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

• US 8,370,477 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/566,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 method of redirecting a session directed to an HTTP server to a redirected destination HTTP server, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first communication from a user device at a communications port of a network system, the first communication including a request to open a TCP connection with a server located external to the network system;

sending a second communication to the user device from the network system, the second communication including TCP connection handshake completion data in response to the request to open the TCP connection, the handshake completion data being configured to appear to be from the server located external to the network system, wherein the network system need not communicate with the server located external to the network system;

receiving a third communication from the user device at the communications port of the network system, the third communication including an HTTP server request for access to the server located external to the network system; and

generating response data customized for the HTTP server request, the response data including content different from content requested by the HTTP server request, the response data being customized for the HTTP server request at least in part by appearing to be from the server located external to the network system by including, in a header of the response data, a source address corresponding to the server located external to the network system; and

sending a fourth communication from the network system, the fourth communication including a response to the HTTP server request, the response comprising the generated response data customized for the HTTP server request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fifth communication from the user device at the communications port of the network system, the fifth communication including a redirected destination HTTP server request, wherein the redirected destination HTTP server request identifies a web address that corresponds to a login page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content different from the content requested by the HTTP server request comprises a customized portal page located at a portal page server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the portal page server is located within the network system, and wherein the portal page server is configured to transmit the user-customized portal page to the user device in response to a second HTTP server request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the network system to an alternate content server, an outgoing request based on the HTTP server request and on a determination that the user device is not authorized to access the server located external to the network system; and

receiving, at the network system, replacement content data from the alternate content server, the replacement content data being associated with the alternate content;

wherein the generated response data is based on the replacement content data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the alternate content server is located within the network system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content different from the content requested by the HTTP server request is content from a second server different from the server located external to the network system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second server is external to an access control device of the network system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the user device is entitled to access the server located external to the network system, wherein the response to the HTTP server request is sent based on a determination that the user device is not entitled to access the server located external to the network system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second HTTP request from the user device; and

determining whether to send a second response configured to cause the user device to receive second alternate content, the determination being based at least in part upon a MAC address associated with the user device.

11. A network access management system comprising:

at least one communications port configured to communicate on a network;

at least one processor configured to implement instructions contained in one or more modules;

a connection module configured to send connection handshake completion data to a user device in response to a connection request from the user device directed to a first device that is external to the network access management system, the connection handshake completion data configured to appear to be from the first device, wherein the network access management system need not communicate with the first device, the connection module further configured to process an incoming request for access to the first device; and

a redirection data generation module configured to generate response data customized for the incoming request for access to the first device, the response data including alternate content different from content requested by the incoming request, the redirection data generation module further configured to generate the response data to appear to be from the first device, wherein the response data appears to be from the first device at least in part by including a source address corresponding to the first device in a header of the response data;

wherein the connection module is further configured to send a response to the incoming request for access to the first device, the response comprising the generated response data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the alternate content comprises a portal page presented by a portal page server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the portal page server is internal to the network access management system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the response is configured to cause the user device to receive the alternate content by redirecting the user device to the portal page.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the alternate content comprises a redirection message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the alternate content is content from a second device different from the first device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second device is the network access management system.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection module is further configured to determine whether the user device should be redirected in response to a second incoming request from the user device, the determination being based at least in part on a MAC address received from the user device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection handshake completion data comprises Transmission Control Protocol handshake completion data.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the network access management system comprises multiple computing devices.