Clientless method for context driven wireless interactions

• US 9,191,777 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Airsense Wireless Limited
• Inventors: Thomas, Edward R., Thompson, David P., Briancon, Alain C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Ashish K
• Application Number:
  US14/161,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device

Abstract

Described herein are methods and apparatuses for the provision and management of value added services without a requirement for specific client software on a wireless receive/transmit unit (WRTU). The methods and apparatuses described may be applied to wireless networks supporting HTTP transfers without disrupting the wireless network configuration. In the embodiments described herein, a web request may be received by a Service Management Entity (SME) that may be located in an access point (AP) from a WRTU. The SME may transmit a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file to the WRTU. This PAC file may include a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a Service Delivery Entity (SDE), and the URL chosen may be based on rules associated with a location of the WRTU. The SDE may then receive a second web request from the WRTU and respond by transmitting a message to the WRTU such as a transaction trigger.

Claims

1. A method for providing services to a wireless receive/transmit unit (WRTU), the method comprising:

receiving, by a service management entity (SME) located in an access point (AP), a first web request from the WRTU;

transmitting, by the SME, a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file to the WRTU, wherein the PAC file includes a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a service delivery entity (SDE) based on rules associated with a location of the WRTU to enable trapping by the SDE of subsequent web requests from the WRTU;

receiving, by the SDE, a second web request from the WRTU;

determining, by the SDE, information associated with a transaction to transmit to the WRTU based on the location of the WRTU; and

transmitting, by the SDE, the information associated with the transaction to the WRTU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first web request is a PAC file request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the AP is SSID dependent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the AP is IP dependent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the SME is a RADIUS server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the SDE is a RADIUS server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the SDE, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of AP controllers to be managed by the SME in an internal registry.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

granting, by the SME, permission by the SDE to transmit messages.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is an incentive offer.

9. A server configured to provide services to a wireless receive/transmit unit (WRTU), the server comprising:

a service management entity (SME) configured to receive a first web request from the WRTU;

the SME further configured to transmit a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file to the WRTU, wherein the PAC file includes a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a service delivery entity (SDE) based on rules associated with a location of the WRTU to enable trapping by the SDE of subsequent web requests from the WRTU;

the SDE configured to receive a second web request from the WRTU; and

the SDE configured to determine information associated with a transaction to transmit to the WRTU based on the location of the WRTU; and

the SDE further configured to transmit the information associated with the transaction to the WRTU.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the first web request is a PAC file request.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the SDE is a RADIUS server.

12. The server of claim 9, further comprising:

The SME further configured to transmit Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of access point (AP) controllers to be managed in an internal registry.

19. The server of claim 9, wherein the transaction is an incentive offer.

13. A wireless receive/transmit unit (WRTU) configured to receive services from a network, the WRTU comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a first web request to a service management entity (SME);

a receiver configured to receive a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file from the SME, wherein the PAC file includes a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a service delivery entity (SDE) based on rules associated with a location of the WRTU to enable trapping by the SDE of subsequent web requests from the WRTU;

the transmitter further configured to transmit a second web request to the URL associated with the SDE; and

the receiver further configured to receive information associated with a transaction from the SDE, wherein the information associated with the transaction is determined to be transmitted based on the location of the WRTU.

14. The WRTU of claim 13, wherein the first web request is a PAC file request.

15. The WRTU of claim 13, wherein the SME is a RADIUS server.

16. The WRTU of claim 13, wherein the SDE is a RADIUS server.

17. The WRTU of claim 13, wherein the WRTU is a smartphone.

20. The WRTU of claim 13, wherein the transaction is an incentive offer.