Hotspot communication limiter

• US 9,232,461 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CradlePoint Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: CradlePoint Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Sewall, Pat, Johnson, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US11/673,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,249 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 4554141-4144, 455/445, 709/229, 709/225, 709/226, 370/438, 370/439, 713153-154, 726 2- 15, 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An embodiment is directed to a method for limiting network communications. The method is implemented at a device through which communications can be routed between client devices and the internet. The method includes receiving a routable communication. A communication type for the routable communication is identified. The communication type may be owner, authorized, or anonymous. Access rules for the identified communication type are identified. The routing of the communication is limited according to the identified access rules.

Claims

1. A method for limiting network communications comprising:

receiving a routable data communication;

identifying a communication type for the routable data communication, the identifiable communication types including at least an owner communication type, an authorized communication type, and an anonymous communication type, wherein the identified communication type is an anonymous communication type;

identifying access rules for the identified communication type; and

limiting the routing of the data communication according to the identified access rules,

wherein the limiting the routing of the data communication includes allowing the data communication to be routed if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are allowed, and preventing the data communication from being routed and causing access data to be communicated to the source of the data communication if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are not allowed,

wherein the method is implemented at a networking device through which data communications are routed between multiple computing client devices and an external cellular data network to enable simultaneous data communication between the multiple computing client devices and the external cellular data network, and

wherein the networking device is connected to the external cellular data network wirelessly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein limiting comprises determining if routing the data communication to its intended destination will contravene the access rules and routing the data communication to its intended destination only if it is determined that the access rules will not be contravened.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying access rules comprises identifying one or more of a term limit, a simultaneous sessions limit, a simultaneous users limit, a session limit, a bandwidth limit, and a data transfer limit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining configuration data and wherein identifying access rules comprises parsing the configuration data to identify the access rules for the identified communication type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the networking device connects to the internet via a data exchanger and wherein obtaining comprises obtaining the configuration data from a service provider for the data exchanger.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data exchanger is a data capable cellular device and wherein obtaining comprises causing the data exchanger to establish a data connection with the service provider and receiving the configuration data from the service provider via the data connection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the data exchanger is incorporated within the networking device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing access data to be communicated comprises causing a user interface for entering payment information to be communicated to the source, the payment information to be communicated to a payment service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a verification response from the payment service and if the verification response verifies the payment information, identifying subsequent data communications from the source as authorized communications to be routed to their intended destinations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the verification response indicates that the payment information is verified, monitoring a session corresponding to the source of the data communication and communicating session data to the payment service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein access to the external cellular data network from the networking device is provided by a data capable cellular phone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication type for the routable data communication is identified within the limiter before routing the routable data communication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying access rules comprises identifying a simultaneous users limit.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for:

receiving a routable data communication from at least one of multiple computing client devices;

identifying a communication type for the routable data communication, the identifiable communication types including at least a first communication type, a second communication type, and a third communication type, wherein the identified communication type is an anonymous communication type;

identifying access rules for the identified communication type;

limiting the routing of the data communication according to the identified access rules, wherein the instructions for limiting the routing of the data communication include allowing the data communication to be routed if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are allowed, and preventing the data communication from being routed and causing access data to be communicated to the source of the data communication if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are not allowed; and

providing simultaneous data communication between the at least one computing client device and the internet and between at least another computing client device and the internet through a networking device and an external cellular data network that are wirelessly connected,

wherein the first communication type is an owner communication type,

wherein the second communication type is an authorized communication type, and

wherein the third communication type is an anonymous communication type.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for limiting include instructions for determining if routing the data communication to its intended destination will contravene the access rules and routing the data communication to its intended destination only if it is determined that the access rules will not be contravened.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, having further instructions for obtaining configuration data and wherein the instructions for identifying access rules include instructions for parsing the configuration data to identify the access rules for the identified communication type.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executed by a device through which data communications can be routed between computing client devices and the internet via a data exchanger and wherein the instructions for obtaining include instructions for obtaining the configuration data from a service provider for the data exchanger.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the data exchanger is a data capable cellular device and wherein the instructions for obtaining include instructions for causing the data exchanger to establish a data connection with the service provider and receiving the configuration data from the service provider via the data connection.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for causing access data to be communicated include instructions for causing a user interface for entering payment information to be communicated to the source, the payment information to be communicated to a payment service.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, having further instructions for receiving a verification response from the payment service and if the verification response verifies the payment information, identifying subsequent data communications from the source as authorized communications to be routed to their intended destinations.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, having further instructions for monitoring a session corresponding to the source of the data communication and communicating session data to the payment service if the verification response indicates that the payment information is verified.

