Wireless gateway, network access, and management

• US 9,693,231 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bencheikh, Ahmed, Yeddala, Kiran R., Gunasekara, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/164,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A wireless gateway controls access through a communication portal to a shared communication link. By way of non-limiting example, the wireless gateway receives input (such as a passcode) from a user operating a communication device in a subscriber domain. The user provides the input to communicate through the communication portal or wireless gateway over the shared communication link. The wireless gateway maps the received input to corresponding access profile information stored in a repository of the wireless gateway hardware. The wireless gateway then provides the communication device access to a remote network over the shared communication link through the communication portal in a manner as specified by the corresponding access profile information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in wireless gateway hardware controlling access through a portal to a shared communication link, performing operations of;

receiving a unique usage code from a first user operating a first communication device, the unique usage code distributed to multiple users including the first user and a second user, the unique usage code assigned by a subscriber entity that subscribes to use of bandwidth in the shared communication link, the subscriber entity providing the unique usage code to the first user and the second user for access to a remote network through the portal over the shared communication link;

mapping the received unique usage code to corresponding access profile information associated with the wireless gateway hardware; and

providing the first communication device access to a remote network over the shared communication link through the wireless gateway hardware in a manner as specified by the corresponding access profile information.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user;

receiving the corresponding access profile information from an administrator of the subscriber entity managing the wireless gateway hardware, the subscriber entity paying a subscription fee to a service provider for use of the bandwidth in the shared communication link; and

initiating storage of the corresponding access profile information in a repository accessible to the wireless gateway hardware.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the network administrator of the subscriber entity initiates distribution of the unique usage code to the first user prior to the first user requesting access to the shared communication link through the portal.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user;

receiving the unique usage code from the network administrator of the subscriber entity; and

initiating storage of the unique usage code in the repository for subsequent distribution to the first user of the communication device.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user operating the first communication device;

producing a map mapping the unique usage code to the corresponding access profile information, the corresponding access profile information generated by the subscriber entity.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising:

in response to receiving the unique usage code from the first user operating the first communication device;

associating the unique usage code to a network address assigned to the first communication device; and

producing usage information tracking use of the first communication device receiving communications through the wireless gateway hardware from the shared communication link.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

producing the access profile information to indicate a less-than-all portion of the bandwidth that is available for use by the first user of the first communication device to receive the communications through the wireless gateway hardware from the remote network; and

limiting a flow of the communications through the wireless gateway hardware to the first communication device by an amount as indicated by the less-than-all portion of the bandwidth in the access profile information.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the wireless gateway hardware is a modem operable to:

i) receive encapsulated messages over the shared communication link directed to the first communication device, ii) derive communications from the encapsulated messages, and iii) forward the communications over a wireless communication link to the first communication device.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the wireless gateway hardware supports conveyance of the access profile information and the usage information as unencapsulated communications to a flow control manager located in the wireless gateway hardware, the flow control manager receiving the encapsulated messages over the shared communication link directed to the first communication device.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising:

via the flow control manager in the wireless gateway hardware;

obtaining the usage information associated with the first communication device, the usage information tracking a past history of the first communication device using the wireless gateway hardware to communicate through the portal to the shared communication link; and

restricting an upstream flow of communication from the first communication device through the portal to the shared communication link based at least in part on the obtained usage information and the corresponding access control information.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user, establishing a wireless communication link between the wireless gateway hardware and the first communication device; and

receiving the unique usage code over the established wireless communication link from the first communication device operated by the first user, the unique usage code received in response to the wireless gateway hardware prompting the first user to provide the unique usage code.

12. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving flow control management information over the shared communication link from a service provider that provides the wireless gateway hardware and that controls usage of the shared communication link through the portal, the flow control management information specifying the bandwidth in the shared communication link available for use by the wireless gateway hardware to communicate through the portal; and

receiving corresponding access control information from a network administrator of the subscriber entity that controls usage of the wireless gateway hardware amongst the multiple users, the organization paying a subscription fee to the service provider for use of the specified bandwidth.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the unique usage code is first input;

wherein the corresponding access control information is first access control information, the first access control information allocating a first portion of the specified bandwidth for use by the first user, the method further comprising;

receiving second access control information from a network administrator of the organization, the second access control information allocating a second portion of the specified bandwidth for use by the second user; and

storing the second access profile information in the repository accessible by the wireless gateway hardware.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

receiving second input, the second input received from the second user operating the second communication device, the second input being the unique usage code assigned to the second user, the second user providing the unique usage code to communicate through the portal over the shared communication link;

mapping the unique usage code to the second access profile information associated with the wireless gateway hardware; and

in a manner as specified by the second access profile information, providing the second communication device access to the remote network over the shared communication link through the portal.

15. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining usage information associated with the first communication device, the usage information tracking a past history of the first communication device using the wireless gateway hardware to communicate through the portal to the shared communication link; and

restricting a flow of communication from the first communication device through the portal to the shared communication link based at least in part on the obtained usage information and the corresponding access control information assigned to the unique usage code.

16. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user;

receiving the corresponding access profile information from an administrator of the subscriber entity managing the wireless gateway hardware, the subscriber entity paying a subscription fee to a service provider for use of the bandwidth in the shared communication link, the bandwidth being a limited bandwidth provided by the service provider to the subscriber entity for further sub-allocation by the subscriber entity to the multiple users including the first user, the subscriber entity allocating different portions of the limited bandwidth to the multiple users via multiple different unique usage codes and corresponding access profile information.

17. The method as in claim 16 further comprising:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user;

producing the corresponding access profile information to indicate a less-than-all portion of the limited bandwidth allocated for use by the first user, the less-than-all portion of the limited bandwidth available for use by the first user of the first communication device to receive the communications through the wireless gateway hardware from the remote network; and

limiting a flow of the communications through the wireless gateway hardware to the first communication device by an amount as indicated by the less-than-all portion of the bandwidth in the access profile information.

18. The method as in claim 1, wherein the subscriber entity subscribes to network access services provided by a service provider that provides the subscriber entity use of the wireless gateway hardware and shared communication link, the bandwidth in the shared communication link being a limited bandwidth provided to the subscriber entity by the service provider, the subscriber entity providing a respective unique usage code to each of multiple users to limit the multiple users to using different less-than-all portions of the limited bandwidth, the wireless gateway hardware enforcing the different less-than-all portions of limited bandwidth depending on the unique usage codes provided by the multiple users.

19. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the unique usage code from a second communication device operated by the second user;

mapping the received unique usage code to the corresponding access profile information associated with the wireless gateway hardware; and

providing the second communication device access to the remote network over the shared communication link through the portal as specified by the corresponding access profile information.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

tracking historical usage of the first communication device accessing the remote network through the wireless gateway hardware via use of the unique usage code; and

limiting the first communication device access to the remote network as indicated by the corresponding access profile information in view of the tracked historical usage by the first communication device.

21. The method as in claim 20 further comprising:

tracking historical usage of the second communication device accessing the remote network through the wireless gateway hardware via use of the unique usage code; and

limiting the second communication device access to the remote network as indicated by the corresponding access profile information in view of the tracked historical usage by the second communication device.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the subscriber entity subscribes to network access services provided by a service provider that provides the subscriber entity use of the wireless gateway hardware and the shared communication link, the bandwidth in the shared communication link being a limited bandwidth provided to the subscriber entity by the service provider, the subscriber entity providing the unique usage code to the first user and the second user to limit the multiple users to using different less-than-all portions of the limited bandwidth, the wireless gateway hardware enforcing the different less-than-all portions of limited bandwidth depending on the unique usage code provided by the multiple users.

23. The method as in claim 19, wherein the unique usage code is a first unique usage code;

and

wherein the subscriber entity assigns a second unique usage code to a third user, the second unique usage code providing the third user access to the remote network through the portal over the shared communication link.

