Network based service profile management with user preference, adaptive policy, network neutrality, and user privacy

• US 8,355,337 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US12/380,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-253, 370/465, 370/468, 709223-226, 455/432.1, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• 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: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• 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 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, a network device implements a service profile for assisting control of a communications device use of a service on a network, in which the service profile includes service policy settings for the communications device; monitors use of the service by the communications device based on the service profile; and modifies a service policy setting to achieve a service usage goal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first usage measure and a second usage measure at a server that is remote from a communications device, the first usage measure specifying an amount of use of a first classification of data communicated with the communications device over an access network, the second usage measure specifying an amount of use of a second classification of data communicated with the communications device over the access network;

identifying the first classification of data corresponding to the first usage measure;

identifying the second classification of data corresponding to the second usage measure;

using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of a service policy of a service plan to which the communications device subscribes, the service policy including one or more network service settings corresponding to one or more network services provided to the communications device, the service policy for assisting in one or more of;

(1) accounting, to a sponsor entity, at least a portion of the first usage measure, the sponsor entity being an entity that is not a user of the communications device, a subscriber associated with the communications device, or an operator of the access network, (2) presenting a notification to the user of the communications device, and (3) controlling an attempted or successful usage by the communications device of at least one of the one or more network services,

wherein the service policy assists in accounting, to a sponsor entity, at least a portion of the first usage measure, and wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy comprises;

determining, based on the first usage measure, a first amount to be accounted to the sponsor entity, and

determining, based on the second usage measure, a second amount to be accounted to the user of the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network service settings include one or more service usage accounting settings for billing a user of the communications device for the second usage measure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy further assists in controlling the attempted or successful usage by the communications device of the at least one of the one or more network services, and wherein the one or more network service settings include at least one access privilege setting that varies based on one or both of the first and second classifications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy further assists in presenting the notification to the user of the communications device, and wherein the one or more network service settings include at least one notification setting that varies based on one or both of the first and second classifications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network service settings include at least one quality-of-service (QOS) setting that varies based on one or both of the first and second classifications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of use is a rate of use.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first classification or the second classification of data is associated with a particular application on the communications device or with a type of data content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second classifications of data is based on one or more attributes of data communicated with the communications device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more attributes comprise one or more of:

network source address, network destination address, communications device application, type of network, location of the communications device, network quality-of-service (QoS), and time of data usage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy further assists in controlling the attempted or successful usage by the communications device of the at least one of the one or more network services, the usage being associated with an intermediate networking device forwarding service, the intermediate networking device forwarding service for forwarding traffic between at least one end-point device and a network system, the communications device coupled to the at least one end-point device by a local-area network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device includes a monitoring agent configured to determine the first and second usage measures, and wherein receiving the first usage measure and the second usage measure comprises obtaining the first and second usage measures from the communications device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications device functions as an intermediate device that provides a forwarding connection between a plurality of end point devices and the access network, and wherein the first usage measure or the second usage measure corresponds to a particular end point device of the plurality of end point devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first usage measure and the second usage measure comprises obtaining at least one of the first usage measure and the second usage measure from a network element configured to classify and measure data usage.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first usage measure and the second usage measure comprises obtaining the first usage measure from the communications device, and obtaining the second usage measure from a network element.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the first usage measure, the first amount to be accounted to the sponsor entity comprises identifying a first usage account associated with the first classification of data and with the sponsor entity, and wherein determining, based on the second usage measure, the second amount to be accounted to the user of the communications device comprises identifying a second usage account associated with the second classification of data and with the user of the communications device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first usage measure and the second usage measure comprises obtaining the first and second usage measures from the communications device, and wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy comprises:

aggregating the first and second usage measures to obtain an aggregate result.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising obtaining a third usage measure from a network element, and wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy further comprises:

comparing the aggregate result with the third usage measure to generate a mediated result, and

sending the mediated result to a usage accounting server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy further comprises:

comparing the aggregate result to a policy setting of the service policy.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first usage measure to a policy setting of the service policy, the policy setting corresponding to the first classification.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a third usage measure that is measured by a network element, and wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy comprises:

adjusting one or more of the first and second usage measures to obtain a first adjusted usage measure; and

comparing the first adjusted usage measure to the third usage measure.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first usage measures comprises receiving an identifier that identifies the first classification.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reformatting the first and second usage measures; and

sending the reformatted first and second usage measures to a usage accounting server.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein using the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy comprises determining performance associated with one or both of the first and second classifications of data.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first classification of data corresponds to a first service profile and the second classification of data corresponds to a second service profile, and wherein the first and second service profiles are in effect simultaneously for the communications device.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation of the service policy is performed at least in part by the communications device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein a first network communications protocol layer at which the first usage measure is determined differs from a second network communications protocol layer at which the second usage measure is determined.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first and second usage measures are within a tolerance.

28. A network system comprising:

a server remote from a communications device, the server configured to;

receive at least two usage measures, each usage measure specifying an amount of the communication device'"'"'s use of a network service provided via the access network to the communications device, a first usage measure of the at least two usage measures corresponding to a first classification of data communicated with the communications device over the access network, and a second usage measure of the at least two usage measures corresponding to a second classification of data communicated with the communications device over the access network;

identify the first classification of data corresponding to the first usage measure;

identify the second classification of data corresponding to the second usage measure; and

use the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of a service policy of a service plan to which the communications device subscribes, the service policy including one or more network service settings corresponding to one or more network services provided to the communications device, the service policy for assisting in one or more of;

(1) accounting, to a sponsor entity, at least a portion of the first usage measure, the sponsor entity being an entity that is not a user of the communications device, a subscriber associated with the communications device, or an operator of the access network, (2) presenting a notification to the user of the communications device, and (3) controlling an attempted or successful usage by the communications device of at least one of the one or more network services,

wherein the service policy assists in accounting, to a sponsor entity, at least a portion of the first usage measure, and wherein use the first and second usage measures and the first and second classifications of data to facilitate implementation of the service policy comprises;

determine, based on the first usage measure, a first amount to be accounted to the sponsor entity, and

determine, based on the second usage measure, a second amount to be accounted to the user of the communications device.