Network user usage profiling

• US 8,201,220 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M., Elcan, Amie, Butala, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US12/342,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3- 5
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/507 Filtering out customers affected by service problems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and software are disclosed for generating a network usage profile. Certain embodiments of the network usage profile include a devices-by-node profile, indicating the set of customer devices available for use in communicating with a customer-side network node located at a customer side of an access network over a period of time, where some of the customer devices are not in operative communication with the customer-side network node during a portion of that time. Other embodiments associate the network usage profile with customer information to generate device-by-customer profiles. Still other embodiments associate the network usage profile with network traffic information to generate traffic-by-device profiles. Even other embodiments associate the multiple sources and types of information to generate traffic-by-customer profiles and/or traffic-by-device-by-customer profiles. Any of the profiles may then be accessed by one or more parties for use in affecting various network services, including targeting content delivery.

Claims

1. A method for generating a network usage profile comprising:

receiving device data from a set of active devices currently in operative communication with a customer-side network node, wherein the device data is received at a subscriber location;

processing the device data to determine an active devices profile comprising a device type for each of the set of active devices wherein the device data is processed at the subscriber location;

receiving a timestamp temporally relating to the device data received in the receiving device data step;

receiving a node identifier identifying the customer-side network node;

associating the timestamp and the node identifier with the active devices profile to generate a current devices-by-node record, the current devices-by-node record defining the set of active devices communicatively coupled with the customer-side network node identified by the node identifier at the time identified by the timestamp;

logging the current devices-by-node record in a devices-by-node log, the devices-by-node log comprising a plurality of devices-by-node records generated over a time duration;

analyzing the devices-by-node log to generate a devices-by-node profile as a function of the plurality of devices-by-node records generated over at least a portion of the time duration, the devices-by-node profile defining at least an estimation of a set of customer devices available for use in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration, wherein the network usage profile comprises the devices-by-node profile;

receiving a network traffic profile comprising traffic information relating to network traffic being communicated over at least a portion of an access network; and

associating the network traffic profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a traffic-by-device profile, the traffic-by-device profile defining at least a portion of the network traffic attributable to at least a portion of the set of customer devices in operative communication with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration, wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device profile;

receiving at least a portion of the network traffic being communicated over the at least a portion of the access network;

filtering the received network traffic to generate a sample dataset; and

processing the sample dataset to generate the traffic information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the device data to determine a device type for each of the set of active devices comprises:

parsing a device type indicator from at least one of a browser type, a user-agent, or a data protocol, the device type indicator being parsed from the device data; and

estimating the device type as a function of the browser type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices-by-node profile further defines a set of data handling capabilities for each of the set of customer devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the devices-by-node profile such that the at least one of the set of active devices is capable of handling the content according to the set of data handling capabilities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a customer account profile comprising account information relating to a customer associated with the customer-side network node; and

associating the customer account profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a devices-by-customer profile, the devices-by-customer profile defining the set of customer devices available for use by the customer in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the devices-by-customer profile.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the devices-by-customer profile such that the customer is entitled to receive the content according to the account information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the devices-by-customer profile such that;

the customer is entitled to receive the content according to the account information; and

the at least one of the set of active devices is capable of handling the content according to a set of data handling capabilities defined by the devices-by-node profile for each of the set of active devices.

8. The method of claim 5,

wherein at least a portion of the account information is received using an authentication, authorization, and accounting server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network traffic profile further comprises a network characteristic defining a traffic-related characteristic of the access network.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the network characteristic defines at least one of a bandwidth measurement or a bandwidth estimation of at least a portion of the access network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the traffic-by-device profile such that the access network is capable of handling the content according to the network traffic profile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the network traffic is received using deep packet inspection.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a customer account profile comprising account information relating to a customer associated with the customer-side network node;

receiving a network traffic profile comprising traffic information relating to network traffic being communicated over at least a portion of the access network; and

associating the customer account profile and the network traffic profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a traffic-by-device-by-customer profile, the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile defining at least a portion of the network traffic attributable to at least a portion of the set of customer devices available for use by the customer in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile such that;

the customer is entitled to receive the content according to the account information;

the at least one of the set of active devices is capable of handling the content according to a set of data handling capabilities defined by the devices-by-node profile for each of the set of active devices; and

the access network is capable of handling the content according to the network traffic profile.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

culling device information from the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile to generate a traffic-by-customer profile, the traffic-by-customer profile defining at least a portion of the network traffic attributable the customer associated with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting party for a requested portion of the network usage profile, the network usage profile being one of a plurality of network usage profiles stored in a network usage profile store;

determining whether the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion of the network usage profile; and

only when the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion of the network usage profile;

executing a query against the network usage profile store as a function of the request;

retrieving results data relating to at least some of the requested portion of the network usage profile as a function of the executed query; and

reporting the results data to the requesting party.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

authenticating the requesting party prior to receiving the request.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

when the requesting party lacks access rights to the requested portion of the network characteristic data, reporting, to the requesting party, data relating to the lack of access to the requested portion of the network characteristic data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving content from the requesting party targeted to at least one of the set of active devices at least partially as a function of the results data.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

logging information relating to the request.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

executing an administrative task at least partially as a function of the results data, the administrative task relating to at least one of tracking, billing, network load balancing, or security.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

formulating the request as a function of an alarm condition such that the retrieved results indicate whether the alarm condition has occurred; and

triggering an alarm when the retrieved results indicate that the alarm condition has occurred.

