System for communicating with a mobile device server

• US 8,806,577 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, William A., Meuninck, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehedi, Morshed
• Application Number:
  US13/863,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operating in a mobile device server that has computer instructions to execute a web server application at the mobile device server. The web server application can be operable to detect a media resource center while roaming in a communication zone of the media resource center and to transmit a pairing key to the media resource center responsive to acquiring communication access to the communication zone. The web server application can be further operable to receive from the media resource center an indication that a roaming charge will be applied to a subscriber account associated with the mobile device responsive to the media resource center identifying from the pairing key that the mobile device server is a guest device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, executes a web server application on the portable communication device, wherein the web server application performs operations comprising;

detecting a media resource center when roaming into a wireless communication zone of the media resource center, wherein services of the wireless communication zone are accessible to the portable communication device when a security key is provided to a gateway of the media resource center;

transmitting the security key to the gateway;

transmitting a pairing key to the media resource center without transmitting a username and password to enable access to a resource of the media resource center, wherein the pairing key includes a public-key infrastructure key, and wherein the transmitting of the pairing key is responsive to the detecting of the media resource center and is without user intervention; and

receiving a message from the media resource center indicating which of a plurality of resources have been made available to the portable communication device according to a service grade identified from the pairing key by the media resource center and according to an authentication performed by the media resource center based on the public-key infrastructure key,

wherein the pairing key enables the media resource center to detect that the portable communication device is a guest device and not a subscriber device associated with the resources of the media resource center,

wherein the pairing key enables the media resource center to determine whether to apply a roaming charge to a subscriber account associated with the portable communication device according to the service grade identified from the pairing key,

wherein the portable communication device receives from the media resource center a usage policy for dictating how resources of the media resource center are to be used,

wherein the roaming charge is applied responsive to the service grade corresponding to a charge-bearing roaming plan,

wherein the resources include storage devices, and

wherein the media resource center is adapted to identify a geographic area assigned to the pairing key and thereby detect that the portable communication device is a guest device.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the pairing key and the security key are the same.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the media resource center identifies a subscriber account associated with the pairing key.

4. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the media resource center determines from the subscriber account that media services are available for use by the portable communication device, and wherein the media resource center enables the portable communication device to utilize the media services presented by a resource of the media resource center.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the media resource center detects from the pairing key that the portable communication device is managed by a first service provider that is unaffiliated with a second service provider of the media resource center, and wherein the media resource center applies the roaming charge according to an inter-service provider roaming plan.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the media resource center comprises a resource control manager that manages the plurality of resources, and wherein the resource control manager is an integral part of the gateway.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the web server application detects a resource control manager that manages the plurality of resources of the media resource center.

8. The portable communication device of claim 7, wherein the web server application receives authorization from the resource control manager to access resources selected by the resource control manager according to the pairing key.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the web server application transmits a message to a remote server via the gateway assigned to a first IP address, wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application and a second IP address associated with the software application, wherein the remote server identifies the media resource center according to the first IP address of the gateway, and wherein the remote server directs the media resource center to cause the software application to be executed at the portable communication device according to the second IP address.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the message transmitted to the remote server comprises a uniform resource locator with a plurality of descriptors that identify the software application and the second IP address, and wherein the gateway inserts the first IP address into a hypertext transfer protocol header of the message or into an IP header source for network address translation.

11. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the web server application comprises a hypertext transfer protocol server application, and wherein the software application comprises a media application, and wherein communications between the portable communication device and the media resource center conform to an extensible markup language.

12. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the media resource center detects from the service grade that the portable communication device is subscribed to a free of charge roaming plan, and wherein the media resource center bypasses the step of applying the roaming charge upon detection that the portable communication device is subscribed to the free of charge roaming plan.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions executable by a processor of a mobile device server to execute a web server application at the mobile device server, wherein the web server application performs operations comprising:

detecting a media resource center while the mobile device server is roaming into a communication zone of the media resource center;

transmitting a pairing key to the media resource center responsive to establishing communication with the media resource center, wherein the transmitting of the pairing key is responsive to the detecting of the media resource center and is without user intervention; and

receiving from the media resource center an indication that a roaming charge will be applied to a subscriber account associated with the mobile device server responsive to the media resource center identifying from the pairing key that the mobile device server is a guest device,

wherein the media resource center identifies a first subscriber of the mobile device server according to the pairing key,

wherein the media resource center detects that the first subscriber is unassociated with a second subscriber of the media resource center;

wherein the media resource center transmits to the mobile device server an authorization to utilize resources of the media resource center according to a service grade identified from the pairing key, and

wherein the media resource center transmits to the mobile device server a usage policy defined by the second subscriber for instructing options for utilizing the resources of the media resource center; and

transmitting a second pairing key to the media resource center to enable execution of a software application that utilizes resources of the media resource center,

wherein the media resource center detects from the pairing key that the mobile device server is managed by a first service provider that is unaffiliated with a second service provider of the media resource center, and wherein the media resource center applies the roaming charge according to an inter-service provider roaming plan.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving authorization to execute the software application responsive to the media resource center validating the second pairing key.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the software application comprises a media application.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the communication zone is secure; and

transmitting a security key to enable wireless communication access to a resource in the media resource center, wherein the security key and the pairing key are the same.

17. A resource control manager, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

managing a plurality of resources communicatively coupled to the resource control manager;

receiving a pairing key from a mobile device server, wherein the pairing key includes a public-key infrastructure key, and wherein the receiving of the pairing key is without user intervention at the mobile device server;

identifying a service grade from the pairing key;

transmitting authorization to the mobile device server to access a resource selected from the plurality of resources according to the service grade and according to an authentication of the mobile device server based on the public-key infrastructure key;

detecting from the pairing key that the mobile device server is a guest device; and

initiating a process that applies a roaming charge to a subscriber account associated with the mobile device server responsive to the detecting of the guest device,

wherein the controller receives a request from the mobile device server to delegate resources to the mobile device server management,

wherein the controller transmits an acceptance to the mobile device server in response to determining that the pairing key authorizes the mobile device server to manage the resources, and

wherein the controller transmits information relating to the resources to enable the mobile device server to manage the resources,

wherein the mobile device server comprises a cellular telephone executing a web server application,

wherein the controller detects the mobile device server and another mobile device server executing another web server application, and

wherein the controller detects that the mobile device server and the other mobile device server are requesting a common resource managed by the resource control manager.

18. The resource control manager of claim 17, wherein the controller arbitrates an assignment of the common resource between the mobile device server and the other mobile device server.

19. The resource control manager of claim 17, wherein the web server application comprises a hypertext transfer protocol web server application, wherein the web server application identifies a first subscriber of the mobile device server according to the pairing key, wherein the web server application detects that the first subscriber is unassociated with a second subscriber of the resource control manager, and wherein the web server application transmits to the mobile device server a usage policy of the second subscriber for instructing how resources of the resource control manager are to be used.

20. The resource control manager of claim 17, wherein the resource control manager comprises a set top box.