Method and system for directing user between captive and open domains

• US 8,108,911 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Datla, Raju, Avirneni, Srini
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US11/933,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A method for limiting user access to a captive domain or an open domain. The captive domain may include electronically accessible content that is selected/controlled by a service provider and the open domain may include electronically accessible content that is not completely selected/controlled by the service provider. The method may include configuring a modem or other user device in such a manner as to limit use access to the desired domain.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a domain name server for a captive domain, communications from a consumer premise equipment;

allowing, at the domain name server for the captive domain, access by the consumer premise equipment to first content in the captive domain and disallowing, at the domain name server for the captive domain, access by the consumer premise equipment to second content in an open domain;

configuring the domain name server for the captive domain to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content; and

configuring the consumer premise equipment to communicate with a domain name server for the open domain instead of the domain name server for the captive domain, wherein communications from the consumer premise equipment are received by the domain name server for the captive domain, which now allows access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content, before said configuration of the consumer premise equipment becomes active.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the second content is provided by the domain name server for the captive domain directing communications from the consumer premises equipment to one or more servers associated with the open domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said domain name server for the captive domain provides access to the second content by directing communications from the consumer premises equipment to one or more domain name servers for the open domain.

4. A system comprising:

a domain name server for a captive domain configured to;

receive communications from a consumer premise equipment,

allow access by the consumer premise equipment to first content in the captive domain and to disallow access by the consumer premise equipment to second content in an open domain, and

upon completion of an event, allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content in the open domain;

wherein completion of the event causes the consumer premise equipment to be configured to direct communications to one or more domain name servers for the open domain instead of the domain name server for the captive domain.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first content includes provider-specified content associated with a service provider of the consumer premise equipment.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the domain name server for the captive domain is configured to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the first content and to disallow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content during an activation process to allow a user of the consumer premise equipment to make service-specific configuration changes associated with services offered by the service provider.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the provider-specified content includes a warning page, wherein the domain name server for the captive domain is configured to disallow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content based upon the consumer premise equipment reaching a threshold limit associated with consumption of services offered by the service provider.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the provider-specified content includes information to a user of the consumer premise equipment of missing or delayed payments owed to the service provider.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the provider-specified content includes a message sent by another user associated with the service provider.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the domain name server for the captive domain is configured to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content upon receiving a corrective action specified by the service provider.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the domain name server for the captive domain is configured to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content by directing communications from the consumer premises equipment to one or more servers associated with the open domain.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the domain name server for the captive domain is configured to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content by directing communications from the consumer premises equipment to one or more domain name servers for the open domain.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first server that is configured to facilitate access to a captive domain, communications from a consumer premise equipment;

allowing, at the first server, access by the consumer premise equipment to first content in the captive domain and disallowing, at the first server, access by the consumer premise equipment to second content in an open domain;

configuring the first server to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content; and

configuring the consumer premise equipment to communicate with a second server instead of the first server, wherein the second server is configured to facilitate access to the open domain, and wherein communications from the consumer premise equipment are received by the first server, which now allows access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content, before said configuration of the consumer premise equipment becomes active.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first content includes provider-specified content associated with a service provider of the consumer premise equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the allowing access by the consumer premise equipment to the first content and disallowing access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content occurs during an activation process, wherein the first content allows a user of the consumer premise equipment to make service-specific configuration changes associated with services offered by the service provider.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the provider-specified content includes a warning page, wherein disallowing access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content occurs upon the consumer premise equipment reaching a threshold limit associated with consumption of services offered by the service provider.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the provider-specified content includes information to a user of the consumer premise equipment of missing or delayed payments owed to the service provider.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the provider-specified content includes a message sent by another user associated with the service provider.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the first server to allow access by the consumer premise equipment to the second content occurs upon receiving a corrective action specified by the service provider.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the access to the second content is provided by the first server directing communications from the consumer premises equipment to the second server.