Excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption data
First Claim
1. A method of managing content distribution, the method comprising:
- via content distribution hardware, performing operations of;
allocating a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery;
allocating a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery;
receiving first data packets, the first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user;
examining first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and
in accordance with the first classifier information, transmitting the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption-based data billing counts. This is useful for excluding traffic from consumption totals where the application traffic has been accounted for using other means, such as through billing as a separate or technically distinct service. In practice, a tablet computer (or other end user device) can run a video application that uses a high-speed data network via a cable modem. This video application may be included as part of a core video package associated with a distinct cable television service. The system then provides accurate consumption billing of customer traffic that is outside of any other managed services by creating separate logical data service flows at a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) for excluding specific traffic counts.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of managing content distribution, the method comprising:
via content distribution hardware, performing operations of; allocating a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery; allocating a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery; receiving first data packets, the first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user; examining first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and in accordance with the first classifier information, transmitting the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system comprising:
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computer processor hardware operable to manage content distribution; computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by the computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to; allocate a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery; allocate a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery; receive first data packets, the first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user; examine first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and in accordance with the first classifier information indicating the second data flow, transmit the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:
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allocate a first data flow of a communication link for transmission of data counted toward billable content delivery; allocate a second data flow of the communication link for transmission of data excluded from the billable content delivery; receive first data packets being transmitted from a first source and destined for delivery to a communication device operated by a user; examine first classifier information assigned to the first data packets, the first classifier information indicating to transmit the first data packets over the second data flow, the first data packets being assigned the first classifier information for distribution of the first data packets over the second data flow instead of the first data flow based at least in part that content in the first data packets is available from a second source, the second source being an alternative source from which the content is retrievable; and in accordance with the first classifier information indicating the second data flow, transmit the first data packets over the second data flow to the communication device.
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Specification