Over-The-Top Internet Service Provisioning

• US 20200136855A1
• Filed: 12/10/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McBride, Kevin M., Barnett, JR., Thomas Charles, Opferman, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,797,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for provisioning OTT internet services are provided. A system includes a user device associated with a first customer, a first physical customer local area network, and an enhanced network gateway. The enhanced network gateway may be configured to instantiate a virtual gateway associated with the first physical customer local area network, create a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network, determine whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer. Responsive to determining that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, the enhanced network gateway may further provide a consumer portal to the user device, receive a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal, establish a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services, and provision the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user device associated with a first customer;

a first physical customer local area network including at least part of a physical circuit from the user device to a network edge;

an enhanced network gateway, the network edge comprising the enhanced network gateway, the enhanced network gateway further comprising;

a processor; and

non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

instantiate a virtual gateway associated with the first physical customer local area network;

create, via the virtual gateway, a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network;

determine whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer;

responsive to determining that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, provide, via the first physical customer local area network, a consumer portal to the user device;

receive, from the user device, a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal;

establish, via the virtual gateway, a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services; and

provision, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over first physical customer local area network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

responsive to determining that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, establish, via the virtual gateway, the connection to the service provider network associated with one or more services indicated to be provided to the subscriber account; and

provision, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine whether a policy is associated with the subscriber account, wherein the policy defines, at least in part, at least one of the one or more services to be provided to the first physical customer local area network; and

provisioning, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services to the first physical customer local area network based on the policy.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

responsive to determining that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, modify, via the virtual gateway, the secure domain to behave, at least in part, like a second secure domain associated with a second physical customer local area network different from the first local area network;

manage, via the virtual gateway, traffic from the one or more services over the secure domain as traffic over the second secure domain over the second physical customer local area network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the physical circuit of the first physical customer local area network is a first communication medium different from a second communication medium of the second physical customer local area network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical circuit from the user device to the network edge is associated with a first service provider different from a second service provider, wherein the service provider network associated with the one or more services is associated with the second service provider.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more services comprises at least one of voice, video, or network services associated with the second service provider.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first physical customer local area network includes a wireless access point, wherein the enhanced network gateway is configured to establish a connection to the user device via the wireless access point.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced network gateway is physically located at a first central office associated with a first service provider, wherein the physical customer local area network includes a digital subscriber line access multiplexer located at the central office.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

instantiate a virtual gateway associated with a first physical customer local area network coupled to a user device associated with a first customer;

create, via the virtual gateway, a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network;

determine whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer;

responsive to determining that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, provide, via the first physical customer local area network, a consumer portal to the user device;

receive, from the user device, a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal;

establish, via the virtual gateway, a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services; and

provision, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over first physical customer local area network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

responsive to determining that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, establish, via the virtual gateway, the connection to the service provider network associated with one or more services indicated to be provided to the subscriber account; and

provision, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine whether a policy is associated with the subscriber account, wherein the policy defines, at least in part, at least one of the one or more services to be provided to the first physical customer local area network; and

provisioning, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services to the first physical customer local area network based on the policy.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

responsive to determining that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, modify, via the virtual gateway, the secure domain to behave, at least in part, like a second secure domain associated with a second physical customer local area network different from the first local area network;

manage, via the virtual gateway, traffic from the one or more services over the secure domain as traffic over the second secure domain over the second physical customer local area network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the physical circuit of the first physical customer local area network is a first communication medium different from a second communication medium of the second physical customer local area network.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the physical circuit from the user device to the network edge is associated with a first service provider different from a second service provider, wherein the service provider network associated with the one or more services is associated with the second service provide.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the enhanced network gateway is physically located at a first central office associated with a first service provider, wherein the first physical customer local area network includes a digital subscriber line access multiplexer located at the central office.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first physical customer local area network includes a wireless access point, wherein the enhanced network gateway is configured to establish a connection to the user device via the wireless access point.

18. A method comprising:

instantiating, via an enhanced network gateway, a virtual gateway associated with a first physical customer local area network coupled to a user device associated with a first customer;

creating, via the virtual gateway, a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network;

determining whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer;

responsive to a determination that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, providing, via the first physical customer local area network, a consumer portal to the user device;

receiving, from the user device, a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal;

establishing, via the virtual gateway, a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services; and

provisioning, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, establishing, via the virtual gateway, the connection to the service provider network associated with one or more services indicated to be provided to the subscriber account; and

provisioning, via the virtual gateway, the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the subscriber account is associated with the first customer, modifying, via the virtual gateway, the secure domain to behave, at least in part, like a second secure domain associated with a second physical customer local area network different from the first local area network;

managing, via the virtual gateway, traffic from the one or more services over the secure domain as traffic over the second secure domain over the second physical customer local area network.