Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing targeted services to telecommunications network subscribers based on information extracted from network signaling and data traffic

• US 9,363,388 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Russell, Travis Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US14/182,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/231, 370/360, 370/370, 370/386, 370/369, 370/252, 370/235, 370/241.1, 370/242, 370/401, 370/402
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing targeted services to telecommunications network subscribers based on information extracted from network signaling and data traffic are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing targeted services to telecommunications network subscribers based on information extracted from network signaling and data traffic. The method includes collecting subscriber and network related information from nodes in a telecommunications network, storing the subscriber and network related information in a repository for storing and maintaining that data, analyzing the information stored in the repository to determine subscriber interests, behaviors, and/or preferences, creating policy rules based on determined subscriber interests, behaviors, and/or preferences, and implementing the created policy rules in response to network events.

Claims

1. A method for providing targeted services to telecommunications network subscribers based on information extracted from network signaling and data traffic, the method comprising:

collecting subscriber and network related information from nodes in a telecommunications network, wherein collecting subscriber and network related information from nodes in a telecommunications network includes receiving Diameter signaling messages at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), duplicating or extracting information from the Diameter signaling messages at the DSR, and sending the duplicated messages or extracted information to a multi-source repository (MSR);

storing the subscriber and network related information in the MSR;

analyzing the information stored in the MSR to determine subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences;

creating policy rules based on determined subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences; and

implementing the created policy rules in response to network events, wherein implementing the policy rules includes providing the policy rules to a mobile policy gateway (MPG) that extends policy to mobile devices, wherein at least one of the policy rules changes a policy on a mobile device to provide the mobile device with a higher quantity of service network connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting and storing subscriber and network related information comprises extracting subscriber and network related information from network signaling messages.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein extracting subscriber and network related information from network signaling messages comprises, at the DSR, extracting the subscriber and network related information from the received Diameter signaling messages, and sending the extracted information to the MSR.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting and storing subscriber and network related information comprises extracting subscriber and network related information from network bearer traffic.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein extracting subscriber and network related information from network bearer traffic comprises using a traffic detection function to perform deep packet inspection of data packets.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting and storing subscriber and network related information comprises collecting and storing information about a status of the network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the information about the status of the network includes information about at least one of:

operational status of a node;

operational status of a link;

traffic capacity or congestion;

observed trends in traffic capacity or congestion; and

predicted trends in traffic capacity or congestion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the information stored in the to determine subscriber behaviors and preferences comprises at least one of:

scoring the popularity of a media provider;

scoring the popularity of particular media content;

determining the interests, behaviors, or preferences of a subscriber; and

determining the interests, behaviors, or preferences of a subscriber demographic.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein creating policy rules includes using network related information to create the policy rules.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein creating policy rules based on determined subscriber behaviors and preferences includes using demographic data to target ads to a subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein targeting ads to a subscriber is based on at least one of:

a subscriber attribute, characteristic, behavior or location;

a subscriber equipment type; and

an access or access network type.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein implementing the created policy rules in response to network events comprises at least one of:

providing targeted ads to a subscriber;

informing a subscriber of alternative access modes;

instructing a subscriber'"'"'s device to select one of a plurality of available access modes;

controlling a subscriber'"'"'s access to network services; and

controlling or adjusting a subscriber'"'"'s billing rate.

13. The method of claim 1 comprising providing, to over the top/cloud service providers, access to information stored in the repository.

14. A system for providing targeted services to telecommunications network subscribers based on information extracted from network signaling and data traffic, the system comprising:

a multi-source repository (MSR) for storing subscriber and network related information;

a telecommunications network node for sending and receiving network traffic, the node configured to extract subscriber and network related information from received network traffic and transmit the extracted information to the MSR, wherein the telecommunications network node comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR) for receiving Diameter signaling messages, duplicating or extracting information from the Diameter signaling messages at the DSR, and sending the duplicated messages or extracted information to a multi-source repository (MSR);

a policy analytics engine for analyzing information stored in the repository to determine subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences and for creating policy rules based on determined subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences; and

a policy node for implementing the created policy rules in response to network events, wherein the policy node comprises a mobile policy gateway (MPG) that extends policy to mobile devices, wherein at least one of the policy rules changes a policy on a mobile device to provide the mobile device with a higher quantity of service network connection.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the repository supports structured and unstructured data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the MSR is configured to receive the subscriber and network related information from at least one of the following nodes in addition to the DSR:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);

a subscriber profile repository (SPR);

a traffic detection function (TDF);

a deep packet inspection (DPI) function;

a gateway;

a gateway controller;

a signaling transfer point;

a switch;

a router;

a mobility management entity (MME);

a node in a 3G, 4G, 5G, or 6G network; and

a node in SIP or IMS network.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the policy node comprises a mobile policy gateway for pushing policy rules to devices using the telecommunications network.

18. The system of claim 14 including an over-the-top (OTT) application manager for providing subscriber and network related information to OTT/cloud service providers.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the OTT application manager provides access to subscriber and network related information via a secure, open application interface.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

collecting subscriber and network related information from nodes in a telecommunications network, wherein collecting subscriber and network related information from nodes in a telecommunications network includes receiving Diameter signaling messages at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), duplicating or extracting information from the Diameter signaling messages at the DSR, and sending the duplicated messages or extracted information to a multi-source repository (MSR;

storing the subscriber and network related information in the MSR;

analyzing the information stored in the MSR to determine subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences;

creating policy rules based on determined subscriber interests, behaviors, or preferences; and

implementing the created policy rules in response to network events, wherein implementing the policy rules includes providing the policy rules to a mobile policy gateway (MPG) that extends policy to mobile devices, wherein at least one of the policy rules changes a policy on a mobile device to provide the mobile device with a higher quantity of service network connection.