ADAPTING NETWORK POLICIES BASED ON DEVICE SERVICE PROCESSOR CONFIGURATION

• US 20150111528A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• 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., Lavine, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,591,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• 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: 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 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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

Disclosed herein are various embodiments to prevent, detect, or take action in response to the moving a device credential from one device to another, the improper configuration of a service processor, a missing service processor, or the tampering with a service processor in device-assisted services (DAS) systems.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method of operating a network system comprising at least one server, the method comprising:

determining whether a device agent on a mobile device is properly implementing a data traffic categorization aspect of a cellular data network access policy;

when it is determined that the device agent is properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect of the cellular data network access policy, configuring a data rating service for cellular data traffic of the mobile device in a first configuration that relies on data traffic categorization from the mobile device agent; and

when it is determined that the device agent is not properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect of the cellular data network access policy, configuring the data rating service for cellular data traffic of the mobile device in a second configuration that operates without reliance on data traffic categorization from the mobile device agent.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data traffic categorization aspect comprises the generation of data records by the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the data rating service classifying cellular data network usage into several categories based on the data records.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising reconciling the data records with other data records, the other data records generated by one or more network measurement points.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising incrementing cellular data network usage limits for the mobile device based on the data records.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that a device agent on a mobile device is properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect comprises, in association with the network system receiving a notification from a cellular data network that the mobile device has gained or requested access to a cellular network data service, the device agent properly logging on or authenticating with the network system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification from the cellular data network comprises a notification that the mobile device has started a new data session.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification from the cellular data network comprises a notification that the mobile device has sent a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) attach to the cellular data network.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, for determining that the device agent is not properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect, imposing a time limit between receiving the notification and receiving a request from the device agent for logging on or authenticating.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the device agent is properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect comprises:

receiving first data records generated by the mobile device and purporting to indicate cellular data network usage by the mobile device;

receiving second data records generated by one or more network measurement points and indicating cellular data network usage by the mobile device; and

comparing usages derived respectively from the first and second data records; and

deciding that the device agent is not properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect when the comparing shows a significant difference between the compared usages.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data rating service is in the first configuration at the time of deciding that the device agent is not properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect, the configuring the data rating service in a second configuration comprising reconfiguring the data rating service from the first to the second configuration.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the device agent is properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect comprises tracking the number of Subscriber Identity Modules that have been associated with the mobile device, and when the number exceeds a limit deciding that the device agent is not properly implementing the data traffic categorization aspect.

14. A method of operating a network system comprising at least one server, the method comprising:

receiving a notification from a cellular data network that a mobile device has gained or requested access to a cellular network data service;

in association with the notification, listen for a corresponding request from a mobile device data traffic characterization agent for login and/or authentication;

when the mobile device data traffic characterization agent requests login and/or authentication and properly logs in or authenticates, set up a data rating service for cellular data traffic of the mobile device in a first configuration that relies on data traffic characterization from the mobile device agent; and

when the mobile device agent fails to make or successfully complete the corresponding request, set up the data rating service for cellular data traffic of the mobile device in a second configuration that operates without reliance on data traffic characterization from the mobile device agent.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first configuration receives records of data usage from the mobile device data traffic characterization agent, and the second configuration receives records of data usage from one or more network measurement points.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein data traffic characterization comprises records of data usage, the method further comprising classifying cellular data network usage into several categories based on the records.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein data traffic characterization comprises records of data usage, the method further comprising incrementing cellular data network usage limits for the mobile device based on the records.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, for determining that the device agent has failed to make the corresponding request, imposing a time limit between receiving the notification and receiving the corresponding request.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining whether the device agent is properly providing data characterization.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the device agent is properly providing data characterization comprises:

receiving first data records generated by the mobile device and purporting to indicate cellular data network usage by the mobile device;

receiving second data records generated by one or more network measurement points and indicating cellular data network usage by the mobile device; and

comparing usages derived respectively from the first and second data records; and

deciding that the device agent is not properly providing data characterization when the comparing shows a significant difference between the compared usages.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the device agent is properly providing data categorization comprises tracking the number of Subscriber Identity Modules that have been associated with the mobile device, and when the number exceeds a limit deciding that the device agent is not properly providing data characterization.