Method and system for wireless communication with machine-to-machine devices

• US 9,445,302 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semtech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Vos, Gustav Gerald, Damour, Nicolas, Clark, David Anthony, Launay, Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US14/106,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20140105009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• 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 28/0268 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

Approaches for managing machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless devices are disclosed. M2M wireless devices may be configured to utilize service classes in order to implement network access policy control. Packets generated by an application running on the wireless device are inspected, for example using Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Service class may be assigned based on patent contents such as payload, transport-layer criteria, or communication protocol in use. Service class assignment proceeds according to a rule set which may be remotely configurable. Packets may be buffered and their transmission may be deferred pending service class assignment. Spoofing of the intended recipient and/or the application may be performed while the packets are buffered and/or inspected.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to a wireless network by a wireless device, the method comprising:

a. accessing a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the wireless device;

b. accessing a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

c. upon receiving a request by an application running on the wireless device for accessing the wireless network, determining a service class associated with the application, and accessing the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class;

wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set; and

wherein allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets comprises allocating the service class based on payload contents of said data packets or a transport-layer criterion specified in the data packets or a link-layer criterion specified in the data packets or an application layer criterion specified in the data packets or a communication protocol used in the data packets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport-layer criterion is a USSD message, MO SMS bearer, SMS destination number, IP PDN connection identifier, destination IP address, or destination port number.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising remotely configuring the rule set via transmission of a configuration message to the wireless device, wherein the configuration message is transmitted via a broadcast channel or a unicast channel.

4. A method for managing access to a wireless network by a wireless device, the method comprising:

a. accessing a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the wireless device;

b. accessing a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

c. upon receiving a request by an application running on the wireless device for accessing the wireless network, determining a service class associated with the application, and accessing the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class; and

d. buffering at least some of the data packets within the wireless device, and refraining from transmitting said at least some of the data packets prior to determining the service class;

wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising communicating one or more response packets to the application in response to receipt of the data packets, said response packets generated within the wireless device and communicated internally within the wireless device prior to determining the service class.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, following determining the service class, communicating with an intended recipient of the data packets on behalf of the M2M device based on contents of the buffered data packets.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the buffered data packets are indicative of one or both of connect operations and send call operations.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising inhibiting the application from further generation of packets for a period prior to determining the service class.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising buffering at least some of the data packets within the wireless device and detecting an end of communication of said at least some data packets by detecting a pause in communication of said at least some data packets by the application, by detecting a port read operation performed by the application following communication of said at least some data packets, or both.

10. A method for managing access to a wireless network by a wireless device, the method comprising:

a. accessing a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the wireless device;

b. accessing a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

c. upon receiving a request by an application running on the wireless device for accessing the wireless network, determining a service class associated with the application, and accessing the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class; and

d. blocking at least some DNS queries, generated by the application, from being wirelessly transmitted;

wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set.

11. A wireless device comprising:

a. a memory comprising a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the M2M wireless device, and a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

b. a network access module configured to;

receive a request by an application running on the M2M wireless device for accessing the wireless network;

determine a service class associated with the application; and

access the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class, wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set;

wherein allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets comprises allocating the service class based on payload contents of said data packets or a transport-layer criterion specified in the data packets or a link-layer specified in the data packets or an application layer criterion specified in the data packets or a communication protocol used in the data packets.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the rule set is stored by the network access module and is remotely configurable via transmission of a configuration message to the wireless device, wherein the configuration message is transmitted via a broadcast channel or a unicast channel.

13. A wireless device comprising:

a. a memory comprising a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the M2M wireless device, and a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

b. a network access module configured to;

receive a request by an application running on the M2M wireless device for accessing the wireless network;

determine a service class associated with the application; and

access the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class, wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set;

wherein the network access module comprises a buffering module configured to buffer at least some of the data packets within the wireless device, and wherein the network access module is configured to refrain from transmitting said at least some of the data packets prior to determining the service class.

14. The wireless device according to claim 13, wherein the network access module comprises a server spoofing module configured to communicate one or more response packets to the application in response to receipt of the data packets, said response packets generated within the wireless device and communicated internally within the wireless device prior to determining the service class.

15. The wireless device according to claim 13, further comprising an application agency module configured, following determining the service class, to communicate with an intended recipient of the data packets on behalf of the M2M device based on contents of the buffered data packets.

16. The wireless device according to claim 13, wherein the buffering module is further configured to inhibit the application from further generation of packets for a period prior to determining the service class.

17. The wireless device according to claim 13, further comprising a buffering module configured to buffer at least some of the data packets within the wireless device and to detect an end of communication of said at least some data packets by detecting a pause in communication of said at least some data packets by the application, by detecting a port read operation performed by the application following communication of said at least some data packets, or both.

18. A non-transitory computer program product configured for managing access to a wireless network by a wireless device, the computer program product comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on an associated processor, is adapted to perform:

a. accessing a set of network access rules for potential use in governing network access operations performed by the wireless device;

b. accessing a set of service classes, wherein each service class is associated with a particular subset of the set of network access rules;

c. upon receiving a request by an application running on the wireless device for accessing the wireless network, determining a service class associated with the application, and accessing the network in accordance with the determined service class and the subset of network access rules associated with the determined service class,

wherein determining the service class comprises inspecting data packets transmitted by the application and allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets in accordance with a rule set;

wherein allocating the service class based on contents of said data packets comprises allocating the service class based on payload contents of said data packets or a transport-layer criterion specified in the data packets or a link-layer criterion specified in the data packets or an application layer criterion specified in the data packets or a communication protocol used in the data packets.