Mobile device with data service monitoring, categorization, and display for different applications and networks

• US 9,179,315 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• 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): HAILE, AWET A
• Application Number:
  US14/663,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A mobile device has a service monitor agent to categorize wireless network data usage by the device, according to network used (for instance whether a WWAN or a WLAN is used) and also according to the device application associated with the network data usage. A set of service usage counters track network data usage per application for at least one of the networks. An application data usage user interface displays, to a user, service usage on a per-application basis based on the service usage counters.

Claims

1. A wireless end-user device, comprising:

a cellular modem configurable to receive and transmit Internet data through at least a first wireless wide area network (WWAN);

a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem configurable to receive and transmit Internet data through at least a first WLAN;

a set of multiple service usage counters to track network data usage associated with a plurality of applications, each application capable of requesting Internet data communications, the set of counters including first and second service usage counters, the first service usage counter associated with a first one of the plurality of applications and not associated with a second one of the plurality of applications, and the second service usage counter associated with the second one of the plurality of applications;

a service monitor agent to categorize network data usage for Internet data communications by the wireless end-user device based at least on

(i) whether the data usage occurs on a WWAN, and

(ii) an application associated with the network data usage,

the service monitor agent to update the multiple service usage counters for network data usage based on the categorization,

the first service usage counter updated only for amounts of network data usage for a designated one of WWAN data usage and WLAN data usage, the first service usage counter update for amounts of network data usage including network data usage categorized as associated with the first application and excluding network data usage categorized as associated with the second application,

the second service usage counter updated only for amounts of network data usage for the designated one of WWAN data usage and WLAN data usage, the second service usage counter update for amounts of network data usage including network data usage categorized as associated with the second application; and

an application data usage user interface to display on the device a first value based on the first service usage counter and associate in the display the first value with the first one of the plurality of applications, and to display on the device a second value based on the second service usage counter and associate in the display the second value with the second one of the plurality of applications.

2. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, further comprising:

a network stack to interface with the cellular modem and the WLAN modem; and

an application interface agent to interface between the network stack and the plurality of applications such that network traffic for Internet data for the plurality of applications flows through the application interface agent, the application interface agent to identify network data service flows in the network traffic and associate the flows with respective ones of the applications, and to report, to the service monitor agent, information on the network data service flows and respective associations of the network data service flows with applications.

3. The wireless end-user device of claim 2, further comprising a service usage control policy for at least some of the plurality of applications, the application interface agent further operating to selectively pass or block network data service flows, based on their associated application and based on the service usage control policy, for at least some of the plurality of applications.

4. The wireless end-user device of claim 3, the service usage control policy based at least in part on control policy options selected by the user interacting with the application data usage user interface.

5. The wireless end-user device of claim 2, further comprising a device operating system having a kernel space, and wherein at least a portion of the application interface agent operates in the kernel space.

6. The wireless end-user device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of applications operate in an application space of the wireless end-user device, and wherein at least a portion of the application interface agent also operates in the application space.

7. The wireless end-user device of claim 2, the application interface agent further to interact with the application programs to arrange application settings to aid in implementing an application-level service usage control policy.

8. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a device operating system having a kernel space, and wherein at least a portion of the service monitor agent operates in the kernel space.

9. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications operate in an application space of the wireless end-user device, and wherein at least a portion of the service monitor agent also operates in the application space.

10. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a policy control agent to receive network data service usage information from the service monitor agent, and policy instructions from the user, the policy control agent to, based on the service usage information, manage traffic associated with at least some of the plurality of applications according to the policy instructions from the user.

11. The wireless end-user device of claim 10, wherein the policies are based on a current wireless network connection.

12. The wireless end-user device of claim 10, further comprising a policy implementation agent to apply a policy specified by the policy control agent to network data usage associated with at least one of the cellular modem and the WLAN modem.

13. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the set of multiple service usage counters further comprising a third service usage counter, associated with the first one of the plurality of applications and not with the second one of the plurality of applications, the first service monitor agent to

update the first usage counter for first WWAN data usage categorized as associated with the first application, and

update the third usage counter for first WLAN data usage categorized as associated with the first application.

14. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the application data usage user interface further to display a projected usage value based on the first service usage counter, the projected usage value associated in the display with the first one of the plurality of applications.

15. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, wherein the first value is displayed as an amount of WWAN usage.

16. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the application data usage user interface further to notify a user of the device when at least one of the service usage counter reaches a trigger amount.

17. The wireless end-user device of claim 16, wherein the application data usage user interface allows the user to set the trigger amount.

18. The wireless end-user device of claim 16, the application data usage user interface further to, in conjunction with notifying the user of the device, display one or more options to the user and accept a response from the user.

19. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, the service monitor agent further to categorize network data usage for Internet data communications by the wireless end-user device, and associated with management of the device, separately from network data usage for Internet data communications categorized as associated with an application.

20. The wireless end-user device of claim 1, further comprising a network stack to handle network data passing between the plurality of applications and the modems, the network stack comprising at least one service usage measurement element of the service monitor agent.

21. A wireless end-user device, comprising:

a cellular modem configurable to receive and transmit Internet data through at least a first wireless wide area network (WWAN);

a wireless local area network (WLAN) modem configurable to receive and transmit Internet data through at least a first WLAN;

a set of multiple service usage counters to track network data usage associated with a plurality of applications, each application capable of requesting Internet data communications, the set of counters including first and second service usage counters, the first service usage counter associated with a first one of the plurality of applications and not associated with a second one of the plurality of applications, and the second service usage counter associated with the second one of the plurality of applications;

a service monitor agent to categorize network data usage for Internet data communications by the wireless end-user device based at least on

(i) whether the data usage occurs on a WWAN, and

(ii) an application associated with the network data usage,

the service monitor agent to update the multiple service usage counters for network data usage based on the categorization,

the first service usage counter updated for amounts of first WWAN data usage, but not first WLAN data usage, the first service usage counter update for amounts of first WWAN data usage including network data usage categorized as associated with the first application and excluding network data usage categorized as associated with the second application,

the second service usage counter updated for amounts of first WWAN data usage, but not first WLAN data usage, the second service usage counter update for amounts of first WWAN data usage including network data usage categorized as associated with the second application; and

an application data usage user interface to display on the device a first value based on the first service usage counter and associate in the display the first value with the first one of the plurality of applications and the cellular modem, and to display on the device a second value based on the second service usage counter and associate in the display the second value with the second one of the plurality of applications and the cellular modem.