Systems and methods for providing content and services on a network system

• US 8,156,246 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nomadix, Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nomadix, Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Short, Joel E., Pagan, Florence C. I., Goldstein, Josh J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/244,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/239, 709/235, 709/241
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/22 Arrangements for preventing the taking of data from a data transmission channel without authorisation means for verifying the identity or the authority of a user of a secure or secret communication system H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 : Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 : Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 : Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing and providing content and services on a network system. Aspects of the invention include location-based determination of network content and services that may be provided to client computers. Other aspects of the invention include authorization and authentication components that determine access rights of client computers. Additional aspects include systems and methods for redirecting client computers to different network content. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in numerous network system applications.

Claims

1. A system for redirecting a computer in communication with a network, comprising:

a network access management system including at least one processor and at least one communications port, the network access management system configured to process an incoming request from the computer over the network for access to an external server that is outside of the network; and

a portal page redirection unit in communication with the network access management system, wherein the portal page redirection unit is configured to send, to the network access management system, redirection data identifying a portal page server, the portal page server being different from the external server;

wherein the network access management system sends to the computer an outgoing response based on the redirection data, the outgoing response configured to be responsive to the incoming request from the computer by pretending to be the external server in completing a connection handshake with the computer, and further by including a source address corresponding to the external server, whereby the outgoing response appears to have originated from the external server, and the outgoing response configured to cause the computer to initiate a second request for content from the portal page server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portal page redirection unit is located within the network access management system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portal page server is configured to transmit a user-customized portal page to the computer in response to the second request for content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1, of wherein the network access management system is further configured to determine whether the computer should be redirected in response to a second incoming request from the computer, the determination being based at least in part on a MAC address received from the computer.

6. A network management system, configured to redirect a computer to a portal page, the computer being connected to the network management system by a network, the system comprising:

a communications port configured to receive an incoming request from the computer relating to accessing an external server; and

a processor configured to receive incoming data from a redirection server, the incoming data identifying a portal page server to which the computer should be redirected, the portal page server being different from the external server; and

the processor further configured to send to the computer, an outgoing response based on the incoming data, the outgoing response configured to be responsive to the incoming request from the computer, and the outgoing response configured to cause the computer to initiate a second request for content from the portal page server;

wherein the processor is further configured to complete a connection handshake while appearing to be the external server, and wherein the outgoing response includes a source address corresponding to the external server, whereby the outgoing response appears to have originated from the external server.

7. The network management system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to perform an operation of determining if the computer is entitled to access the external server.

8. The network management system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second incoming request from the computer; and

determine whether to send a second outgoing response configured to cause the computer to initiate another request for content from the portal page server, the determination being based at least in part upon a MAC address associated with the computer.

9. A method, performed at a network management system, of redirecting a computer to a portal page, the computer being connected to the network management system by a network, the method comprising:

completing a connection handshake with the computer in a manner such that the network management system appears to be the external server;

receiving, at the network management system, an incoming request from the computer relating to accessing an external server;

receiving, at the network management system, incoming data from a redirection server, the incoming data identifying a portal page server to which the computer should be redirected, the portal page server being different from the external server; and

sending, from the network management system to the computer, an outgoing response based on the incoming data, the outgoing response configured to be responsive to the incoming request from the computer by including a source address corresponding to the external server, whereby the outgoing response appears to have originated from the external server, and the outgoing response configured to cause the computer to initiate a second request for content from the portal page server.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining if the computer is entitled to access the external server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second incoming request from the computer; and

determining whether to send a second outgoing response configured to cause the computer to initiate another request for content from the portal page server, the determination being based at least in part upon a MAC address associated with the computer.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the computer is entitled to access the external server, and wherein the outgoing response is sent based upon a determination that the computer is not entitled to access the external server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the incoming data is received from the redirection server subsequent to determining if the computer is entitled to access the external server.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the incoming request comprises a request for a web page located on the external server.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the incoming data identifying the portal page server comprises an address of the portal page server.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the network includes a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the outgoing response comprises a name of the external server.