Device-assisted services for protecting network capacity

• US 9,258,735 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Lavine, James, Raissinia, Alireza
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMUEL, DEWANDA A
• Application Number:
  US14/689,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/338, 370/342, 370/348, 370/339, 370/463
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1492 negotiation of tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• 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 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 : User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 : Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 : Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 : Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 : the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 : based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 : Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 : using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 : in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 : power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 : based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0257 : the individual bearer or channel having a maximum bit rate or a bit rate guarantee
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 : detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 : Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 : Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 : over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 : managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 : by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless end-user device has a wireless wide-area network (WWAN) modem. A network element securely provisions the device with a differential traffic control policy list that distinguishes how network traffic for at least one network type should be treated on a per-application basis. A user is also allowed, through an interface, to configure one or more aspects of how a differential traffic control policy is applied to applications. One or more device agents classify whether an application is interacting with a user in a user interface foreground of the device and whether data communication for Internet service activities is provided through the WWAN modem. Based on the network- and user-configured policy information and the classifications, a network stack agent determines whether to allow or disallow a given Internet access request. Some requests that may otherwise be disallowed are allowed when the WWAN modem is already active to serve another request.

Claims

1. A wireless end-user device, comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem to communicate data for Internet service activities between the device and at least one WWAN, when configured for and connected to the WWAN;

a non-transitory memory to store a configurable differential traffic control policy;

a service processor to implement

a policy agent configured to securely receive, from a network element, at least a portion of a differential traffic control policy list, the differential traffic control policy list distinguishing between a first one or more applications capable of execution on the device and a second one or more applications and/or services capable of execution on the device,

an interface to allow a user to configure one or more aspects of the differential traffic control policy for one or more of the first one or more applications,

one or more device agents to classify whether a particular application associated with a first Internet service access request, and capable of both

interacting with a user in a user interface foreground of the device, and

at least some Internet service activities when not interacting with a user in the device user interface foreground,

 

is interacting with the user in the device user interface foreground, and to classify whether data communication for Internet service activities is provided through the WWAN modem, and

a network stack agent to, based on the classification performed by the one or more device agents and based on whether the particular application is a member of the first one or more applications, disallow the first Internet service access request for the particular application

in a first classification state wherein the request is disallowed based on a match with a disallowed state specified at least in part by a user-configured aspect of the differential traffic control policy, and

in a second classification state comprising data communication for Internet service activities provided through the WWAN modem, the particular application not interacting with the user in the device user interface foreground, and the particular application being one of the first one or more applications,

 

but to allow the first service access request for the particular application in the second classification state during at least one time period based on the WWAN modem being active to serve a second Internet service access request from a different application and/or service.

2. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are configured to classify that the particular application is interacting with the user in the device user interface foreground when the user of the device is directly interacting with that application or perceiving any benefit from that application.

3. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are configured to classify that the particular application is interacting with the user in the device user interface foreground based on a state of user interface priority for the application.

4. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents are configured to classify that the particular application is not interacting with the user in the device user interface foreground when the application is providing or utilizing a background data service.

5. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is to provide the user of the device with information regarding why the differential traffic control policy is applied to the particular application.

6. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the differential traffic control policy is part of a multimode profile having different policies for different ones of a plurality of wireless network types supported by the device for data communication.

7. The wireless end-user device of claim 6, wherein the one or more device agents to classify whether data communication for Internet service activities is provided through the WWAN modem do so at least in part by classifying a wireless network type providing data communications for Internet service activities from among the plurality of wireless network types, and the policy agent is further configured to select a traffic control policy from the multimode profile based at least in part on the classified wireless network type.

8. The wireless end-user device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of wireless network types include at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) type as the wireless network type when data communication is provided via a WLAN modem on the device.

9. The wireless end-user device of claim 8, wherein the policy agent is further configured to, when the classified wireless network type is at least one type of WLAN, select a traffic control policy from the multimode profile based at least in part on a type of network connection from the WLAN to the Internet.

10. The wireless end-user device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of wireless network types include three or more of 2G WWAN, 3G WWAN, 4G WWAN, home WWAN, roaming WWAN, and WLAN.

11. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more device agents to classify whether data communication for Internet service activities is provided through the WWAN modem do so at least in part by classifying a wireless network type providing data communications for Internet service activities from among a plurality of wireless network types supported by the device for data communication.

12. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one WWAN comprises a home WWAN and a roaming WWAN, and wherein the second classification state comprises data communication for Internet service activities provided by the roaming WWAN, but not data communication for Internet service activities provided by the home WWAN.

13. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the policy agent further configured to query the network element to determine whether a given application capable of execution on the device is included in the differential traffic control policy list.

14. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the network stack agent is further to allow the first Internet service access request for the particular application in a third classification state comprising data communication for Internet service activities provided through the WWAN modem, the particular application not interacting with a user in the device user interface foreground, and the particular application is one of the second one or more applications and/or services.

15. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the network stack agent is further configured to dynamically change at least one policy application to allow or disallow the first Internet service access request based on a power state of the device.

16. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the network stack agent is further configured to dynamically change at least one policy application to allow or disallow the first Internet service access request based on a device usage state.

17. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the network stack agent is further configured to dynamically change at least one policy application to allow or disallow the first Internet service access request based on power control state changes for one or more of the modems.

18. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the network stack agent is operable to disallow the Internet service access request by intercepting open, connect, and/or write requests by the particular application to a network stack.

19. The wireless end-user device of claim 18, wherein the network stack agent is configured to respond to an intercepted request by the particular application by emulating network messaging.

20. The wireless end-user device of claim 19, wherein emulating network messaging comprises responding to a network request from the particular application by blocking the request from passing to a network stack and returning to the particular application a message indicating the network request was not successful.

21. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the second one or more applications and/or services are not subject to a differential network access control that is applicable to the first one or more applications.