Method and system for directing user between captive and open domains

• US 9,654,412 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Datla, Raju, Avirneni, Srini
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US14/051,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A method for limiting user access to a captive domain or an open domain. The captive domain may include electronically accessible content that is selected/controlled by a service provider and the open domain may include electronically accessible content that is not completely selected/controlled by the service provider. The method may include configuring a modem or other user device in such a manner as to limit use access to the desired domain.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

permitting, by a computing device, communications from a user device to a captive domain and blocking communications from the user device to an open domain; and

subsequent to the permitting, forwarding, by the computing device, new communications from the user device to the open domain after a provisioning attribute configured to force access to the open domain via an open domain device and not via the computing device has been sent to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an activation of the provisioning attribute, forcing other communications from the user device to the open domain via the open domain device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding, by the computing device, the new communications from the user device to the open domain after the provisioning attribute has been sent to the user device is allowed prior to activating the provisioning attribute at the user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a captive domain server;

and wherein the permitting the communications from the user device to the captive domain and the blocking the communications from the user device to the open domain is performed by;

permitting, by the captive domain server, communications from the user device to access captive content specified by a service provider of the captive domain; and

blocking, by the captive domain server, communications from the user device to access open content of the open domain independent of the service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitting, by the computing device, the communications from the user device to the captive domain and the blocking communications from the user device to the open domain occurs during an activation process of services sent to the user device;

and

wherein the forwarding, by the computing device, the new communications from the user device to the open domain occurs after the activation process has been completed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a modem, the method further comprising:

activating the provisioning attribute if the modem is rebooted.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to a reboot of the user device, forcing, by the computing device, other communications from the user device to the open domain via the open domain device.

8. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a computing device to a captive domain device, a request to access a captive domain and a first request to access an open domain;

in response to the transmitting, receiving, by the computing device, captive content associated with the captive domain and not receiving open content associated with the open domain;

subsequent to the transmitting and the receiving, receiving, by the computing device, a provisioning attribute configured to force access to the open domain via an open domain device and not via the captive domain device; and

subsequent to the receiving the provisioning attribute, transmitting, from the computing device to the captive domain device, a second request to access the open domain.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to transmitting the second request to access the open domain, receiving, by the computing device and from the captive domain device, open content associated with the open domain.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

subsequent to the receiving the provisioning attribute, transmitting, from the computing device to the captive domain device, new requests to access the open domain.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

subsequent to an activation of the provisioning attribute by the computing device, forcing new requests to access the open domain to be sent to the open domain device rather than the captive domain device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting, from the computing device to the captive domain device, the second request to access the open domain is prior to activating the provisioning attribute by the computing device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

activating the provisioning attribute allowing the computing device to access the open domain via the open domain device and not via the captive domain device upon reboot of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

prior to the receiving the provisioning attribute, executing an activation process for services.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the provisioning attribute is one of a configuration file, a parameter setting, and an instruction.

16. A method comprising:

permitting, via a captive domain device, a user device to access a captive domain;

blocking, by the captive domain device, the user device from access to an open domain;

transmitting, from the captive domain device to the user device, a provisioning attribute configured to force the user device to access the open domain via an open domain device and not via the captive domain device; and

after the transmitting, using the captive domain device to forward communications from the user device to the open domain.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

authorizing the user device to access the open domain after an activation process of services at the user device has been completed.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein the provisioning attribute is configured to prevent the user device from accessing the open domain via the captive domain device upon activation of the provisioning attribute by the user device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the permitting, via the captive domain device, the user device to access the captive domain is performed by permitting the user device to access captive content of the captive domain specified by a service provider via the captive domain device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the user device is a modem and the provisioning attribute is configured to activate once the modem is rebooted to force the user device to access the open domain via the open domain device.