22. A device for routing data communications between multiple computing client devices and the internet comprising:

a router operable to receive a routable data communication from multiple computing client devices and to route the data communication to an intended destination; and

a limiter operable to;

identify a communication type for the routable data communication within the limiter before the routable data communication is routed, the identifiable communication types including at least an owner communication type, an authorized communication type, and an anonymous communication type, wherein the identified communication type is an anonymous communication type;

identify access rules for the identified communication type; and

limit the routing of the data communication by the router according to the identified access rules, wherein the routing of the data communication is limited by allowing the data communication to be routed if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are allowed, and preventing the data communication from being routed and causing access data to be communicated to the source of the data communication if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are not allowed

wherein the device is configured to enable simultaneous cellular data wireless connections between the multiple computing client devices and the internet.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the limiter is operable to determine if routing the data communication to its intended destination will contravene the access rules and route the data communication to its intended destination only if it is determined that the access rules will not be contravened.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the limiter is operable to obtain configuration data and identify access by parsing the configuration data to identify the access rules for the identified communication type.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the device connects to the internet via a data exchanger and wherein the limiter is operable to obtain the configuration data from a service provider for the data exchanger.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein:

the data exchanger is a data capable cellular device;

the device comprises a connector operable to cause the data exchanger to establish a data connection with the service provider; and

the limiter is operable to obtain the configuration data from the service provider via the data connection.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the data exchanger is incorporated within the device.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the limiter is operable to cause access data to be communicated by causing a user interface for entering payment information to be communicated to the source, the payment information to be communicated to a payment service.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the limiter is operable to receive a verification response from the payment service and, if the verification response verifies the payment information, to identify subsequent data communications from the source as authorized communications to be routed to their intended destinations.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the limiter is operable to monitor a session corresponding to the source of the data communication and communicate session data to the payment service if the verification response indicates that the payment information is verified.

31. The device of claim 22, further comprising a data exchanger, the data exchanger comprising a data capable cellular device, and wherein the device for routing communications is configured to allow wireless connection to the internet through the data exchanger.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the data exchanger is incorporated within the networking device.

33. A method for limiting network communications, comprising:

receiving a first routable data communication;

identifying a communication type for the first routable data communication, the identifiable communication types including at least an owner communication type, an authorized communication type, and an anonymous communication type, wherein the identified communication type is an anonymous communication type;

identifying access rules for the identified communication type; and

limiting the routing of the first routable data communication according to the identified access rules, wherein the limiting the routing of the data communication includes allowing the data communication to be routed if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are allowed; and

preventing the data communication from being routed and causing access data to be communicated to the source of the data communication if the identified access rules indicate that anonymous communications are not allowed;

wherein the method is implemented in a networking device through which data communications are routed between multiple computing client devices and an external cellular data network to enable simultaneous data communication between the multiple computing client devices and the external cellular data network; and

wherein access to the external cellular data network from the networking device is provided wirelessly by a data capable cellular phone.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the identified communication type for the first routable data communication is of the anonymous communication type and further comprising allowing the anonymous communication.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising allowing network communication between a first computing client device and the external cellular data network through the networking device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the access rules comprise an access duration limit, a simultaneous sessions limit, a simultaneous users limit, a bandwidth limit, a bandwidth rate limit, or a data transfer limit.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first routable data communication is from the first computing client device and is routed to the external cellular data network, and further comprising receiving a second routable data communication, the second routable data communication being from the external cellular data network, and limiting the routing of the second routable data communication.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the communication type of the first routable data communication is the authorized communication type, and further comprising receiving a third routable data communication from a second computing client device, identifying a communication type for the third routable data communication, the communication type being of the owner communication type, and limiting the routing of the second routable data communication according to the identified access rules for the owner communication type, wherein the access rules for the authorized communication type are different than the access rules for the owner communication type.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising changing the access rules for the identified communication type.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the access rules are changed by a communication of the owner communication type.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein access to the external cellular data network is provided to the networking device by a service provider and wherein the access rules are changed by the service provider.