DYNAMIC USER IDENTIFICATION FOR NETWORK CONTENT FILTERING

• US 20160371045A1
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Munn, Jude M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18

Abstract

Techniques described herein may be used to dynamically apply content filters to a user device by identifying the user operating the user device. An analytics server may collect information relevant to identifying the user, or the type of user (e.g., a child, a teenager, or an adult), and cause a content filter to be applied to the user device based on the user and content requested by the user. As such, systems and methods described herein provide techniques for applying a content filters based on the actual user that is operating the user device, as opposed to the just the user device itself.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server device, comprising:

receiving, by the server device, network traffic from a plurality of user devices;

identifying, by the server device, a particular user device, of the plurality of user devices, by analyzing the network traffic that is associated with the plurality of user devices;

identifying, by the server device, a particular user of the particular user device by analyzing the identified network traffic associated with the particular user device;

monitoring, by the server device, network content requested by the particular user device;

determining, by the server device, whether the network content is appropriate for the particular user based on a comparison of the network content and an identity of the particular user; and

initiating, by the server device, a content filter service for the particular user device based on whether the network content is appropriate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the content filter service includes notifying a content filter server to apply a content filter to the network content requested by the particular user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the particular user device is being operated by another user by monitoring network traffic associated with the particular user device;

identifying the other user based on network traffic associated with the particular user device;

monitoring additional network content requested by the particular user device;

determining whether the additional network content is appropriate for the other user based on a comparison of the network content and the other user; and

initiating a content filter service for the particular user device based on whether the additional network content is appropriate for the other user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server device is part of a wireless telecommunications network in communication with a local area network of the particular user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the particular user device includes monitoring network traffic associated with startup operations of the particular user device, and

identifying the particular user includes monitoring network traffic associated with post-startup operations of the particular user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring network activity associated with the particular user; and

creating a user profile associated with the particular user based on the monitored network activity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein creating the user profile includes enhancing an existing user profile of the particular user by updating the existing user profile with the monitored network activity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular user device is identified based on at least one of:

a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) timestamp,

a source Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the particular user device,

at least one port associated with the network traffic,

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a startup operation of the particular user device,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device, and

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular user is identified based on at least one of:

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) detected after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one keystroke speed of the particular user,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one application initiated after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one type of network content requested by the particular user device,

a location of the particular user device, or

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.

10. A server device comprising:

a non-transitory memory device storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to;

receive network traffic from a plurality of user devices;

identify a particular user device, of the plurality of user devices, by analyzing the network traffic that is associated with the plurality of user devices,

identify a particular user of the particular user device by analyzing the identified network traffic associated with the particular user device,

monitor network content requested by the particular user device,

determine whether the network content is appropriate for the particular user based on a comparison of the network content and an identity of the particular user, and

initiate a content filter service for the particular user device based on whether the network content is appropriate.

11. The server device of claim 10, wherein, to initiate the content filter service, the processor-executable instructions cause the processor to:

notify a content filter server to apply a content filter to the network content requested by the particular user device.

12. The server device of claim 10, wherein the server device is part of a wireless telecommunications network in communication with a local area network of the particular user device.

13. The server device of claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause the processor to:

identify the particular user device includes monitoring network traffic associated with startup operations of the particular user device, and

identify the particular user includes monitoring network traffic associated with post-startup operations of the particular user device.

14. The server device of claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions cause the processor to:

monitor network activity associated with the particular user; and

create a user profile associated with the particular user based on the monitored network activity.

15. The server device of claim 14, wherein, to create the user profile, the processor-executable instructions cause the processor to:

enhance an existing user profile of the particular user by updating the existing user profile with the monitored network activity.

16. The server device of claim 10, wherein the user device is identified based on at least one of:

a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) timestamp,

a source Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the particular user device,

at least one port associated with the network traffic,

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a startup operation of the particular user device,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device, and

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.

17. The server device of claim 10, wherein the user is identified based on at least one of:

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) detected after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one keystroke speed of the particular user,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one application initiated after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one type of network content requested by the particular user device,

a location of the particular user device, or

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.

18. A server device, comprising:

a non-transitory memory device storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to;

detect network traffic corresponding to a user device,

compare the network traffic to historical network usage patterns associated with network traffic of a plurality of user devices,

predict whether a content filter is appropriate, for the user device, based on the comparison of the network traffic and the historical network usage patterns associated with the plurality of user devices, and

initiate a content filter service for the user device based on whether the content filter is appropriate.

19. The server device of claim 18, wherein the historical network usage patterns include:

a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) timestamp,

a source Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the particular user device,

at least one port associated with the network traffic,

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a startup operation of the particular user device,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device, and

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.

20. The server device of claim 18, wherein and the historical network usage patterns include:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) detected after the user device has completed startup operations,

at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) detected after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one keystroke speed of the particular user,

at least one User Agent (UA) string associated with the particular user device after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one application initiated after the particular user device has completed startup operations,

at least one type of network content requested by the particular user device,

a location of the particular user device, or

a date corresponding to the network traffic and a time of day corresponding to the network traffic.