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

• US 8,606,917 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• 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, Joshua J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/659,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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 for granting access to a computer network, comprising:

receiving at an access controller a request to access the network from a source computer, the request including a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection request having a source IP address and a destination IP address;

determining by the access controller whether the source computer must login to access the network, including;

comparing the source IP address with profiles of authorized source devices, each profile including an IP address,

wherein if the source IP address is included in a profile of an authorized source device, the source device is granted access without further authorization, and

if the source IP address is not included in a profile associated with an authorized source device, then

determining whether the destination IP address is included in a plurality of destination IP addresses associated with the access controller, wherein if the destination IP address is included in the plurality of destination IP addresses, the source device is granted access without further authorization, and

if the destination IP address is not included in the plurality of destination IP addresses, then the access controller determines the source device must be authorized to access the network and provides the source device with a login page;

using the access controller to authenticate credentials provided from the source device via the login page; and

authorizing the source device access to the network if the provided credentials are authenticated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the source device with a login page comprises providing a portal page to the source device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the login page is provided following a presentation of the portal page to the source device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the access controller to authenticate credentials comprises using an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server to authenticate the credentials.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein authorizing access to the network occurs following successful authentication of the credentials against the AAA server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing access to the network occurs following successful authentication of the credentials against the locally defined list of authorized credentials.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of destination IP addresses includes web sites that are available if the source device is not authenticated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access controller is configured to access the network via a gateway device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the access controller comprises the gateway device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the access controller is in data communication with the gateway device.

11. A system for providing network access to a source device comprising:

an access controller configured to receive a request to access the network from the source device, the request including a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection request having a source IP address and a destination IP address, the access controller further configured to redirect the source device to a login page if it is determined that authentication is required prior to network access being granted, the authentication based on

comparing the source IP address with profiles of authorized source devices, each profile including an IP address, wherein if the source IP address is included in a profile of an authorized source device, the source device is granted access without further authorization, and

if the source IP address is not included in a profile associated with an authorized device, then

determining whether the destination IP address is included in a plurality of destination IP addresses associated with the access controller, wherein if the destination IP address is included in the plurality of destination IP addresses, the source device is granted access without further authorization, and

if the destination IP address is not included in the plurality of destination IP addresses, then the access controller authorizes network access to the computing device after authenticating user credentials received from the source device via the login page have been authenticated.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, wherein the authorization of network access to the source device occurs following successful authentication of the user credentials against the AAA server.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining whether the destination IP address is included in the plurality of destination IP addresses is omitted if the source IP address is included in the a profile of an authorized source device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of destination IP addresses includes web sites that are available if the source device is not authenticated.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the access controller is configured to access the network via a gateway device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the access controller comprises the gateway device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the access controller is in data communication with the gateway device.