PROVIDING LIMITED NETWORK ACCESS TO USER DEVICES

• US 20140269525A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: CHEN, Xuming, LI, Mingxing S., LAU, Priscilla
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• 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

Abstract

A network device is configured to receive, from a user device that is not subscribed to a network associated with the network device, a connection request identifying a particular service, of one or more services, to provide to the user device. The system may further identify a packet data network (PDN) to establish based on the particular service; identify one or more parameters, associated with the PDN and identifying a data flow, associated with the particular service, that can be provided to the user device; and establish the PDN based on the one or more PDN parameters. The PDN may permit only the data flow, associated with the particular service, to be transmitted to the user device. The system may further provide the data flow, associated with the particular service, to the user device via the PDN.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a connection request from a user device that is not subscribed to a network associated with the network device,

the connection request identifying a particular service, of one or more services, to provide to the user device,

identifying, by the network device, a packet data network (PDN) to establish based on the particular service;

identifying, by the network device, one or more parameters associated with the PDN,

the one or more parameters identifying a data flow, associated with the particular service, that can be provided to the user device;

establishing, by the network device, the PDN based on the one or more PDN parameters,

the PDN permitting only the data flow, associated with the particular service, to be transmitted to the user device; and

providing, by the network device, the data flow, associated with the particular service, to the user device via the PDN.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing network usage data based on providing the data flow associated with the particular service; and

providing the network usage data to a server device to cause the server device to perform a billing settlement function.

3. The method of claim 1, where the one or more services allow the user device to place an emergency telephone call, place a non-emergency telephone call, place a collect call, or receive content from a server device.

4. The method of claim 1, where establishing the PDN includes:

causing a communications tunnel to be established between the network device and the user device based on the one or more PDN parameters,

the communications tunnel being used to transmit the data flow to the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the data flow, associated with the particular service, to receive a particular Quality of Service (QoS) treatment based on the one or more parameters associated with the PDN.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a list, identifying the one or more services, to the user device,

where receiving the connection request is based on providing the list identifying the one or more services.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

forming the list based on receiving information from respective content providers, associated with the one or more services, that the respective content providers are to offer the one or more services to the user device,

where providing the list is based on forming the list.

8. The method of claim 1, where receiving the connection request is based on an application executing on the user device that causes the user device to provide the connection request,

the application being provided to the user device to allow the user device to provide the connection request and to receive the particular service.

9. A system comprising:

a network device to;

receive a connection request from a user device that is not subscribed to a network associated with the network device,

the connection request identifying a particular service, of one or more services, to provide to the user device;

identify a packet data network (PDN) to establish based on the particular service;

identify one or more parameters associated with the PDN,

the one or more parameters identifying a data flow, associated with the particular service, that can be provided to the user device,

establish the PDN based on the one or more PDN parameters;

the PDN limiting data transmitted to the user device to the data flow associated with the particular service; and

provide the data flow, associated with the particular service, to the user device via the PDN.

10. The system of claim 9, where the network device is further to:

store network usage data based on providing the data flow associated with the particular service; and

provide the network usage data to a server device to cause the server device to perform a billing settlement function.

11. The system of claim 9, where the one or more services allow the user device to place an emergency telephone call, place a non-emergency telephone call, place a collect call, or receive content from a server device.

12. The system of claim 9, where the network device is further to:

cause a communications tunnel to be established between the network device and the user device based on the one or more PDN parameters,

the communications tunnel being used to transmit the data flow to the user device,

where when establishing the PDN, the network device is further to establish the PDN based on causing the communications tunnel to be established.

13. The system of claim 9, where the network device is further to:

cause the data flow, associated with the particular service, to receive a particular Quality of Service (QoS) treatment based on the one or more parameters associated with the PDN.

14. The system of claim 9, where the network device is further to:

provide a list, identifying the one or more services, to the user device,

where when receiving the connection request, the network device is further to receive the connection request based on providing the list identifying the one or more services.

15. The system of claim 14, where the network device is further to:

form the list based on receiving information from respective content providers, associated with the one or more services, that the respective content providers are to offer the one or more services to the user device,

where when providing the list, the network device is further to provide the list based on forming the list.

16. The system of claim 9, where when receiving the connection request, the network device is further to receive the connection request based on an application executing on the user device that causes the user device to provide the connection request,

the application being provided to the user device to allow the user device to provide the connection request and to receive the particular service.

17. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a network device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a connection request from a user device,

the connection request identifying a particular service, of one or more services, to provide to the user device,

the one or more services including allowing the user device to place an emergency telephone call, a non-emergency telephone call, or receive content from a server device when the user device is not subscribed to a network associated with the network device;

identify a packet data network (PDN) to establish based on the particular service;

identify one or more parameters associated with the PDN,

the one or more parameters identifying a data flow, associated with the particular service, that can be provided to the user device,

establish the PDN based on the one or more PDN parameters;

the PDN permitting the data flow, associated with the particular service, to be transmitted to the user device while preventing another data flow, not associated with the particular service, from being transmitted to the user device; and

provide the data flow, associated with the particular service, to the user device via the PDN.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the server device is a first server device,

the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

store network usage data based on providing the data flow, associated with the particular service; and

provide the network usage data to a second server device to cause the second server device to perform a billing settlement function.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

cause the data flow, associated with the particular service, to receive a particular Quality of Service (QoS) treatment based on the one or more parameters associated with the PDN.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to receive the connection request, further cause the one or more processors to receive the connection request based on an application executing on the user device that causes the user device to provide the connection request,

the application being provided to the user device to allow the user device to provide the connection request and to receive the particular service.