23. The method of claim 16,

wherein the request is automatically and periodically formulated as a function of a predefined auditing program.

24. The method of claim 16,

wherein the requesting party is a service provider providing network service to the customer-side network node over the access network.

25. The method of claim 1,

wherein the timestamp defines a time at which at least a portion of the device data is received.

26. The method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the timestamp or the node identifier is received as part of the device data.

27. A network usage profile handling system comprising:

a node data aggregator module adapted to generate a set of current devices-by-node records, each of the set of current devices-by-node records being associated with a respective customer-side network node and generated by;

receiving device data from a set of active devices currently in operative communication with the respective customer-side network node wherein the device data is received at a subscriber location;

processing the device data to determine an active devices profile comprising a device type for each of the set of active devices currently in operative communication with the respective customer-side network node wherein the device data is processed at a subscriber location;

receiving a timestamp temporally relating to the device data;

receiving a node identifier identifying the respective customer-side network node; and

associating the timestamp and the node identifier with the active devices profile to generate a current devices-by-node record, defining the set of active devices in operative communication with the respective customer-side network node identified by the node identifier at the time identified by the timestamp;

a usage profile data store, adapted to store a devices-by-node log comprising a plurality of devices-by-node records generated over a time duration, the set of current devices-by-node records being some of the plurality of devices-by-node records; and

a usage profile module, communicatively coupled with the usage profile data store and adapted to generate a network usage profile by analyzing the devices-by-node log to generate devices-by-node profiles for each of the plurality of customer-side network nodes as a function of the plurality of devices-by-node records generated over at least a portion of the time duration, the devices-by-node profiles defining at least an estimation of a set of customer devices available for use in communicating with each of the customer-side network nodes during the at least a portion of the time duration, wherein the network usage profile comprises the devices-by-node profiles;

a network traffic aggregator module, adapted to generate aggregated network traffic data by aggregating at least a portion of network traffic being communicated over an access network associated with a selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes,

wherein the usage profile module is communicatively coupled with the network traffic aggregator module and is further adapted to generate a traffic-by-device profile by;

determining, as a function of the devices-by-node profile associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes, the set of active devices in communication with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes; and

determining, for each one of the set of active devices, the respective portion of the aggregated network traffic data attributable to the respective one of the set of active devices, wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device profile;

wherein the network traffic aggregator module further comprises a network traffic pre-filter, adapted to;

receive at least a portion of the network traffic being communicated over the at least a portion of the access network;

filter the received network traffic to generate a sample dataset; and

process the sample dataset to generate the aggregated network traffic data.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a plurality of device data aggregator modules, each communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes and adapted to receive device data from the set of active devices in operative communication with the at least one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a device type data store adapted to store a set of device characteristics in relation to each of a set of device types,

wherein the usage profile module is communicatively coupled with the device type data store and is further adapted to;

analyze the devices-by-node profiles to determine at least one of the set of device characteristics for each of the set of active devices; and

determine a device type associated with each of the set of active devices as a function of the at least one of the set of device characteristics.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the usage profile module is further adapted to:

generate a set of device profiles, each of the set of device profiles being associated with each of the set of active devices as a function of the device type associated with each of the set of active devices, the device profile comprising a set of data handling capabilities associated with each of the set of active devices,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the set of device profiles.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a customer data store adapted to store a plurality of customer account profiles, each customer account profile being associated with at least one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes and comprising account information relating to the customer associated with the at least one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes,

wherein the usage profile module is communicatively coupled with the customer data store and is further adapted to generate a devices-by-customer profile by;

determining the node identifier identifying the customer-side network node associated with a selected one of the devices-by-node profiles;

determining, from the plurality of customer account profiles, a selected customer account profile associated with the node identifier; and

associating the selected devices-by-node profile with the selected customer account profile.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a deep packet inspection (DPI) module comprising the network traffic aggregator module.

33. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a customer data store adapted to store a customer account profile associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes and comprising account information relating to a selected customer associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes, wherein the network traffic aggregator module is communicatively coupled with the customer data store and is further adapted to generate a traffic-by-customer profile by;

determining the selected customer associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes; and

associating the aggregated network traffic data with the selected customer, wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-customer profile.

34. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a customer data store adapted to store a customer account profile associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes and comprising account information relating to a selected customer associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes, wherein the usage profile module is communicatively coupled with the customer data store and the network traffic aggregator module and is further adapted to generate a traffic-by-device-by-customer profile by;

determining the selected customer associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes;

determining, as a function of the devices-by-node profile associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes, the set of active devices in communication with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes;

associating, with each one of the set of active devices, the respective portion of the aggregated network traffic data attributable to the respective one of the set of active devices; and

associating the selected customer with each respective portion of the aggregated network traffic data associated with each one of the set of active devices, wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a provider-side network node communicatively coupled with each of the plurality of customer-side network nodes over their respective access networks, the provider-side network node being affiliated with the network service provider and communicatively coupled with at least one of the node data aggregator module, the usage profile data store, the usage profile module, the device type data store, the customer data store, or the network traffic aggregator module.

36. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a request processing module, adapted to;

receive a request from a requesting party for a requested portion of one of the plurality of network usage profiles;

determine whether the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion; and

only when the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion;

execute a query against at least the one of the plurality of network usage profiles;

retrieve results data relating to at least some of the requested portion as a function of the executed query; and

report the results data to the requesting party.

37. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a content targeting module, adapted to;

receive content from a content provider;

receive a content targeting parameter from the content provider; and

target the content to at least one of the set of active devices associated with at least one of the plurality of network usage profiles as a function of the targeting parameter.

38. The system of claim 37,

wherein the content comprises advertising content and the content targeting parameter defines a target audience for the advertising content.

39. The system of claim 37,

wherein the content provider is the network service provider.

40. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a network tester module, adapted to generate a network traffic profile for a selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes by inspecting at least a portion of network traffic being communicated over at least a portion of the access network associated with the selected one of the plurality of customer-side network nodes, the network traffic profile defining a traffic handling capability of the at least a portion of the access network,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the network traffic profile.

41. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

an automatic configuration server (ACS) comprising the node data aggregator module.

42. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server adapted to receive the node identifier.

43. An apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein including instructions for the following:

receiving device data from a set of active devices currently in operative communication with the customer-side network node wherein the device data is received at a subscriber location;

processing the device data to determine an active devices profile comprising a device type for each of the set of active devices wherein the device data is processed at a subscriber location;

receiving a timestamp temporally relating to the device data received in the receiving device data step;

receiving a node identifier identifying the customer-side network node;

associating the timestamp and the node identifier with the active devices profile to generate a current devices-by-node record, the current devices-by-node record defining the set of active devices communicatively coupled with the customer-side network node identified by the node identifier at the time identified by the timestamp;

logging the current devices-by-node record in a devices-by-node log, the devices-by-node log comprising a plurality of devices-by-node records generated over a time duration; and

analyzing the devices-by-node log to generate a devices-by-node profile as a function of the plurality of devices-by-node records generated over at least a portion of the time duration, the devices-by-node profile defining at least an estimation of a set of customer devices available for use in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration, wherein a network usage profile comprises the devices-by-node profile;

receiving a network traffic profile comprising traffic information relating to network traffic being communicated over at least a portion of an access network; and

associating the network traffic profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a traffic-by-device profile, the traffic-by-device profile defining at least a portion of the network traffic attributable to at least a portion of the set of customer devices in operative communication with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration, wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device profile;

receiving at least a portion of the network traffic being communicated over the at least a portion of the access network;

filtering the received network traffic to generate a sample dataset; and

processing the sample dataset to generate the traffic information.

44. The computational system of claim 43, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions further in accordance with:

receiving a customer account profile comprising account information relating to a customer associated with the customer-side network node; and

associating the customer account profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a devices-by-customer profile, the devices-by-customer profile defining the set of customer devices available for use by the customer in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the devices-by-customer profile.

45. The computational system of claim 43, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions further in accordance with:

receiving a customer account profile comprising account information relating to a customer associated with the customer-side network node;

receiving a network traffic profile comprising traffic information relating to network traffic being communicated over at least a portion of the access network; and

associating the customer account profile and the network traffic profile with the devices-by-node profile to generate a traffic-by-device-by-customer profile, the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile defining at least a portion of the network traffic attributable to at least a portion of the set of customer devices available for use by the customer in communicating with the customer-side network node during the at least a portion of the time duration,

wherein the network usage profile further comprises the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile.

46. The computational system of claim 45, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions further in accordance with:

targeting content over the access network to at least one of the set of active devices as a function of the traffic-by-device-by-customer profile such that;

the customer is entitled to receive the content according to the account information;

the at least one of the set of active devices is capable of handling the content according to a set of data handling capabilities defined by the devices-by-node profile for each of the set of active devices; and

the access network is capable of handling the content according to the network traffic profile.

47. The computational system of claim 43, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions further in accordance with:

receiving a request from a requesting party for a requested portion of the network usage profile, the network usage profile being one of a plurality of network usage profiles stored in a network usage profile store;

determining whether the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion of the network usage profile; and

only when the requesting party has access rights to the requested portion of the network usage profile;

executing a query against the network usage profile store as a function of the request;

retrieving results data relating to at least some of the requested portion of the network usage profile as a function of the executed query; and

reporting the results data to the requesting party.

48. The computational system of claim 47, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions further in accordance with:

providing an application program interface adapted to receive the request from the requesting party.

49. The computational system of claim 48, wherein the application program interface is further adapted to receive external profile information for generating the network usage profile, the external profile information being generated by and received from at least one remote profile generation system.