Network Based Ambient Services

• US 20130006729A1
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 : Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• 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 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• 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 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, a network device implements a service profile for assisting control of a communications device use of a service on a network, in which the service profile includes service policy settings, and the service profile is associated with an ambient service plan for the communications device that provides for initial access to the service with limited service capabilities prior to activation of a new service plan for the communications device; and monitors use of the service by the communications device based on the service profile.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring traffic associated with an end-user device communicatively coupled to a wireless access network, the traffic comprising one or more data transfers associated with one or more available service activities, the wireless access network operated by a network operator;

identifying data transfers associated with a particular service activity of the one or more available service activities within the traffic, the data transfers associated with the particular service activity comprising one or more communications with one or more network end points, at least one of the one or more network end points being outside of the wireless access network and operated on behalf of one or more entities other than the network operator;

obtaining an offset based on a use of the wireless access network for the data transfers associated with the particular service activity; and

is allocating at least a portion of the offset to a paying entity account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is associated with a particular application on the end-user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the particular service activity within the traffic comprises detecting an application-layer traffic activity associated with the particular application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is associated with a particular network end point of the one or more of network end points.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity comprises a particular content type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular service activity within the traffic comprises detecting one or more of an address, a website, a uniform resource locator (URL), a domain, a wireless application protocol (WAP) site, and a portal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular service activity within the traffic comprises detecting a tag within the traffic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular service activity within the traffic comprises detecting a header, a token, or a cookie within the traffic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular service activity within the traffic comprises performing a packet inspection on at least a portion of the traffic.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the paying entity account is associated with a user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the paying entity account is associated with a service sponsor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the service sponsor is a network operator partner, and at least one of the one or more network end points is operated on behalf of the network operator partner.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is within an ambient service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the ambient service is associated with a particular network end point of the one or more network end points, the particular network end point operated by or on behalf of a service sponsor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the offset and an identity of a paying entity associated with the paying entity account are dependent on a type of the wireless access network.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information to the end-user device over a secure service control link, the information configured to assist in causing a user interface of the end-user device to present a notification, the secure service control link secured by an encryption protocol and configured to support control-plane communications with the end-user device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a service usage report associated with the particular service activity.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the offset comprises a service usage amount, a revenue share, a transaction, a fixed fee for service, a service bundle, or a combination of these.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the offset provides for a user incentive, a free trial of a service, a discounted service to the user as a reward for user behavior, or a combination of these.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a device credential associated with the end-user device, and

establishing the paying entity account based at least in part on the device credential.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a device credential associated with the end-user device, and

identifying the traffic associated with the end-user device based at least in part on the device credential.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating at least a portion of the offset to the paying entity account comprises applying a bill-by-account policy.

23. A system comprising:

a communication interface for enabling the system to communicate with an end-user device over a wireless access network, the wireless access network operated by a network operator; and

one or more network elements communicatively coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

monitor data traffic associated with the end-user device, the data traffic comprising one or more data transfers associated with one or more available service activities,

identify data transfers associated with a particular service activity of the one or more available service activities within the data traffic, the data transfers associated with the particular service activity comprising one or more communications with one or more network end points, at least one of the one or more network end points being outside of the wireless access network and operated on behalf of one or more entities other than the network operator,

obtain an offset based on a use of the wireless access network for the data transfers associated with the particular service activity, and

allocate at least a portion of the offset to a paying entity account.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a service design interface configured to assist an entity in configuring an aspect of a policy associated with the particular service activity.

25. A system comprising:

means for monitoring traffic associated with an end-user device communicatively coupled to a wireless access network, the traffic comprising one or more data transfers associated with one or more available service activities, the wireless access network operated by a network operator;

means for identifying data transfers associated with a particular service activity of the one or more available service activities within the traffic, the data transfers associated with the particular service activity comprising one or more communications with one or more network end points, at least one of the one or more network end points being outside of the wireless access network and operated on behalf of one or more entities other than the network operator;

means for obtaining an offset based on a use of the wireless access network for the data transfers associated with the particular service activity; and

means for allocating at least a portion of the offset to a paying entity account.