24. The method as in claim 23, wherein the corresponding access profile information associated with the first unique usage code is first corresponding access profile information, the method further comprising:

receiving the second unique usage code from a third communication device, the third communication device operated by the third user;

mapping the received second unique usage code to second corresponding access profile information associated with the wireless gateway hardware; and

providing the third communication device access to the remote network over the shared communication link through the portal in a manner as specified by the second access profile information, the second access profile information different than the first access profile information.

25. A system comprising:

computer processor hardware; and

a hardware storage resource coupled to communicate with the computer processor hardware, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to perform operations of;

distributing a unique usage code to multiple users including a first user and a second user;

receiving the unique usage code from the first user operating a first communication device, the first user providing the unique usage code to communicate through a portal over the shared communication link;

mapping the unique usage code to corresponding access profile information; and

via a flow control manager, providing the first communication device access to a remote network over the shared communication link through the portal in a manner as specified by the corresponding access profile information.

26. The computer system as in claim 25, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

prior to receiving the input;

receiving the corresponding access profile information from an administrator of an organization managing the wireless gateway hardware, the organization paying a subscription fee to a service provider for use of the shared communication link through the portal; and

initiating storage of the corresponding access profile information in a repository of the wireless gateway hardware.

27. The computer system as in claim 26, wherein the unique usage code is a unique identifier value, the network administrator of the organization distributing the unique usage code to the user prior to the user requesting access to the shared communication link through the portal;

wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of;

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user operating the first communication device;

receiving the unique usage code from the network administrator; and

initiating storage of the unique usage code in the repository.

28. The computer system as in claim 26, wherein the network administrator produces the corresponding access profile information to control communications through the portal over the shared communication link, the remote network being the Internet.

29. The computer system as in claim 25, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

prior to receiving the unique usage code from the first user operating the first communication device, establishing a wireless communication link between the wireless gateway hardware and the communication device; and

receiving the unique usage code over the established wireless communication link from the first communication device operated by the first user, the unique usage code received in response to the wireless gateway hardware prompting the first user to provide the unique usage code.

30. The computer system as in claim 25, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

receiving flow control management information over the shared communication link from a service provider that provides the wireless gateway hardware and controls usage of the shared communication link through the portal, the flow control management information specifying bandwidth available for use by the wireless gateway hardware to communicate through the portal; and

receiving corresponding access control information from a network administrator of an organization that controls usage of the wireless gateway hardware amongst multiple users, the organization paying a subscription fee to the service provider for use of the specified bandwidth.

31. The computer system as in claim 30, wherein the unique usage code is a first unique usage code;

wherein the corresponding access control information is first access control information associated with use of the first unique usage code, the first access control information allocating a first portion of the specified bandwidth for use by the first user, the computer processor hardware further performing operations of;

receiving second access control information from the network administrator of the organization, the second access control information allocating a second portion of the specified bandwidth for use by a third user assigned use of a second unique usage code different than the first unique usage code; and

storing the second access profile information in the repository;

receiving the second unique usage code, the second unique usage code received from a third second user operating a respective communication device, the third user providing the second unique usage code to communicate through the portal over the shared communication link;

mapping the second unique usage code to the second access profile information stored in the repository; and

in a manner as specified by the second access profile information, providing the respective communication device access to the remote network over the shared communication link through the portal.

32. Computer-readable hardware storage having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

receive a unique usage code from a first user operating a first communication device, the unique usage code distributed to multiple users including the first user and a second user, the unique usage code assigned by a subscriber entity that subscribes to use of bandwidth in a shared communication link, the subscriber entity providing the unique usage code to the first user and the second user for access to a remote network through a portal over the shared communication link;

map the received unique usage code to corresponding access profile information associated with the wireless gateway hardware; and

provide the first communication device access to a remote network over the shared communication link through the wireless gateway hardware in a manner as specified by the corresponding access profile information.