a count of a first service activity aspect that is non-critical to a user of the wireless end-user device.

13. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network resources comprises a network destination, a server name, a host name, a host IP address, a port, a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource indicator (URI), a domain name, or a media access control (MAC) address used to specify a network destination.

14. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, and wherein the one or more first policy instructions are configured to assist the one or more device agents in:

obtaining an aggregated wireless access usage accounting associated with an aggregated wireless access usage comprising a measure of a plurality of data communications over the first wireless network, the plurality of data communications associated with one or more of a plurality of application programs, and

presenting, through the user interface, information associated with the aggregated wireless access usage accounting.

15. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in obtaining a user input through the user interface, the user input comprising an indication of a limit setting associated with the aggregated wireless access usage.

16. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in presenting a notification through the user interface when the aggregated wireless access usage accounting satisfies a condition relative to the limit setting.

17. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in controlling a wireless access usage when the aggregated wireless access usage accounting satisfies a condition relative to the limit setting.

18. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in:

obtaining a user input through the user interface, the user input comprising an indication of a restriction to be applied to at least one of the first service activity and the aggregated wireless access usage, the restriction associated with one or more of a first service activity aspect and an aggregate data communication aspect that are non-critical to a user of the wireless end-user device, and

applying the restriction to at least one of the first service activity and the aggregated wireless access usage.

19. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are further configured to assist the one or more device agents in:

determining a projected service usage accounting for the wireless end-user device, and

presenting information associated with the projected service usage accounting through the user interface.

20. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 14, wherein the aggregated wireless access usage accounting comprises a measure of a service usage aspect that is non-critical to a user of the wireless end-user device.

21. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the first service activity comprises a device data communication that uses one or more particular data protocols or comprises one or more particular data content types.

22. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the one or more particular data protocols comprises a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), a secure socket layer (SSL) protocol, a transmission control protocol (TCP), an Internet protocol (IP), a user datagram protocol (UDP), a file transfer protocol (FTP), or a post office protocol (POP).

23. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the one or more particular data content types comprises one or more of streaming media, streaming audio, streaming video, digital voice, voice over IP, digital audio, digital video, a digital image, a media file, a game file, an image file, a map file, an application file, and a digital transaction file.

24. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the first service activity comprises a device data communication associated with one or more particular network routes, traffic re-directions, or traffic tunnels.

25. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first service activity comprises a first data communication associated with a first application program, and

the one or more device agents are further configure to;

obtain a first wireless access usage accounting associated with the first service activity,

obtain a second wireless access usage accounting associated with the second service activity, the second service activity comprising a second data communication associated with a second application program, and

present, through the user interface, a user notification associated with the first wireless access usage accounting and the second wireless access usage accounting, the user notification configured to assist a user of the wireless end-user device in determining a contribution to an aggregated service usage by one or more of the first and second application programs.

26. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the first service activity comprises a data communication associated with a user software program, an operating system software program, an operating system software component or system function, or a firmware component or system function.

27. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to apply the one or more first policy instructions in a software environment that is protected from modification by user application software.

28. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, further comprising a verification agent configured to validate at least one of the one or more device agents using a secure credential comprising an operating system configuration authentication certificate, a software subsystem configuration authentication certificate, a software security certificate, a software security signature, or a software security hash.

29. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to detect unauthorized software on the wireless end-user device.

30. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 29, wherein detecting unauthorized software on the wireless end-user device comprises using a signature.

31. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are configured to assist the one or more device agents in implementing a wireless access usage accounting associated with the first service activity, and the one or more device agents are further configured to assist in sending the wireless access usage accounting to a network element over a secure communication link.

32. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more first policy instructions are configured to assist the one or more device agents in implementing a wireless access usage accounting associated with the first service activity, and the one or more device agents are further configured to communicate over a secure communication link with a network element to synchronize a device service usage measure with a network service usage measure.

33. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to obtain the one or more first policy instructions from a network element.

34. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the first service activity comprises an access network service that supports a quality of service classification.

35. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to assign the flow tag without inserting flow tag information into a traffic flow data communications path.

36. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are further configured to assign the flow tag at least in part by inserting information associated with the flow tag into a traffic flow data communications path.

37. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, and wherein:

the first service activity comprises a first data communication associated with a first network resource,

the one or more device agents are further configured to;

obtain a first wireless access usage accounting associated with the first service activity,

obtain a second wireless access usage accounting associated with the second service activity, the second service activity comprising a second data communication associated with a second network resource, and

present, through the user interface, a user notification associated with the first wireless access usage accounting and the second wireless access usage accounting, the user notification comprising information associated with a service usage associated with the first network resource and information associated with a service usage associated with the second network resource, the user notification configured to assist a user of the wireless end-user device in determining a contribution to an aggregated service usage associated with one or more of the first and second network resources.

38. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 37, wherein the first network resource or the second network resource comprises one or more of a network destination, a server name, a host name, a host IP address, a port, a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource indicator (URI), a domain name, and a media access control (MAC) address used to specify a network destination.

39. The wireless end-user device recited in claim 37, wherein the first network resource or the second network resource comprises one or more of a particular data protocol and a particular data content type.

40. A method in a wireless end-user device comprising:

storing a first network access policy to be applied when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over a first wireless access network, the first network access policy comprising one or more first policy instructions associated with a first service activity, the first service activity including a data communication associated with at least one of a subset of available network resources less than all available network resources;

determining that a traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, the traffic flow comprising one or more related data transfers or attempted data transfers;

assigning a flow tag to the traffic flow, the flow tag comprising a traffic flow identifier configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first service activity when the traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the traffic flow;

monitoring a first wireless access network service usage or attempted service usage associated with the flow tag, the steps of determining, assigning and monitoring occurring in any order; and

after determining that the traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, applying the one or more first policy instructions to the first wireless access network service usage or attempted service usage.

41. A wireless end-user device comprising:

means for storing a first network access policy to be applied when the wireless end-user device communicates or attempts to communicate over a first wireless access network, the first network access policy comprising one or more first policy instructions associated with a first service activity, the first service activity including a data communication associated with at least one of a subset of available network resources less than all available network resources;

means for determining that a traffic flow is associated with the first service activity, the traffic flow comprising one or more related data transfers or attempted data transfers;

means for assigning a flow tag to the traffic flow, the flow tag comprising a traffic flow identifier configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first service activity when the traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the traffic flow;

means for monitoring a first wireless access network service usage or attempted network service usage associated with the flow tag; and

means for applying the one or more first policy instructions to the first wireless access network service usage or attempted network service usage, after determining that the traffic flow is associated with the first service activity.