Automated device provisioning and activation

• US 8,640,198 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/742,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20130133028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/2, 726/3, 726/4, 726/5, 726/7, 726/15, 726/16, 726 26- 29, 709/221, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/228, 709/229, 455405-409, 455/414.1, 455/432, 455/432.1, 455/453.1, 705/30, 705/34
• US Class Current: 726/2
• 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

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing one or more processors of a wireless device to execute a method comprising: assisting in obtaining a user input through a user interface of the wireless device; determining at least an aspect of a control policy based on the user input, the control policy associated with a first application on the wireless device, the at least an aspect of the control policy for at least assisting in controlling a first access to the first wireless network by the first application on the wireless device and enabling a first control of the first access to the first wireless network by the first application on the wireless device that differs from a second control of a second access to the first wireless network by a second application; and applying the control policy.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a wireless device, cause the one or more processors to:

assist in obtaining a user input through a user interface of the wireless device;

determine at least an aspect of a control policy based on the user input, the control policy associated with a first application on the wireless device, the first application at least enabling the wireless device to access at least a first data service over a first wireless network, the at least an aspect of the control policy for at least assisting in restricting or preventing a first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing, the at least an aspect of the control policy enabling a first control of the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing that differs from a second control of a second access to the first wireless network by a second application on the wireless device; and

apply the control policy, thereby at least assisting in restricting or preventing the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein restricting or preventing the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing comprises preventing communication associated with the first application over the first wireless network when the first application runs as a background process.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein restricting or preventing the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing comprises restricting communication associated with the first application over the first wireless network when the first application runs as a background process.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the first wireless network comprises a cellular network, a roaming network, or an access network associated with a cost.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein apply the control policy comprises at least assist in routing or directing at least a portion of traffic associated with the first application over the first wireless network to a particular network communication end point, route, or tunnel.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein apply the control policy comprises identify or insert a flow tag in a traffic flow associated with the first application, the flow tag configured to assist in preserving the association of the traffic flow with the first application when the traffic flow is processed by one or more functions of the wireless device that operate on the traffic flow.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein apply the control policy comprises use an application programming interface to communicate with a software component that at least assists in restricting or preventing the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein apply the control policy comprises use an application programming interface to communicate information to a software component that at least assists in restricting or preventing the first access to the first wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing, the information being associated with:

(a) the first wireless network, (b) a cost associated with the first wireless network, (c) a connection state of the first wireless network, (d) a user preference, or (e) a combination of these.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein apply the control policy comprises use an application programming interface to communicate with a software component that at least assists in controlling a background access.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the control policy is further based on a relationship between a usage limit and a measure of usage of the first wireless network associated with the first application.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the user input comprises a directive to restrict, block, disable, turn off, throttle, delay, quarantine, or shape at least a portion of traffic over the first wireless network associated with the first application.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the user input comprises a directive to restrict, block, throttle, delay, quarantine, or shape at least a portion of traffic over the first wireless network associated with the first application when an amount or cost of usage of the first wireless network associated with the first application satisfies a condition relative to a threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 12, wherein the user input further comprises an indication of the threshold or information associated with the threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the user input comprises a directive to restrict, block, throttle, delay, quarantine, or shape at least a portion of traffic over the first wireless network associated with the first application when a quality of a second wireless network satisfies a condition relative to a threshold.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

assist in establishing a secure control link between the wireless device and a network element, the secure control link secured by an encryption protocol and configured to support control-plane communications between the wireless device and the network element, and

obtain at least a portion of the control policy from the network element over the secure control link.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the control policy at least assists in controlling the second access to the first wireless network by the second application on the wireless device, and wherein the user input is a first user input, and wherein the at least an aspect of the control policy is a first aspect of the control policy, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

assist in obtaining a second user input through the user interface, and

determine at least a second aspect of the control policy based on the second user input, the at least a second aspect of the control policy for at least assisting in controlling the second access to the first wireless network by the second application on the wireless device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the control policy assists in controlling a third access to a second wireless network by the first application.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 17, wherein the at least an aspect of the control policy is further based on a characteristic of the first wireless network or the second wireless network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 17, wherein the at least an aspect of the control policy is further based on a user preference comprising a directive to allow access to the second wireless network by the first application based on a characteristic of the first wireless network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the control policy is a first control policy, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to apply a second control policy associated with the first application, the second control policy for at least assisting in controlling a third access to a second wireless network by the first application when the first application is executing.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the first application is configured to assist in providing a forwarding service, the forwarding service for forwarding traffic between (a) one or more other devices communicatively coupled to the wireless device over a second network and (b) a network system communicatively coupled to the wireless device over the first wireless network, and wherein the at least an aspect of the control policy at least assists in determining whether the forwarding service is available to one or more of the one of more other devices.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is capable of being communicatively coupled to an intermediate networking device over the first wireless network, the intermediate networking device providing a forwarding service for forwarding traffic between the wireless device and a network system communicatively coupled to the intermediate networking device over a second wireless network, and wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine the at least an aspect of the control policy based on a characteristic of the second wireless network.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 1, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain a first measure, the first measure quantifying at least the first access to the first wireless network by the first application.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23, wherein obtain a first measure comprises determine the first measure.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23, wherein obtain a first measure comprises obtain the first measure from a network element.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23, wherein the first measure comprises an amount of data, a cost, or a time.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to assist in presenting, through the user interface, information based on the first measure.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 27, wherein the first measure comprises a measure of one or more downstream or upstream communications over the first wireless network.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 27, wherein the first measure comprises a measure of one or more background or foreground communications.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, the machine-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a second measure, the second measure quantifying the second access to the first wireless network by the second application on the wireless device; and

present, through the user interface, information based on the first measure or information based on the second measure.