Wireless network service interfaces

• US 9,769,207 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Lavine, James, Raissinia, Alireza
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/703,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 370230, 370236, 455405, 455406, 455408, 4554141, 4554321, 705 261, 705300, 726 1, 726 5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A uniform wireless network service selection information exchange interface system is provided to facilitate a consistent user experience across multiple wireless networks that may have different service plan activation or service plan purchase processes. Network detection of service usage anomalies based on device-based data usage reports is provided to enable the network to determine whether an end-user device is likely operating in accordance with the established policy, or whether the end-user device may be operating fraudulently.

Claims

1. A mobile end-user device comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem to communicate data for Internet service activities between the device and selected WLAN access points, when configured for connection to, and connected to, a selected WLAN access point allowing such data communication;

a modem selection and control function configured to

select a current available WLAN access point reachable through the WLAN modem, and

connect the WLAN modem to the current available WLAN access point in an ambient access mode, the ambient access mode supporting automated device provisioning of secure service plan credentials and not supporting network access for general Internet service activities; and

one or more service processor agents configured to

request, from a wireless network service selection information exchange reachable via the current available WLAN access point in the ambient access mode, service selection information identifying service providers issuing service plan credentials that are accepted by an operator of the WLAN access point to authorize general Internet service activity network access through the WLAN access point,

receive, from the wireless network service selection information exchange in response to the request, service plan selection options for a plurality of service providers, including one or more service providers other than the WLAN access point operator,

automatically select at least one secure service plan credential stored on the device, the at least one secure service plan credential provisioned for use with a service provider selected from the selection options, the selected service provider not the WLAN access point operator, and

automatically supply, to a server granting access authorization to wireless devices for use of the WLAN access point for general Internet service activity network access, the selected at least one secure service plan credential, thereby allowing the modem selection and control function to connect the WLAN modem to the WLAN access point in a mode that allows general Internet service activity network access.

2. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a multimode profile memory configured to store a plurality of service profiles applicable to corresponding wireless network connections, each service profile including one or more network policy settings applicable to that service profile, the one or more service processor agents further configured to:

select a service profile from the multimode profiles, based on the selected service provider; and

while the device is connected to the WLAN access point in the mode that allows general Internet service activity network access, apply the selected service profile to limit network traffic for one or more Internet service activities attempting access to the Internet through the WLAN access point.

3. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem to communicate data for Internet service activities between the device and at least one WWAN access network, when connected to the at least one WWAN access network, the device accessing the WWAN access network using the selected at least one secure service plan credential.

4. The mobile end user device of claim 3, wherein the selected at least one secure service plan credential comprises a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID).

5. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one secure service plan credential comprises a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID).

6. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one secure service plan credential comprises a programmable embedded device descriptor information block.

7. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, the device storing the at least one secure service plan credential on a Subscriber Information Module inserted in the device.

8. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one secure service plan credential comprises at least one of a hardware secure device identifier, a secure signature, a security signature algorithm, and secure authorization information.

9. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one secure service plan credential comprises a token.

10. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more service processor agents are further configured to receive the selected at least one secure service plan credential through the ambient access mode connection to the WLAN access point, and automatically provision the device with the received credential.

11. The mobile end-user device of claim 10, wherein the one or more service processor agents are further configured to automatically associate the received credential with a correct activation action to be taken on the device.

12. The mobile end-user device of claim 10, wherein the one or more service processor agents are further configured to automatically associate the received credential with an activation function sequence to be taken with a network connection attempt using the received credential.

13. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the one or more service processor agents comprise an on-device service selection agent, the on-device service selection agent to display the service plan selection options on the user interface to a device user, and to register a user selection from among the displayed options as the selected service provider.

14. The mobile end-user device of claim 13, the on-device service selection agent further to, while the device is connected to the current available WLAN access point in the ambient access mode, communicate through the WLAN access point with a service plan provisioning and activation system associated with the selected service provider to assist the user in subscribing with the selected service provider.

15. The mobile end-user device of claim 14, the one or more service processor agents further configured to, after the user has subscribed with the selected service provider and while the device is connected to the current available WLAN access point in the ambient access mode, automatically receive at least one secure service plan credential from the service plan provisioning and activation system, and automatically securely provision that credential on the device.

16. The mobile end-user device of claim 15, the one or more service processor agents further configured to, upon automatically securely provisioning that credential on the device, initiate the automatic select and automatic supply of that credential to the server granting access authorization.

17. The mobile end-user device of claim 1, the secure service plan credentials stored on the device including secure service plan credentials provisioned for a second WLAN access point operator, such that, upon the modem selection and control function selecting as the current available WLAN access point a WLAN access point operated by the second WLAN access point operator, the one or more service processor agents to automatically select the stored credentials provisioned for the current available WLAN access point operator instead of the credentials provisioned for a service provider that is not the WLAN access point operator.

18. The mobile end-user device of claim 2, wherein apply the selected service profile to limit traffic for one or more Internet service activities comprises disallowing traffic based on an association of the traffic with at least one network communication end point reachable through the WLAN access point, but not disallowing traffic associated with all network communication endpoints reachable through the WLAN access point.

19. The mobile end-user device of claim 2, wherein apply the selected service profile to limit traffic for one or more Internet service activities comprises disallowing traffic based on an association of the traffic with at least one application that is executable on the device, but not disallowing traffic associated with all applications executable on the device to generate Internet traffic.

20. The mobile end-user device of claim 2, wherein apply the selected service profile to limit traffic for one or more Internet service activities comprises disallowing traffic based on the traffic being of at least one traffic content type, but not disallowing traffic of all traffic content types used by the mobile end-user device.