Methods, systems, and media for secure connection management and automatic compression over metered data connections

• US 9,253,160 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Lawson
• Original Assignee: Kent Lawson
• Inventors: Lawson, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Application Number:
  US14/657,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20150188889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, systems and media for facilitating compression over a metered data connection are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: detecting a new wireless network connection; determining that the new connection is metered; sending, via a proxy server, requests for content to a content server using the metered data connection; receiving, via the proxy server, content from the content server compressed by the proxy server using the metered data connection; detecting a second new wireless network connection; determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection; causing the proxy server to inhibit compression of content sent to the user device in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating compression over a metered data connection, the method comprising:

detecting, using a hardware processor of a user device, a first new wireless network connection;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the first new wireless network connection is a metered data connection;

sending, via a proxy server, one or more requests for content to at least one remote content server using the metered data connection in response to determining that the first new wireless connection is a metered data connection;

receiving, via the proxy server, content from the content server using the metered data connection, wherein the content is compressed by the proxy server;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection, indicating to a user that the first new wireless network connection is secure;

detecting, using the hardware processor of the user device, a second new wireless network connection;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the second new wireless network connection is a non-secure wireless connection;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

causing the proxy server to inhibit compression of content sent to the user device in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

causing, using the hardware processor of the user device, information sent by the user device over the second new wireless network connection to be encrypted in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

establishing, the hardware processor of the user device, a virtual private network connection between the user device and a virtual private network server using encrypted information sent over the second new wireless network connection in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

upon establishing the virtual private network connection, indicating, using the hardware processor of the user device, to the user that the second new wireless network connection is secure based on the virtual private network connection being established; and

receiving, using the hardware processor of the user device, content from the at least one remote content server over the second new wireless network connection as encrypted information from the virtual private network server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metered data connection is a cellular data connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server and the virtual private network server are the same computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the user device, via the proxy server, pushed content from a server, wherein the pushed content was sent by the server without a request for the content from the user device and wherein the pushed content is compressed in the one or more compression formats associated with the proxy server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first new wireless network connection is a metered data connection comprises receiving user input related to the first new wireless connection, and wherein the method further comprises determining based on the user input that the first new wireless connection is a metered connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, using the hardware processor of the user device, a third new wireless network connection;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the third new wireless network connection is the metered data connection;

determining, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the third new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

determining that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server; and

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection and that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server, discontinuing the virtual private network connection.

7. A system for facilitating compression over a metered data connection, the system comprising:

a hardware processor of a user device programmed to;

detect a first new wireless network connection;

determine that the first new wireless network connection is a metered data connection;

send, via a proxy server, one or more requests for content to at least one remote content server using the metered data connection in response to determining that the first new wireless connection is a metered data connection;

receive, via the proxy server, content from the content server using the metered data connection, wherein the content is compressed by the proxy server;

determine, using the hardware processor of the user device, that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection, indicate to a user that the first new wireless network connection is secure;

detect a second new wireless network connection;

determine that the second new wireless network connection is a non-secure wireless connection;

determine that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

cause the proxy server to inhibit compression of content sent to the user device in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

cause information sent by the user device over the second new wireless network connection to be encrypted in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

establish a virtual private network connection between the user device and a virtual private network server using encrypted information sent over the second new wireless network connection in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

upon establishing the virtual private network connection, indicate to the user that the second new wireless network connection is secure based on the virtual private network connection being established; and

receive content from the at least one remote content server over the second new wireless network connection as encrypted information from the virtual private network server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the metered data connection is a cellular data connection.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the proxy server and the virtual private network server are the same computing device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to receive at the user device, via the proxy server, pushed content from a server, wherein the pushed content was sent by the server without a request for the content from the user device and wherein the pushed content is compressed in the one or more compression formats associated with the proxy server.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:

receive user input related to the first new wireless connection; and

determine based on the user input that the first new wireless connection is a metered connection.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:

detect a third new wireless network connection;

determine that the third new wireless network connection is the metered data connection;

determine that the third new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

determine that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server; and

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection and that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server, discontinue the virtual private network connection.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user device, cause the processor to perform a method for facilitating compression over a metered data connection, the method comprising:

detecting a first new wireless network connection;

determining that the first new wireless network connection is a metered data connection;

sending, via a proxy server, one or more requests for content to at least one remote content server using the metered data connection in response to determining that the first new wireless connection is a metered data connection;

receiving, via the proxy server, content from the content server using the metered data connection, wherein the content is compressed by the proxy server;

determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection, indicating to a user that the first new wireless network connection is secure;

detecting a second new wireless network connection;

determining that the second new wireless network connection is a non-secure wireless connection;

determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

causing the proxy server to inhibit compression of content sent to the user device in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not a metered data connection;

causing information sent by the user device over the second new wireless network connection to be encrypted in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

establishing a virtual private network connection between the user device and a virtual private network server using encrypted information sent over the second new wireless network connection in response to determining that the second new wireless network connection is not secure;

upon establishing the virtual private network connection, indicating to the user that the second new wireless network connection is secure based on the virtual private network connection being established; and

receiving content from the at least one remote content server over the second new wireless network connection as encrypted information from the virtual private network server.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the metered data connection is a cellular data connection.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the proxy server and the virtual private network server are the same computing device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises receiving at the user device, via the proxy server, pushed content from a server, wherein the pushed content was sent by the server without a request for the content from the user device and wherein the pushed content is compressed in the one or more compression formats associated with the proxy server.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the first new wireless network connection is a metered data connection comprises receiving user input related to the first new wireless connection, and wherein the method further comprises determining based on the user input that the first new wireless connection is a metered connection.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a third new wireless network connection;

determining that the third new wireless network connection is the metered data connection;

determining that the third new wireless network connection is a secure connection;

determining that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server; and

upon determining that the first new wireless network connection is a secure connection and that the virtual private network connection is established with the virtual private network server, discontinuing the virtual private network connection.